New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1916-11-03

MUSEUM NOTES


NOTES
1t is nothing short of marvellous
to the materially minded and prac.
tical people of the United States
that a country like Italy in a life
and death struggle for its very ex-
iistence, should find time and means
to devote to art and other manifes-
~tations of culture. Yet such is the
case and it is a noble tribute to a
great people. Art and Archaeology
for November gives a very vivid ac-
count of conditions from the pen of
an Italian scholar, Raffaello Giolli,
who after describing methods and
precautions taken to protect the no.
blest monuments of antiquity says
The artistic life has continued
TRANQUILITY as before. The conser-
vators of the museums have not
done; they have not ever closed
their galleries to the public" In
fact, "All the galleries, both state
and municipal, continue to enlarge
their collections; from those of the
ceramics at Faenze and landscape at
P~al'anza, to those of modern art
and archaeology. Milan has been en-
riched with more important works
of art during this year of war than
it has been in several years of
peace"
old museums and galleries are be-
ing put in order and are also in
creasing their treasure New
museums which are opening and pre-
pairing for future inaugurations are
disclosing unexpected novelties"
Even at Florence where there are
already so many galleries that it
would seem impossible to create
others, a new one has been found
ed recently. Herbert Percy Horne,
an English writer and distinguished
art collector, who died at Florence
in April. bequeathed to the Italian
government his Quattrocento palace
in the Via del Benci, together with
all his art collections, including his
library"
~"Evidently this new museum among
the many museums and galleries in
Florence typifies the same kind Of
work that the School of American
Archaeology is doing in the restor-
alton of the Palace of the Govern
ors.D Says Mr.. Giolli: "The city
of Florence owes to Herbert Percy
Horne the complete restoration of
the palace which he has bequeathed
to the government. He had such
an acute feeling for harmony that
he was willing to introduce into
his palace the electric installation,
bells, and modern heating and wa
ter pipes. He himself, occupied a
small room under the roof, access
to which was through a wooden
beamed ceiling. When eventually,
this beautiful palace is open to the
public with the finely sculptured pill
lars, its loggie, its magnificent vault
ed rooms, its windows and doors so
perfectly restored as to preserve ev-
en- the style of the ancient nails, we
shall see not only a revocation of
our new splendid Risorgimento but
a perfect resurrection of that ar
dent spirit which, with intense love,
considered every stone and every
line. More than the architect of
the Quattrocento, the English col
lector will appear before our eyes,
we shall always be grateful to him,
not only for the sake of his palace
but for his sincerity and intensr
love of art"
"But it is not for the sake Of
ironic contrasts that we shall con
tribute to the work of preservation
and restoration Of ancient buildings
whilst the war destroys them with
such headless rapidity. Each of the
antique stones seems to us today
still more alive and more like a
symbol. Even in Venice they are
thinking not only of defending the
monuments from the attack Of the
enemy but they are continuing SER
enely the work of restoration. At
Cremona it is always thesame ac-
tive and living work that is going
on. At Tivoli and at Verona, where
between one alarm and another of
frequent a~ero-plane bombardments
the work of excavation of the an
cient treasure goes on uninterrupted
ly, archaeological study and research
continue serenely, The museums of
archaeology have also been adding
to their collections during these
months of war. 1t is a new anxiety
and a new assurance and faith in
our hearts for our modern art which
cannot fail to be largely prolific,
since Italy is not merely a ground
to be ~eXcavated or towns to be prop
ped up but is a new center of vivid
creative energy"
What a splendid example power
ty-stricken Italy is setting the Unit
ed States, so abundantly blessed by
peace and prosperity. New Mexico
too, least wealthy Of the forty-eight
commonwealth, in its Museum and
art gallery is shaming some of the
older and richer states. 1t surely
must be true as one writer has put
it, THE Southwest is the Italy of
the United States and the American
Athens will arise on the shores of the
Pacific in Southern California"