Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-06-06
Notes of Art and Artists

The National Gallery of Art is at
present housed in the National Mu
scum building. 10th and b streets
northwest. which was purposed for
natural history collections In the
annual report of the National Mu-
scum just issued the following in
teresting facts are given in regard
to it's development.
The National Gallery of Art has,
In the judgment of DR.. William II
Holmes, its curator. been lifted to a
position in the art world inferior to
but few of our American galleries by
the munificent contribution of Ralph
Cross Johnson of Washington. COM
prising twenty-four rare works by
European masters-1talian. French
English. Flemish and Dutch.
Mr.. johnson has long been friend
OF the gallery. When it was first
opened to the public in it's present
paintings of exceptional merit. loaned
by him. graced the walls of one of
the small north rooms. and that room
continued to display a varying mum
Der of valuable paintings on loan
through his generosity until the
spring of 1919. when the larger hall
Immediately south was assigned to
Mr. Johnson's pictures. Twenty-four
or his masterpieces were here in
stalled. some of which had previously
been exhibited, and others new to
the gallery.
wall space was completed and the
erect was satisfactory MIR. johnson
made gift of these pictures to the
gallery. The gift included paintings
by Titan. Guardi, Gainsborough
Lawrence. Wilson. Reynolds. Romney
Raeburn. Nicholas Macs. Hogarth and
others.
Other permanent accessions to the
gallery during the year We're the por-
trait of Franklin X. Lane. painted
by Ossip Perelma in 1918. and donated
by Frank B. Noyes of Washington
and marble bust of S. F. 3. Morse
by Horatio Greenough. 1881. the gift
Of Edward l.. Morse of Pittsfeld
Mass. In addition to these there are
numerous valuable loans.
The year marks the Inauguration
or purchases by the Council of the
National Academy of Design from the
Henry Ward Ranger fund. The first
acquisition. a landscape by Bruce
Crane, entitled December Uplands.
was assigned to the Syracuse Mu-
scum of Art and under the conditions
prescribed by Mr.. Ranger can be re-
claimed BY the National Gallery of Art
at any time during the f1ve-year pc
Ilou Dee inIIliiB Ten years dllei NIX
artists death.
Two members of the advisory com
mittee of the National Gallery of Art
died during the year covered by the
report. Frederic Crowinshield and C
Y. Turner. In their places were APP
pointed Edmund c. Tarbell and Doug
las Volk. The committee is now con-
stituted as follows: DR.. w. II. Holmes
chairman and secretary: Edwin III
Blashfield. Herbert Adams. Mr.. Tar
bell and Mr.. Volk.
The formation by group of public
spirited and patriotic men and women
of a national art committee to secure
for the National Gallery of Art a Sc
ries of portraits of military. civil and
religious leaders in the world war
painted by American artists. is OF
special significance since, aside from
valuable additions to the gallery, il
evidences the awakening of public in
terest in the welfare of the nations
art collections. Mr.. Henry D. White
one of the peace commissioners. Is
the chairman Of the committee; Her
bert l.. Pratt of New York. secretary
and treasurer. and among the mem