Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-06-22
A R T N O T Els.

A R T N OF ES.
A fine large painting by Mr.. Lucien Pow
ell has just been hung at the Public Ii
brary, where ii is being much admired The
picture is a marine. 1t is hung in a good
light above the landing of one of the grand
staircases. The painting has never been on
public exhibition before. The library is
enabled to exhibit It through the courtesy
of Mrs. John B. Henderson.
1t has been customary for some years to
close the Corcoran Gallery of Art for three
months every summer, but at meeting of
the board of trustees held last Monday it
was determined to reduce the time nearly
third this year. The gallery, therefore,
will not be closed until the 18th of July
and will be reopened the Goth of September.
This will be great boon to summer tour
lists, and should also be appreciated by
those who remain In town. At the present
time the Corcoran Gallery is especially rich
in exhibit, having, in addition to its own
permanent collection. the Evans collection OF
American paintings, loaned by the National
Gallery, and the Clark collection of foreign
paintings. lent by the owner, as well as
numerous important single loans. Nowhere
in the country, in fact will one find a more
interesting asSemblage of paintings or one
comprehending a greater amount of sig
nificant work, and perhaps at no time of
year does the gallery itself present a more
picturesque and inviting appearance. Stu
ated as 1t is on the edge of a government
reservation, it has a charming setting, and
the simple lines and coloring of its interior
are restful and cool. Its garden, too, is
worthy of note. for, though not made acces-
Il 4.
with its vines. shrubs and blossoming roses
adds much to the general effect.
~
The Boston Museum of Fine Arts has
made gardens and courts a coordinate part
Of its plan for the new museum building,
or rather buildings, which will be erected
on the new Fenway site. For several years
these plans have been carefully considered.
A special committee was sent abroad to
visit and examine the various museums of
the old world. and later to make actual test
Of the result of the inquiry a temporary
structure was erected on the proposed site
and various experiments in lighting were
tried. The result is unique and promising.
Instead of vast museum, there are to be
group of small museums, logically ar
ranged and carefully related, but in them
selves separate and complete. One, for
ample, will be given over to classical art
museum material will be made peculiarly
available for study, and yet it's educational
value will not exceed its casual interest or
charm. There is town in Sweden where
the average yearly attention at the art
museum Is twice that of the population,
and the secret of this astounding demon
stration of interest is thought to lie in the
inviting arrangement of exhibits. To in
terest. educate and not fatigue the public
are the great museums aims, and the way
to accomplish these ends the Boston Art
Museum thinks 1t has discovered. 1t was
the same theory in regard to museums
which led Mr.. Charles L. Freer of Detroit
to stipulate that his collection given to the
nation be separately housed, providing the
means for the erection of the building him
self, and which has, furthermore, given
specific direction to all his collecting. The
desire is not one to specialize, but classify,
in order that every item will yield the ut
most benefit. that all may become signii-
cant and cease to be merely bewildering.
It is often remarked that between the
years 1880 and 1860 there was little art in
America of conspicuous merit, but too fire.
gently it is entirely forgotten that there
were any painters who during that dark
period kept traditions alive. One of the
men to whom gratitude is due is William
Edward West, who was born in Lexington,
KY in 1883, and died at Nashville, Tenn,
in 1853, after having studied assiduously
and accomplished considerable work of dis
tinction. He was first a pupil OF Sully, In
Philadelphia, then went to Italy, and later
to London, where he passed most of his
years. His is the well-known portrait OF
Byron. and among his other famous sitters
are to be named Shelley, Washington lrv-
ing and Mrs. Hemans. But because, he
lived abroad the greater part of his life his
are not as well known as perhaps
they should be in America The New
York Historical Society owns his "Confes-
sional," his judith and Holofernes' is In
a private home in Richmond, as indeed, Is
his portrait of Shelley, and few others
are scattered among special collections.
Mrs. Newton Webster Leonard of this city
owns two, a portrait of her mother,
painted in the artists later years. and an
categorical picture produced in about 1881;
The latter represents Music. Art and
Poetry" in the guise Of maidens dressed
according to the dictates of the fash1on
of the day, one holding guitar one
palette and one a pen. They occupy the
center of moderate-siZed canvas and are
apparently seated in an ordinary drawing
room for to the right is a chair and to the
left a table, while through a window In the
rear glimpse is given of the castle OF
Fame" Al little cherub leans nonchalantly
on the windowsill and a beautiful figure,
presumably the spirit Of Genius, WITHIN
draws back a curtain that the view may
be observed. The composition, the drafts
manship and the coloring are all excellent