Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-04-28
A R T N O T Els.

Though the present art season is almost
concluded, one of the most interesting and
notable exhibitions Of the year yet re-
mains to be held The collection Of paint
ings by contemporary German artists which
was assembled last summer by DR.. Kurtz,
director of the Albright Gallery of Buffalo,
while abroad and has been shown not only
in Buffalo. but St. Louis, Chicago and In
dianapolis, Is now on Its way to Washing
ton, and will be placed on view in the
hemicycle Of the Corcoran Gallery of Art
before the close of next week. There are
over ninety pictures in this collection. and
though some distinguished names are alb
sent from Its catalogue, the leading schools
are all represented and the current field
we'll covered. Great care was taken In the
selection Of these paintings. and In order
that they should be thoroughly representa-
tive as well as exceedingly meritorious DIR.
Kurtz visited special exhibitions of Ger
man paintings in London, Cologne, Berlin,
Dresden. Weimar. Nuremberg. Munich,
Karlsruhe. and other cities, as we'll as many
artists studios. There were, of course.
some disappointments-all the pictures Sc
lected did not come. and In some instances
less desirable ones were substituted-but
on the whole things went well, and the col
lection has been declared to have fulfilled
Its promise.
From the standpoint Of novelty alone this
exhibition should prove attractive, for few
examples of the work of contemporary Ger
man painters are to be seen in America to-
day. Since Dusseldorf ceased to be the
art students Mecca. the German schools
seem to have passed out of sight. and while
the Dutch and French and English painters
have found market here, the German
artists with but few exceptions, have not
even been learned. 1t seems curious that
a whole nation could thus have been over
looked, but SO unQuestionably Is 1t true that
a mere list Of the artists represented In this
exhibition would convey small meaning to
the ma tority of readers And yet, as Dr.
Kurtz has said. there are more artists and
art workers to the square mile In Germany
at the present time than in any other coun-
try. excepting perhaps Japan; and the best
German art of our time has been said to
compare with the best the world has ever
seen. There Is. in fact IN Germany at the
present time what might be called renais-
sance of art; observable in all municipal
improvements, in the architecture and man
ufactures and brought about, to a great
extent, through the effort and influence
exerted by the trade or Industrial schools.
It Is. of course, time OF transition, OF I'M
rest and progress, even perhaps of expert
mentalism but on this account the current
work Is all the more interesting.
In Germany, as elsewhere. there are two
distinct schools OF painting; each violently
academic school and the secessionists, who
stand for ultra modernity-the followers Of
tradition and the searchers for a new way.
In general character the work OF both
schools is very different from that Of our
own, and though it may not be exemplary.
It is certainly worthy Of careful attention.
This exhibition will. in fact. give an ex-
cellent opportunity for those who are In
terested to compare the product Of the
American school with that of a foreign ma
tion, as well as to become acquainted with
certain phases Of art which are new and un-
familiar Opening probably on Saturday,
MAY 4, the exhibition will continue for two
or three weeks.