Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-12-19
-VHE Corcoran Gallery Of Art
has ever since its establish
ment been a stanch friend
and patron of American art

ment been a stanch friend
| and patron of American art.
It's chief efforts have been ex-
pended toward upbuilding permanent
IcoIlectica OF works by American paint
ers in the belief that by SO doing 1t was
not only profiting the people at large
but in the surest and most direct man.
ner encouraging development.
In pursuance Of this policy it has at
the present time set forth the admira-
BILE exhibition Of oil paintings by CO.
temporary American artists which was
opened Monday evening with a private
view and reception. has offered and
awarded prizes and honors for the best
works, and has made no less than
seven purchases from among the paint
ings shown.
The exhibition as a whole is extreme
ly notable. In the opinion of those
most critical. II Is the best the Cor
coran Gallery has as yet held, and one
Of the best shown in this country. Ger
tainly 1t is broadly comprehensive and
extremely varied. Thus 1t is found
widely representative and Of lively In
terest. The prize awards, which are
most liberal. have been bestowed with
excellent judgment and unprejudiced
appreciation Of merit. And in the same
spirit the purchases have been made.
The pictures acquired for the Corcoran
Gallery's permanent collection are: "Por-
trait of Miss de L. by J. Alden Weir.
to which the first Clark prize and Cor
coran gold medal were awarded; 1.-The
Fog" by Richard Blossom Farley. to
which the fourth Clark prize and Cor
coran honorable mention went; 1.-The
Sleigh" by Edward w. Redfeld, a men,
Der OF the jury and winner of the first
prize and gold medal six years ago; Girl
with q Lantern" by Helen NJ. Turner,
an example Of whose work-a miniature
was recently acquired by the Metropoli-
tan Museum of Art: Rose and Silver
Moonrise," nocturne by Birge Harrison.
well known both painter and writer
on art; November Hillsides.'' by Bruce
Crane-a charming winter landscape; and
1.-THE First Born" picture of mother
and child, by j. Campbell Phillips of New
York.
In purchasing these paintings the Cor
coran Gallery has not only enriched its
own collection but set an excellent ex-
and have it within their power to make
purchases. The only real measure an
artist has during his lifetime of appre-
citation is the sale Of his works. and with
out appreciation there is little stimulus
for effort and production. But such
action either on the part Of the Corcoran
Gallery or the individual should not be:
interpreted as entirely charitable or dis
| its purchaser In pleasure-giving quail
ties. and those who purchase wisely are
| likely to receive a commercial reward
as well
ran Gallery purchased twenty or more
years ago are now worth two, three, yes
even ten times what was paid for them
The same is true Of works purchased by
the one and only genuinely good reason
for buying any work of art is that it
makes direct personal appeal. To be
| sure. it should be good. for If 1t Is not
the appeal will prove transftory. but in
addition to merit it must in some way
possess charm. OF course what appeals
| to one will not appeal to another-it is
here that the personal equation comes In
| but on really great or even very good
works the majority will be found to be
agreed.
| 7 Asst week Frank :Alvah Parsons Of
- New York, lecturing in this city
on the subject Of. 1.-THE Decorative
Arts" called attention to the fact that
the motive Of Greek art was a .realiza-
ton of God through beauty imper-
sonally, whereas that Of Gothic art was
| the exaltation OF tho things OF the
spirit as opposed to physical perfec.
the third period-that of the renais-
sance-was the result Of combination
Of these aims Influenced by entirely al
tered conditions conditions which
| tended toward tho qualification of the
| senses rather than the expression OF
lofty ideals.
Monday of this week Clayton Hamil-
| ton of Columbia University, New York,
in q lecture given before the Drama
League. defined good art as that which
| through realism and Imaginative ap-
peal became personally significant: an
individual experience. In other words.