The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-10-24
1891" THE MECCA AND THE MYSTERY
OF ART IN A FIFTH AVENUE ATTIC

despair in her face he realized his I'M.
kindness, repented. and asked her To
show him her work. The first picture
he beheld-an imaginative painting
called Death in the House"-so I'M.
pressed him that he decided then and
there to give her an EXHIBIT.
Somewhat taken aback by the SUD
den change in Mr.. Stieglitz's manner
and scarcely realizing her good for.
tune. the artist asked in q shaky yoics
what the printing bills for stationery
ard notices would be. To her crea,
surprise she was informed that in thi,
gallery there were 10 printing bills
no commissions. m charges OF any
kind to be paid by the artist. In the
very heart OF the domain Of III.
almighty dollar" all atmosphere n,
commercialism has ever been resolute'v
excluded from "291."
Thus began the history OF the J,it,le
Gallery as a centre of revolutionary
art. The first week OF the exhibit. OK.
cept for the few faithfuls. not "A so,l
appeared. Then James Hunekcr. the
well known art critic, happen nr on
the little Laboratory I'M its latcs,
experiment. hera,dcd his discovery
through an article in THE SuN. "a
last" he announced, "imngination on
Fifth avenue" Next day the Lift.
Gallery was crowded. Art lovers. ar,
critics and the elite Of New York 80.
ciety invaded the small room. The
place and the exhibit both made an in.
Simultaneous 'hit"-Mr. Stieglitz va.
appealed to TO double the prices which
h modest painter had put on her
work-he was beseeched to haya
copies made-and the artist. Miss
Pamela Coleman Smith. hardly know
what had happened or what ii was all
about
Mr.. Steichen, then living in Paris
being himself a painter as well as a
photographer, learned with dellgh, u
this broadening OF the Little Gallery,
scope, and he forthwith arranged with
the great French sculptor Rodin an OK.
hibition OF the %latter's dra wings At
"291." OF the several important art
exhibits which took place slmultane.
ously in New Yor in January, 1908
none attracted more, or probably a,
much, attention as the Rodin draw.
ings. here first presented to America
During he three weeks these were
''E'' ~ : II lbNfts ~
every type and students from far and
near focked To the garnet of "29l.' Il,
was an unusual assemblage-evcn f,-
that place-that gathered there to nav
homage to the great French aris
These drawings which, while mer.
notes for the clay. constitute IN them.
selves so interesting a manifestation
or the great scuptor's aria s!mp.iA-
cation Of the human form TO an IRE.
ducible minimum of four lines. done IN
two minutes by a mere gallon OF to
hand over paper--now epose In the
Metropolitan Museum Of Art.
Among the leading lights Of me
New Art" movement who have heen
hrst introduced to the American public
through the Little Gallery OF he
fh~oto-Secession are Matisse. mos,
famous Of the post mpressionjs,s
whom all the adherents of the unortbo.
doX schools have been accused Of m!
tating: Picasso. one of the orieina,
"cuh!sts"; Brancusi, the ~"futurs,o
sculptor-all of whom had ALREADY So,
European art circles by the ears
Among American representatives ~
the same tendencies whom II hrourh.
from ~obscurity are Max Weber Mars.
den Hartley. John Marin. Edl4ri
Steichen. a. Walkowitz. Some OF The
fruits of the little "~laboratory's" yea.
OF experimenting appeared in the In.
ternational Exhibition of Modern A.,
at the SiXty-ninth Regiment Aruory
III 1918 which these pioneer efforts mad
! done much 10 make possible.