Evening star., 1915-12-05
STRUCTURE WILL BE
SOMEWHERE ON MALL
Plans for the Edifce Are Now Be-
ing Drawn by New York
Architect.
STUDIED EURoPE's GALLERIES
Construction Will Be Begun in
Early Months of Next Year,
DR.. Walcott An
nounceS.


added to the Smithsonian Institution,
as the gift of Charles l.. Freer of De-
troit, according to an announcement
from the institution yesterday. Mr..
Freer has from time to time presented
the institution with a rare and won
derful collection of paintings, engrav-
ings, bronzes. porcelains, etc. and the
new building will be a home for that
collection. 1t will be placed some
where on the Mall. probably near the
red brown building housing the insu-
tuition itself. but definite announcement
of the site awaits a meeting OF COM
mittee of the regents called for Thurs
day.
The announcement of this great addi-
tion to the public buildings of the city
was made yesterday on the return OF
DIR. Charles D. Walcott. secretary of
the institution from New York. where
he had been in conference with Mr.
Freer Arrangements were made there
by which Mr. Freer will turn over
million dollars to the Smithsonian In
stitution. to be used for the erection of
the art building, and the plans for this
building are already being drawn by
Charles A. Platt OF New York city.
Both the donor of the gift and the
architect have been studying art gal
leries in Europe and America for sew
eral years. If nothing interferes.
building can be started in the early
months of next year.
Announcement of Gift.
The statement of the Smithsonian In
stitution announcing the gift contains
the following:
THE collection which Mr.. Freer has
spent many years in assembling, and
which has involved extensive. travel
and research, includes, as Mr.. Freer
has explained specimens of very wide
iy separated periods of artistic develop
ment, beginning before the Christian
era and coming down to the present
time. He has made no attempt to Sc
sure specimens from unsympathetic
sources, but has confined his collecting
to American and Asiatic schools. in
carrying out a desire to unite modern
work with masterpieces of certain
periods of high civilization harmonious
in spiritual and physical suggestion.
The oriental part of the collection is
mainly illustrative of the development
of art rs originated in India and car
ried northward across China and into
Japan, though also relating TO other
parts of the east. 1t comprises collec-
tion of early Persian and lndo-Per-
sian paintings, unique series of over
] 200 Chinese, Tibetan and japanese
paintings in the form of screens. pam
els. kakemono. scrolls. etc: nearly LOO
specimens of pottery from Japan,
China, Chosen. central and western
sia and Egypt; over 230 bronzes from
the same sources. and several hundred
stone sculptures and cuttings, lacquer
ed objects. wood carvings. worries. etc.
besides a splendid representation of
Chinese jades and more than 500 exam
pies of ancient Egyptian glass. The
also contains valuable an
cient biblical manuscripts obtained in
Egypt.
Consulted by Mr. Freer.
..l'he American artists whom Mr. F'reer
has associated with the oriental begin with
James McNeilI Whistler. whose varied
fields of achievement are exhaustively
by siXty-two oil paintings.
forty-fo water colors, thirty two pastels
and over 700 drawings. sketches, etchings.
etc. besides the entire deco
rations of the famous Peacock room. The
other Americans included in the collection
number eleven. with a total of 10 items.
IN water color. pastel and silver point.
Of these Dwight w. Tryon is credited
with forty -eight~ examples. Thomas w.
Dewing with thirty-six. Abbott II. Thayer
with twelve, Winslow Homer with four.
John S. Sargent, Joseph Lindon Smith
and John H. Twachtman with two each.
and Childe Hassam, Carl Melchers, J.
Francis Murphy and Willard L. Metcaf
With one each.
The building to be erected will have
Of Mr.. Freer. and will be arranged
with the object of furnishing to stu
dents OF art and designers the fullest
for utilizing the vast and
varied stores of riches it will contain.
the best of facilities being provided
for this purpose. Though ,the public
halls will be extensive, they are plan
ned with reference to having only a
part of the collection on exhibition at
any period, such changes being con-
tempiated from time to time as will
add to the popular interest in the dis
play
AT the December Ci914 meeting of
the board of regents committee was
for the Freer art building. This COM
mittee is to report at the regents |
which Is to be held on Thurs
day, December .. when the exact site
for the building will undoubtedly be |
determined"
After Widener Collection.
The executive committee of the board !
IF regents of the Smithsonian Institu-
lion is to let no grass grow under it's
,eet in it's endeavors TO procure for
Wa shington the extraordinary art col
ection of the late P. A. B. Widener of
in which possibility art
patrons both official and residential
If this city have shown so much in
.erest since the announcement that Jo-
,eph f.. Widener. the son, is empowered
o dispose of the treasures to New
fork, Philadelphia or Washington.
Already, it is understood. the COM
nittee has taken up the matter diplo-
natically with Mr.. Widener in order to
convince him. if possible, that the Ma
ionai Capital is the logical resting
,lace of the collection.
May Delay Decision.
1t has been stated, in this connection.
hat Joseph i. Widener may not at
CONTINUED on Twentieth Page.) j