Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-07-24
A MEDIATOR NEEDED FOR
THE MooRE-WIDENER ROW
A Breakup Of the Municipal Art
Jury Would BE Extremely Costly
In More Ways Than One

A Breakup OF the Municipal Art
Jury Would Be Extremely Costly
In More Ways Than One
T IFE is altogether too short for rows
- such as that which has sprung up
between the Mayor and some Of the
members of the municipal art jury.
And if imperious souls like Millerand
and Lloyd George, Pilsudski and Lc-
nine. Hi johnson and Mr.. Gompcrs
can arbitrate differences on which they
believe the fate of worlds depends, it is
not too much to suppose that Mr.. Moore
and Mr.. Widcner may easily patch up
disagreement that is due chiefly to
temperamcntal differences.
For the moment the complication
which led to Mr.. Widener's sudden
resignation from the art jury involves
only tentative appropriation for the
care Of the Johnson picture collection
and sort of drf nOurcdu bath beach on
the Schuylkil river in Fairmount Park.
The Mayor acted without ceremony
when he diverted the johnson picture
fund to equip a swimming ground.
Now, the service which Mr.. Widener
and his associates have done as mem
bcrs of board established to curb the
passion for ugliness in builders and
| monument makers has been notable and
sincere. When Mr.. Moore brusquely
took away a large part Of the fund pro-
vidcd by Council to meet the terms of
the will in which John G. johnson be-
oueathed an almost priceless collection
, of canvases to the city he left the art
Jury members at a loss.
In n little time way doubtless would
be found to house the Johnson collec-
ton without expending dollar of this
fund on the special building which a
literal Interpretation of the Johnson VIII
might make necessary. SO, what Mr..
Widener and his colleagues appear to
have seen in the Mayors action was
disregard not only for their feelings,
but for the work they do.
The Mayor is a practical minded man
and he himself may have been amazed
at the outcome of the affair. 1t Is re-
motely possible now that the city may
I actually lose the Johnson pictures, the
Widener collection and the Wilsta"h
collection.
That prospect is astonishing. For
| II happens that work is already far
advanced on an extremely expensive and
elaborate building to house the paintings
which Mr.. Widener says may now be
withheld BY their owners or sent else
where for exhibition and safe keeping.
That Is the art museum for which a
site is being cleared and foundations
laid at Twenty fifth and Spring Gar
| den streets.
If Mr.. Widener's dire promise is
fulfilled we shall have an art museum
without any art to put in it.
To the average man in the street any
heated discussion about old paintings
may seem like waste of words. What
| it is necessary to remember, however, Is
that the three great collections involved
| in the misunderstanding between Mr..
| Moore and Mr.. Widener are hardly less
valuable and varied than those which
| hclp to give distinction and enduring
prestige to cities like Paris and
| Brussels.
| There has been an impression among
! MANY UltulUfIN VI llN OhhN IL ti4"S W
have an art museum you merely set
aside your appropriation and leave the
rest 10 the architects and the landscape
gardeners No one at City Hall seems
ever to have thought of the great uses
to which the structure at the Park en-
trance might be put An art museum
was something vaguely suggestive OF
culture, interesting to the few. Prop d.
crly the new building should be--and
could bc--thp greatest school OF paint
ing in the United States.
The pictures collected by Mr.. John =
son and Mr.. Widener are similar TO
those which students of painting have
10 20 abroad to see and study before
their technical training is complete. a.
the central features of great modern
museum and school of fine arts, these
canvascs would be invaluable. And If
ever it is possible to make the best use
Of them and of the building in which
they probably will be housed, an insti-
tutiou will be established in which the
name, the traditions and the prestige
Of the Pennsylvania Academy of the
Fine Arts will be perpetuated.
Until recent years the old academy
was internationally known as the great
est school of its kind in America. 1t
is the oldest. There are few painters
of note in this country who have not
passed at some time or other through
the classrooms at Broad and Cherry
streets. There was time when the
teaching staffs at the academy read like
"A roster of gcniuses, and even now the
men and women who shine most con
spicuously in American painting and
sculpture are for the most part acad
envy students of an earlier day.
Events have conspired to narrow the
work and facilities of the academy
schools. Art education In the United
States would have new beginning if
nv some sort of CO operative plan, the
atmosphcre of that great institution and
It's traditional ideals and purposes could
he re established, under public auspices
in n new museum building shetering
also the three great collections of pic
. lures which, if we are unluCky. may
p vet be diverted to the metropolitan
) Museum or withheld in private gal
leries
Under plans now being considered
- the schools in the new museum wOulC
p be small and incidental, And it is in
, trrPSting to observe that the Universit,
Of PENNSYLVANIA is establishing n new
school of fine arts which will be opcneC
, in the autumn.
The | University already has ono n