Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-09-15
A R T N 0 T Els.


NEW YORK, September A. 1905
The art season in New York Is just
awakening. A few of the dealers galleries
have reopened, the schools are preparing
for the influx of students, the artists are
gradually returning from their summer
haunts and plans for forthcoming exhibit
lions are taking definite shape. Quite a
number of changes have been made in the
Metropolitan Museum during the past
three months and very recently Sir Carper
Purdon Clarke. the director, made some in
teresting announcements concerning the
lines Of immediate development Every eff
fort is to be exerted toward increasing it's
usefulness as an industrial art museum
and in pursuance of this purpose a special
exhibit of wood carvings has just been
opened in gallery four. This little show is
made up Of various specimens of carved
wood purchased of late by the trustees, to-
gether with important examples presented
to the institution by Mr.. ]. Pierpont Nor
gan, its president, which range in variety
from fifteenth century Gothic, through the
Renaissance to the period of Louis XVI in
France In time 1t Is thought that the
museums collection of woodwork and fur
niture will be very complete-r1valing pos
sibly that more admirable collection in the
Cluny at Paris. More space will be given
to this class of exhibits the need Is in
creased and eventually 1t is hoped to de-
vote a whole wing to the old furniture and
carvings. Aside from the objects them
selves, however. this is an. exceedingly i'm
portant movement. 1t means art for the
people-the utilization Of art; opening new
vistas to the working man and supplying
fresh, genuine ideas to the amateur and
professional craftsman A museum should
not merely be show place. but treasury
of learning. With its ample endowment
the Metropolitan can under wise direction
accomplish this end. But this museum
-,,~ H.
endeavor. While the arts and crafts de-
partment Is being developed the fine arts
division is also being enlarged and revised.
Having attention called about a year ago
to it's poverty in American works, steps
have been taken to remedy the deficiency.
While some of the early American sculp-
lures have been removed from the main
statuary hail. steps have been taken to Sc
cure a representative collection of small
bronzes by leading American sc,lptors.
Twenty pieces have already been obtained
and to these during the winter others will
be added. This step was strongly urged
by subcommittee who pointed out the
fact that this entire collection could be
had at this time for the purchasing price of
a single original work of antiquity. Fur
thermore with these American bronzes are
to be placed works by contemporary Eng
fish sculptors. Several cases of modern
bronzes purposed for exhibition are now
on their way from England and among
these will be found examples of the works
Of Lord Leighton, Alfred Gilbert, Thomas
Brock and Alfred Dewey.
The Metropolitan Museum has also been
adding to its collection of American paint
ings and in its Bulletin this month is
published complete chronological list Of
those now in its possession. This was com
those now in It's possession. This was COM
piled by A. d'Hervilly Of the museum staff
now on exhibition.
Work on the new wing is progressing
rapidly. This building, which is. to the
north and east of the old structure is to
cost 81 10000 and will be finished within
two years. 1t will contain. besides two par
allel and two cross galleries, large am
phitheater in which will be delivered lee
lures on art and exhibits by the several
curators and other experts. 1t Is thought
also that this hall may be used by the Ma
tional Academy of Design in cooperation
with Columbia University for similar pur-
poses in furtherance of their scheme to es-
tablish a great school of fine arts-a school
national in character modelled upon the
plan of the famous school of France, the
Ecole des Beaux Arts.
The first important exhibition of the sea-
son will be that of the New York Water
Color Club, which will open in the gal
leries of the American Fine Arts Society
on November 10. and continue until Decem-
Der 2. 1t will consist of water colors, pas
tells and miniatures, not previously shown
In this city, and if 1t attains past standards
should present definite interest. 1t is nat
uraily composed largely Of the works of the
club members, but enough comes from out
side to make it commonly representative.
Mr.. Moser. Miss Perrie, Mr.. Nichols and
other Washington water colorists have been
frequent exhibitors. Mr.. Henry B. Smell,
collection of whose work was shown
soa or so ago at the Cosmos Club, in WASH
ington, Is the president. and Mr.. William ].
Whlttemore, who Is also prominent in art
circles, is the secretary. The jury of Sc
lection is composed of Mrs. Emma Lumbert
Cooper, Miss Blanche Dillaye, Jules Guerin,
Corwin K Linson, F. Louis Mora, Leonard
Ochtman, Edward Potthast. Mrs. Clara
Weaver Parrish, F. X. NJ. REIN. William
s. Robinson, Mrs. E. N. Vanderpool and
Cullen Yates Through the generosity of
Mr. William R. Beal a prize of $500 will
be awarded to the picture selected by the
jury as. In It's judgment. the most meritori-
Gus water color.
n ~
Marking the close Of the summer season