Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-02-08
A R T N O T E s.

ciety of the Fine Arts an exhibition OF
tapestries. textiles and embroideries Will
BE- held in the CorcOran Gallery of Art
from the 10Th to the Goth of this month
1t will be opened Friday evening with a
reception. for which the trustees of the
Corcoran Gallery have issued 1000 invita-
tons. and promises to prove an event OF
much note. The tapestries will be hung
on the walls of the staircase and sus-
pended from rods below the balconies in
the atriun, while the textiles and en-
broideries will be set forth in the hemi-
cycle hall. Probably at no time has a
more notable collection of tapestries been
exhibited in this country. for both public
institutions and private collectors are
making generous contribution. Mrs.
Theodore Roosevelt will loan her Flemish
tapestry which hangs over the mantel in
tic state dining room a the Write House
ex-senator W. A. Clark Sc ndS his splendid
set of four Gobelin tapestries. represent
Ing the elements-earth. air. fire and
water-woven between the years 1862 and
1910. after cartoons by Audrian: Mr.. I-arz
Anderson adds to the collection two OF
his Diana series. which were woven in
Brussels about 1855. in the atelers of
Jacques Geubles and Jean Raes who
were among the most celebrated master
wearers of their time, and presented by
LOUIS |NIll 10 tdTQlndi FRANCOIS Bar
berini: Mr.. Charles NJ. Ffouke contributes
his wonderful ''Triumphal Procession of
David. which was also derived from the
Barberini collection and found inclusion
in the great exhibition of tapestries held
In Brussels in the summer of 1904: two
Of the famous Moses and Aaron series. ~
and five exceptionally fine examples of the
work of the most celebrated French tap
estry weavers. From the Metropolitan Mu-
scum will come two of the Antony and
Cleopatra series derived from the Coles
collection: from Miss Tuckerman a finely
woven Flemish arras. executed under the
patronage of the House d Este and pur-
chased at the CaStellani sale and from
M. Frank Gair Macomber a head of
Christ woven in Italy about 100. after
the cut emerald image given by the en-
peror OF the Turks to the high pontiff
at Rome to redeem his brother. a captive
of the Christians.
In addition to these examples of mod
era work will be shown two panels from
IN, Baumgarten atelier near Bronxville
N y; u: ana needie-w9yen tapestry. The
the tapestry woven after Raphaels car
toon. wrought by or under the direction
of. Mrs, Candace Wheeler.
The textiles will be chiefly loaned by
the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. and
will include about two hundred choice
specimens-Coptic and Peruvian fapes-
tries woven before the eighth century,
and brocades. damask and velvet from
1t is understood are charming in color
and beautiful in design. In connection
with the textiles there will be shown on
the nat wall Of the hemicycle hall Chinese
and Japanese embroideries. together with
collection of sixty needlework pictures
and samples loaned by Mr.. A. W. Drake
of New York The latter will undoubted-
~ give touch Of lightness to the exhibit
ton and prove an attractive feature.
In order to make the exhibition of more
than passing interest the catalogue is to
take the form Of a handbook with illus
trations and give short account of tap
estry weaving with notes on the exhibits
Such a book should, it would seem add
much to the pleasure as we'll as profit
derived from the exhibition. as there is
probably no subject more interesting than
the art of tapestry weaving. and none
npon which not only the general public
but those. genuinely interested in art are
less well informed. The size of tapes
tries and the use to which in the present
day they are put precludes their frequent
exhibition. and in England until very re-
Gently no reliable information concerning
their production was to be had.
IS
The exhibition of photographs of archi-
tectural subjects and early Italian paint
ings set forth by the print division of the
Library of Congress has been changed
this week and Byzantine lchurches and
mural decorations by Giotto are now on
view Passing beyond the exhibition of
works by contemporary American illus
irafors the first cases to the right will he
round to contain exterior and interior
views OF the mosque of Santa Sophia with
details Of its special architectural fea-
lures while further on one will come
the mosque Of Karie. These are followed
In turn by reproductions of the mosaic
pictures which covered the interior walls
biblical scenes crudely presented when
art was crawling laboriously out of it's
strait jacket and striving, with pagan
tradition. to interpret Christian ideals
These occupy all the cases to the right
and prepare the visitor quite naturally
for the examination of the renroductions
of Giottos paintings. which are tn he
seen in those placed relatively to the left,
tiiottos personality was SO Interesting
MS history so full of incident. that the
axe1ase reader feels better acquainted
with him perhaps than some of the paint
ers VINO lived more recently. Not only
does one recall. when looking at these
reproductions Of his work, that he was
the first great painter Of all time, but the
niue peasant boy discovered drawing a
picture of a sheep on a piece Of slate 40
he sat watching his flock, the designer of
the beautiful bell tower of Florence and
the friend of Dante. 1t was while Giotto
nfeo In Padua that Dante was for some
time his guest. and the photograph now
on exhibition at the Library OF Congress
are reproductions of pictures he nainted
on the walls of the little chapel of 8
Maria DELI Arena there. They were 49,.
about 1905. and represent IN senraune
scenes in the life of the Virgin ana 90
Christ. Some. of course are somewbat
srotesque, but many are expressive and
really beautiful Wonderful advance Is
shown over the paintings by Cimabue
ana while all formality has not been han
ished apparently. certain emotion is he
trayed. While serious and sincere. thew
are TO a degree sculptural i'm treatment
delightfully."- simple and more or less in
st-nctire- Studied in detail they are es
pecially engaging.
The Old Masters" as subject for an
art talk proved peculiarly alluring. for
when. Monday afternoon. Mr. Messer.
the principal of the Corcoran school, de-
scended to the lower hemicycle hall TO
deliver the informal lecture on this tonic
which had previously been announced. he
found every seat Occupied and over one
hundred students I'm attendance This
manifestation Of interest in this particu-
lar theme. he said. astonished him. and
at the outset he declared that IL bio
graphical facts were what were wanted
his audience would be disappointed as
he did not intend to give them-they
could be found in books Instead. he
asked the question. What is art?' and
strove to. show how the old masters and
the modern painters made answer. Speak
ing first OF the contemporary painters he
pointed out the fact that multiplicity of