The Republican journal., 1920-09-23
A Munifcent Gift

"A Nxull1A1((As As
Ralph Cross johnson, native AM
summer resident of Belfast, has present
ed his rare and valuable collection o
pictures to the National Gallery of Ar
at Washington, D. C. While residen
of Washington, his early life and season.
of recreation have been spent in Belfas
in the ancestral home on Primrose Hill
one of the most beautiful locations in tn,
city by the sea. 1t has been suggested
that these early associations with pictur-
esque surroundings laid the foundation
for Mr.. Johnson's love for and conse.
quent knowledge of the genuine works ol
art he has for life time been collecting
While there has never been reference
10 the money value of his gift good
judges have placed it at over million
dollars at the present time; and it will in.
crease rapidly with coming years.
The September issue of Art and Archae-
ology, published at Washington by The
Archaeological Institute of America, is
devoted entirely to Mr. johnson and his
gift with twenty-four full-page illustra-
tions in doubletone. The text is by
George B. Rose of Little Rock, Arkan-
sas, life long student of Renaissance
art, author of Renaissance Masters, The
Worlds Leading Painters and other books
of art and literature.
The following quotation is from the
magazines editorial note: "Mr. johnson
is graduate of Harvard College and of
Harvard Law School, has been admitted
to the bar in the State of Maine and also
in the District of Columbia. He has
made numerous visits to Europe and has
spent much time in the Art Museums of
England, France, Germany, Russia, Italy
and Spain. His collection has been
acquired gradually and all his later
acquisitions have been of the old mas
tiers. Some were purchased in London
and Paris; others in New York, where in
many cases he was fortunate enough to
have first choice of works arriving from
Europe. His is not, therefore, what is
called a dealers collection He thor
oughly agrees with the opinion of the late
John G. johnson of Philadelphia, who
once remarked that he was very careful
to buy only what he considered a great
work of art In making purchases he
has depended very largely on his own
judgment as to the authenticity and art
quality of the work offered. He has
never been buyer of more or less cele-
brated names. Few if any of his acces-
slons have been on public exhibition
until installed in the National Gallery,
where choice room is devoted exclu-
sively to their display"
Mr.. Rose says in his introduction: cit
is easy for man to leave his pictures to
public gallery after his death. He knows
that he is thus erecting to his memory
one of the noblest and most enduring of
monuments, and that he is insuring the
beloved objects against destruction. But
for the living art lover to part with his
treasures is hard indeed. A thing of
beauty is Joy forever, and the longer
we own it the closer it twines itself
about our hearts. A true lover of art is
willing to lend his pictures to the public,
that Others may share his Joy for time.
Occasionally, out of large number, he
will give one to some public gallery. But
rarely indeed does he do more until forced
by the hand of death to yield them up,
The gift of Mr.. Ralph Cross johnson of
twenty four choice old masters to our
National Gallery has been but seldom
paralleled. They must be forever kept
together as memorial of such unex-
ampled generosity. 1t is collection rare
for it's even excellence. Each picture is
good and, indeed, notable specimen of
the masters STYLE"
The frontisplece IS an example of the
British school, portrait of Archibald
Skirving, Esq, by Sir Henry Raeburn,
R. A., 1885, 1888. Among the most beau
tiful are the Madonna and child with St.
John and an angel, by Sebastiano Main
ardi, who died in 1918, of the Florentine
school; the mystic marriage of St. Cath
crime of Alexandria by Giacomo Francia
1486-1557, of the Bolognese school; por-
traits by Lotto and Titan from the VEL
netian school; Lord Mulgrave, in naval
uniform by Thomas Gainsborough, R. A.,
1747-1788, of the British school; The
Virgin and Child by Bernard Van Orley.
l493-l542, of the Flemish school; Madon-
ma and Child by Govaert Flinck, 1615-
1860, of the Dutch school; the Holy Fam
lily with st. Elizabeth, by Peter IPau
Rubens, 1577-164O, of the Flemish school.
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