Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-08-05

taken without thought of its esthetic fea-
lures. That Washington. without the back
Ing Of q municipal art society, is in these
matters lining up with her sister cities mas
during the past few months been more than
once evidenced. Better taste is displayed
in the laying out of the flower beds in our
public parks this year than ever before
greater care has been shown in the selec-
ton OF building designs; expert opinion has
been more frequently sort, and workmen or
better training and higher attachments are
being instated. Tangible proof of this prog
ress Is to be found in the design for q
fight Of steps which will connect 22d and
Decatur streets. and more recently in the
plans for a bridge spanning Piney branch
at the extension of 10th street. The latter
is to be built of concrete and take the form
of single span-a parabolis arch sprinsing
from the abutments of heavy. battered pilas-
tiers. The lines of the structure are eX-
tremely simple. the masses well balanced.
There is little ornamentation ard no over
loading of detail. Variety will be made IN
the color by alteration in finish. and the
whole will be found not only substantial
but picturesque in design. If l. Enfants
hopes for our federal city are ever realized
it will be through similar intelligent CO.
operation the part of the municipality
with the nation.
Marked advance has been noted recently
in the designs of moderate priced town
dwelling houses, but in our local country
districts the piaZzaed dry goods box is sun
the rule as well the fashion. While the
man of wealth has learned to value the SIM
plicity of the colonial or Georgian style, the
manor more often the woman OF moderate
means-still clings affectionately to the GIN
ger-bread cottage. Some of our local archl-
tectural firms have done distinguished serv-
Ice in rendering plain but artistic urban
hut ha Sll
parently received less thoughtful attention
The professional magazines set forth win
much care and elaboration the houses OF
millionaires, but few concern themselves
with the home of the working man. inns
should not be. Art and simplicity are closely
allied good designs in houses as wei as
furnishings are no more expensive than poor
ones the ill-arranged dry goods box no
more desirable than the tin-trimmed red
brick. Here is an opportunity for dennlte
reform.
New light has been thrown on the his
tory of art by the excavations conducted
for the French government by NJ. +. A
Morgan on the site of the ancient city or
Susa, in Chaldea. Statuettes, carvings and
pictorial inscriptions have been unearthed
in this portion of Persia, which are sup
posed by experts to date back more than
twenty centuries before the Christian era,
and to give credence to the belief that arr
of a well-deveoped character fourished
in the valley of the Tigris and Euphrates
when the Pharoahs of Egypt were yet I'M
born. Among the most interesting OF these
recent finds, which are now to be seen IN
the Louvre, is a bas relief OF Chaldean
king hunting wild boar in the Tigris
marshes.
The trustees of the Metropolitan museum
In their last report declared their intention
of adding as rapidly as possible to the mu-
seum's collection of paintings by Amer
leans, and this week the purchase of two
portraits by Gilbert Stuart is announced.
These are likenesses of Judge Anthony and
his wife which have been for many years
in the keeping Of an old Maryland family.
They are both moderate-siZed canVases
and in an excellent state OF preservation.
The judge is pictured against dark back
while his wife in white frock and blue hair
ribbon is portrayed against aif-drawn
red curtain.
So many "old masters have been I'M
earthed in disused garrets that announce
ments of additional finds scarcely tax
the hearers credulity, or cause more than
a ripple in the art world There seems,
however unusual reason for faith in the re-
cent discovery of an original Raphael in
Wiesbaden, Germany. The canvas in ques-
ton measures ffty-two by forty-three cen
timeters and represents the Virgin and
Child. 1t is supposed to be the original of
La Verge a la Grape" of which copy
by Mignard hangs in the Louvre, and 1t is
said to have been brought to Germany
many years ago by an Italian stone mason.
*4
A oP ha IA hn1OnS Value of old
paintings by famous artists can be had
from the knowledge that at Chirsties, in
London, recently two portraits by Van
Dyke, of Charles l and Queen Henrietta
Maria sold for $50. $50; and that at the
same sale portrait of "A Lady Professor
of Bologna attributed to Giorgione,
brought, in spite of its doubtful authen-
+
The new capitol of Minnesota will not
only be INTELLECTUALLY and artistically one
of the finest public buildings in the United
States, but will directly encourage and fos-
ter the fine arts by setting aside certain
number of rooms galleries for the use
of the State Art Society. In these a per-
manent exhibition is to be held, varied in
character but continually open to the pub
lie Efforts are now being made by men,
bers of the society 10 secure suitable loans
for this purpose.
Berlin will hold, during the first four
months of the coming year, a retrospective
exhibition of German art, covering the
hundred years between 1715 and 1915. The
expenses are to be met by art societies and
patrons and a systematic search for avail
able works is being made by special COM
mittees in the German towns and cities.
The summer art schools are, 1t Is said,
specially we'll attended this season, and life
at the summer art centers Is declared to be
unusually festive. At East Gloucester
where number of our local artists have
studios this year. there is a round of small
exhibitions and informal receptions every
Saturday afternoon, and at Ipswich, Wind
sor and Cragsmoor there are similar DEM
| onstrations of genial activity.
ST. Louis, Mo-, is in the near future to
| have two monumental works of sculpture
President Francis of the worlds fair hav-
| ing promised to the city bronze replica of
| the statue of her patrOn saint-King Iouis-