Evening star., 1907-08-24
A R T N 0 T E s.

This is the time of travel At no other
season of the year are many studios
closed or so many homes vacated
Through increased facilities in travel, dis
tant places have been made near. and
even the old world has became as a next
door neighbor. And yet, in another way.
far-off things are being made familiar
Photography is enabling those who stay
at home to share the privileges of those
who go abroad and to enter into their de-
lights In no small measure. The Library
of Congress has recently acquired a col
lection of $500 Photographic reproductions
of great paintings in England. They are
the works chiefly of the old masters and
have been drawn from the collections in the
great galleries of London Edinburgh. Glas-
gov, Birmingham, Manchester and Liver
pool. 1t is as though some knowing per-
son had conducted one through such ia
nous places as the National Gallery. Mere
ford House and Buckingham Palace and
directed attention specifically to this and
that work of Importance; for what is un-
interesting has been passed ove- and only
the best selected for reproduction. And
what is more, the reproductions are ex-
ceedingly good and of sufficient size to
give a very fair impression of the merit
o. the originals. These photographs have
been mounted. classified and catalogued,
and while they are not on exhibition they
are accessible tc all who are interested
and make application to those in charge
of the art reading ROOM They form a
part of still larger collection of photo
graphs of the great works of art-archi-
lecture. sculpture and painting-in Europe.
which the print division of the library has
been acquiring for some time and which
now numbers at least thirty thousand. To
the student It is of the utmost value.
but for none could it fail to have interest.
-.
Another noteworthy acquisition which has
recently been made by the print division
of the Library of Congress is a collection
of twenty-four copper-plate engravings IL
lustrating the victories won by Kien-lung,
Emperor of China, in the kingdom of Kasn-
gar and adjacent countries in the eight
eenth century. 1t consists of two series
and has come in portfolios made of highly
polished boards The prints are uniform
in size, mounted on cardboard and folded
through the center. Strangely complicated
in composition they are not confused, and
while far from realistic they unquestion-
ably serve their purpose. Indeed, they
show distinctly the influence of the earlier
art of China-that great art which is only
too little known and appreciated. The
mountain ranges. among which apparently
Kien-lung's battles were Fought, are de-
lghtfully transcribed; the graver itself
has been manipulated deftly. and in what
was deliberately mere narration decora-
tive motive has been allowed to assert IT
through the instrumentalty of Mr.. W. W.
Rockhill
4*
Outdoor art Is at the present time at
tracing much attention. Many cities are
having orderly plans made fo- their arts-
tic development many parks are being
laid out, houses built and monuments erect
ed. The billboard nuisance has also come
in for its share of notoriety ard II some
instances given promise of reform. but in
many directions there is still room for
improvement. 1t is not easy to make it
generally understood that these matters
pertain as truly to art as painting, but, as
Sir Alfred East has said. a stranger COM
ing to a city gains his first impression of
the refinement and culture Of its inhabi-
tants through its architecture. its public
buildings, parks and monuments, for he
must stay to visit its picture galleries.
Each building which is erected, therefore.
helps to improve or injure the city's charm.
And yet no restrictions are placed upon
downright ugliness. The building regulations