Evening star., 1919-12-14

! One of the most notable events in
| the American art world, not merely
of this year, but of many years. is
the announcement that the Frick col
lections. together with the splendid
mansion in which they are housed,
will become in due course the prop
erty of the city of New York. public
art museum to be maintained and
| preserved for all time for the benefit
of the people Though New York
| city has already the great Metro
politan Museum of Art. with its Won
| derful and constantly growing col
lections. Mr.. Frick's gift is most well
/ come. Furthermore, the Frick mu-
scum will have value all its own.
similar in a measure to that Of the
! Wallace collection in London.
| Mr.. Frick, whose death fortnight
ago came as a shock to many. was
| an astute and skillful collector. AS
one of his biographers said. while
! he insisted upon making his liking
! for work of art his final reason for
the purchase of it, he insisted no less
| upon authenticity and quality. and
sought advice where ne was sure oi
| it's authority"
To try and estimate the actual value
of the Frick collection would be idle.
Pictures today are bringing enor-
nous prices For instance. Romneys
portrait of THE Misses Beckford SOLO
at Christie's auction rooms, London.
last month for approximately $273O00,
and Romney has never been consid
cred one of the greatest masters.
The Frick collection contains at
least FIVE famous and undoubtedly au,
,, thentic Rembrandts-a portrait OF
himself. painted in 1858; "Old Woman
| in an Armchair with Bible in Her
Lap" "Polish Cavalier. Portrait OF
a Young Painter" and "A Dutch Mer-
chant
Rubens is represented at his best
by a portrait of the MARQUIS Ambrose
de Spinola, painted in 1870. ana van
Dyck by full length portrat t OF
noa, as well as by portrait of F'rans
Snvders and other notable works.
among which may be mentioned a
painting of English origin. portrait
of the Earl and countess OF beioS anu
And. speaking of Romney, there is
in the Frick collection painting by
, this artist of Lady Hamilton as Ma
ture," which was derived from the
earlier sale of the Hamilton collec-
lion There are two other Romneys. .
| The Italian school is represented at
the height of it's glory by Titan
great portrait of "Pietro Aretino. to
say nothing of works by Giovanni
| Relljni Veronese and others.
VaIesauez's portrait of philip " of
! Spain" is there. as well as portraits
| by HoIbein. Franz Hols and Goya
The British school is particularly
we'll represented by great paintings
! by Gainsborough. Reynolds. Law
! renee, Constable, turner, 10 name
| only a few.
! The Fragonard panels once owned
| by J. Pierpont Morgan are. it will be
| remembered, included in this collec-
ton and it is said that room was
built especially for their reception
and exhibition.
! American painting has to its credit
| Whistler's Rosa Corder" and George
! Fuller's 'Rcmany Girl Most nota-
BILE among other canvases. the Stuart
washington" purchased last S winter
at price approximating $4,000.
| The pictures. to be sure, are only a
small part of the great Frick col
lection. which includes art objects.
rugs. tapestries and the like.
| The collection and the mansion will
remain in Mrs. Fricks possession as
long as she lives. or she may desire,
but it is rumored that she will in all
probability prefer to see the estab-
lishment of the art museum and to ar
range for it's opening to the publ1c
comparatively soon.
That one man in comparatively
few years should have acquired such
a collection is remarkable Its gift
to the city of New York is signifi-
cant of the proverbial generosity OF
lovers of art and should be regarded
not merely as an asset to New York
but as a great benefit bestowed upon
the whole American people.
X :.
The death of j. Alden Weir. which
occurred in New York last Tuesday.
removes one of the most distinguished d
figures from our American art world.
Mr.. Weir was for a short time presi l.
dent of the National Academy of De-
sign. and also a member of the Fed
eral Art Commission, retiring from
both comparative.y recently on ac-
count of i'll health.
Mr.. Weir was a painter and etcher
of the highest standing. He painted