New-York tribune., 1918-05-10
Art
Art Exhibition to Aid Blinded
Soldiers Opens Tomorrow
at Anderson Galleries
at Anders

An exhibition and sale Of paintings
and other works of art will open to-
morrow with reception at the Ander-
son Galleries, under the auspices of
the American, British, French and Bel
gian Blind Relief War Fund for Sol
diers and Sailors. Many prominent per-
sons will attend the opening, and the
famous "Blue Devils" who have OBJ
tanned "day off" on Saturday, have
offered their services and will stand
guard in the grand foyer and staircase.
Nearly 500 paintings have been do
mated by American artists in all parts
of the United States and in England
and France, among them many of our
best known artists. They have given
generously, in compassion for what is
to them the most horrible of fates, a
life of blindness. There are now in
England, France and Belgium more
than three thousand totally blinded
men. The fund, founded by Mr.. and
Mrs. George A. Kessler, has instituted
homes, hospitals and industrial schools
throughout France and England, the
latest taken over being the Chateau
de Madrid, in the Bois de Boulogne,
, Paris, but now, because of the appall-
ing number of blinded men pouring
INTO Paris since this last drive, an ad-
dltlonal call has been made upon the
fund by the French government.
Here Is an abbreviated history of
one of the blinded soldiers: Marius
Donadieu was a member of the 1st
Regiment of Zouaves. In fierce trench
lighting in Champagne, in 1915, an ex-
plodlng hand grenade destroyed his
eyes and blew off his right forearm
His unconscious body was thrown over
the parapet by Germans and lay there
for hours in temperature near zero,
until the trench was retaken and occu-
pied by his comrades. He was removed
to a hospital, where both legs, frost
bitten, were amputated.
For such cases as these is this ex-
hibition held. All concerned have given
gladly, the Anderson Galleries their
galleries, the printer the color print
ing in the catalogue, the artists their
services and in many cases their best
works Of art.
Paintings there are for all buyers,
from dainty little water color sketches
of lowly price to masterpieces at So,
600. The exhibition will continue
until June 2, and the admission fee,
including the reception tomorrow. is
so cents.
PARIS, May 9.-More than 100000
francs was realized from the sale, by
order of the executors of the late
Hilaire G. E. Degas, the noted painter,
of his paintings, pastels and drawings.
NJ. Degas, who portrayed various phases
of Partisan life, died last September.
The paintings offered represented the
accumulation of many years, for NJ.
Degas could rarely be induced to sell
his own works. 1t was feared that the
simultaneous sale of so many pieces
and the imposition of luxury taxes
would keep the prices down, but the
salesroom was crowded during all three
days of the sale. The principal col
| lectors and dealers bid spiritedly, and
even slight sketches Were sold for sew
eral thousand francs apiece.
A portrait group of Degas and his
own family was bought by the gov
ernment by arrangement for 100000
francs. Another picture, representing
two girls practising duet, was
knocked down for 100000 francs, the
buyer of which was reported to be the
Metropolitan Museum of Art of New
York
An American woman residing in
France sold her pearl necklace in order
to buy characteristic picture of four
dancers for $4,000 francs. The pastels
averaged $4,000 francs each.