Evening star., 1919-04-21

The National Gallery of Art, in
National Museum. new building, 10th
and b street northwest, Is reopened
' ITO the public after having been closed
for many months, owing to the occu-
pancy of the building by the war
risk insurance bureau.
1t is a real boon to have the pic
lures. comprising the National Gallery
collection again on exhibition and
no visitor to Washington or tenn
porary resident should leave the city
without viewing these works.
The major portion of the National
Gallery collection comprises paint
ings by cotemporary American artists
presented to the gallery few years
ago by the late William T. Evans. The
majority of these paintings were pur-
chased directly from the artists and
the collection as a whole admirably
represents the best output of Ameri-
can studios during the past twenty
hve years The collection is particu-
larly rich in the possession of a num-
Der of fine paintings by George In
ness. such as "Su.. Down." Niagara"
Georgia Pines" etc. works which
in the open market today would
bring extremely high prices, and
which represent this master of Amer
lean landscape at his very best.
There are also a number of splendid
landscapes by Alexander Wyant, who
ranks with inpess and has in his
paintings even more suggestion of the
drama of nature.
There are likewise two superb
landscapes in this collection by Fran
els j. Murphy. one an early work the
otner comparatively recent paint
ing. Winslow Homers masterpiece,
The Coast of Maine," is also COM
John La Farge's painting. visit of
Nicodemus to Christ" the original
Of the wall painting in Trinity Church,
Boston. Elihu Vedder is we'll repre-
scented. as also are Mary Cassatt,
Paul Dougherty and Henry Ranger.
Ranger was a great friend Of Mr..
Evans. and many OF the paintings in
the collection were purchased upon
his advice. He took a lively interest
in the paintings coming to Washing
ton. which led eventually in the es-
tablishment through beQuest of the
Ranger fund for the purchase of paint
ings by American artists. through the
medium of which the National Gallery
is assured for all time of collection
OF American are up to date, and by
means of which the smaller museums
in the country will also be enriched.
In addition to the Evans collection
the National Gallery possesses the
Harriet Lane Johnston collection. in
ciuded in which are certain paintings
by old masters of very considerable
interest and value, and it has in its
care on loan some extremely impor-
tant paintings belonging to local COL
toned portraits by Raeburn. by
Reynolds. by Nicholas Macs, by Sir
Thomas Lawrence and landscapes by
Richard Wilson. Constable and others.
In the Encouragement of the gal
leries the plaster cast of the eques-
trian statue of Lafayette Gin Paris).
by Paul Bartlett. has been placed in
the center OF the rotunda, magnifi-
cent position. and the cast of the
figure OF a youth playing on a Tyre.
the Francis Scott Key monument. in
Baltimore, has been given position in
the Il street hall. terminating the op
posite vista. while in the basement
hall. street entrance. are to be seen
in cases and on pedesta.s compre-
hensive collection of animal sculp-
ture by the late Edward Kemeys.
One of the great after-war needs is
an appropriate building for the Ma
tional Gallery of Art, with a compe-
tent staff and a sufficient appropria-
ton to assure its proper maintenance.
When Mayor Hylan of New York was
recently asked for an appropriation
for the Brooklyn Museum of Art, he
10 said to have replied that not one
cent would be spent by the city dur
ing his administration for frills."
and Mayor Hylan's attitude toward
art is not unusual on the part of
many Legislators. But the people OF.
the whole have to great extent
learned during the war to differen-
tiate between ESSENTIAL and non-essen-
ti4i things. and have come to realize
as never before that the immaterial
BILE.
Art stands for civilization. 1t is
also one of the great sources of rec
reation: 1t Is a necessity of life-that
is. of life which is worth while. 1t
has given us the Parthenon in Ath-
ems. the cathedrals of France and
England. the palaces of Venice, the
villa gardens of Italy, to say nothing
of the Victory of Samothrace," the
Venus de Milo. the paintings Of I'll
tian, Nalesouez, Rembrandt, Rubens
and others, and in our own time the
sculpture of Saint-Gaudens, the
paintings of Corot and Inness. the
portraits of Sargent. the mural paint
ings of de Chavannes and many 9TH
ers. Art. moreover. has helped to
prevent our cities from being alto
gether hideous and has given us
parks. Fairgrounds and private es-
tates which conserve to US the love-
finess OF nature
A national gallery of art erected
here at Washington would be a con-
tinuing benefit to the people and
would extend it's beneficent influence
throughout the country.
4 collection Of wood engravings by
Timothy Cole is now on exhibition In
the Dayton galleries, on Connecticut
avenue
Timothy Cole is the most distinguish
ed living American wood engraver. and
rs America ranks first in this art he
is the chief exponent of the so-called
new school of wood engraving in the
world. BY him the art of wood en-
! craving has been brought to superla-
tiaanekk nAA0zi fha apaazingso[-h his