Evening star., 1921-05-01

entation to the National Portrait Gal
lery, will open on May in the Ma
tional Museum, where for a little
over two weeks it will be on view.
This exhibition, which is one OF the
most notable to be held in Washing
ton this season. or for many seasons,
was first shown in New York at the
Metropolitan Museum of Art last jan
uary and has since been displayed IN
Providence and Philadelphia 1t Will
make a tour of the leading art mu-
seums in the United States. after
which it will return to washington
and be given permanent place In the
National Gallery of Art.
In the spring of 1919 1t became eVl-
dent to several lovers of American
art that if the United States was to
have a pictorial record of the world
war it would be necessary immediate =
ly to send artists to Europe for that
purpose. The interest of NUMBER
of the distinguished leaders OF Ameri-
ca and of the allied nations was en-
listed and their consent secured for
the painting of the portraits by prom
/ inent American artists.
With the Endorsement Of the Smith
sonian Institution as custodian or the
!, National Gallery of Art, the Amerl-
! can Federation of Arts and the Amer
! lean mission to negotiate peace, then
J in session at Paris, the national art
/ committee came into being for the
| purpose of carrying out this idea and
thus initiating and establishing at
Washington the National Portrait
Gallery.
The members of the national art
COMMITTEES are as follows: Henry
White, chairman; Herbert l. Pratt.
secretary and treasurer; Mrs. H. w.
Crocker, Robert w. de Forest Abram
Garfield. Mrs. z. H. Hartman, Arthur
w. Meeker. ]. Pierpont Morgan,
Charles P. Taft and Charles D. Wal
colt. In addition to these the late
Henry c. Frick should be mentioned
as having been one of the original
members Of the committee.
That the gift of these paintings to
the National Portrait Gallery might
be thoroughly national in character,
1t was decided that group OF the por-
traits, financed by the art patrons of
! sented to the National Portrait Gal
lery by that city, and that repre-
sentative of that city should become
an honorary member of the national
. art committee. 1t was further decided
that a tablet or other permanent
lery should bear the names OF the
members of the national art COM
mittee, including the chairmen OF all
local committees; and that there
should be a record of the name OF
each subscriber to the purchase fund.
The cities which to date have made
reservations for presentation are Chi
cago, Cincinnati. Cleveland, New York
and San Francisco.
The artists selected and now repre-
sented are Cecilia Beaux, Joseph De
Camp, Charles Hopkinson, John c.
Johansen, Edmund c. Tarbell, Doug
las Volk and Irving r. Wiles. Jean
Mclean (Mrs. John c. Johansen) is
at present painting the portrait of the
queen of the Belgians.
The majority of the portraits are of
foreign celebrities, King Albert Of the
Orlando. Cardinal Mercier, Sir Douglas
Haig. Sir Arthur William Currie, Mar
shall Joffre. Marshall Foch, Gen. Diaz.
Bratiano, Pasich, President Wilson
Saionji, Gen. Pershing, Admiral Sims
and Secretary Hoover.
The portrais of the ex-president and
OF Mr.. Hoover are by Edmund C. Tar
bell and may not be completed in time
for the Washington showing.
The majority of the portraits were
painted abroad under exceedingly diff.
ficult circumstances. The style and
character of the portraits are varied
1t is unique collection and one Of vast
and Increasing interest. historically and
artistically. Furthermore, this exhibi.
ton marks the inception Of a great ma.
tional portrait gallery which shall in
time prove as important as the grea,
National Portrait Gallery of Great
Britain. Also, it evidences a keen and
patriotic desire on the part Of the people
of this nation interested in art to built
and have upbuilt here in Washington q
great national gallery of art comparable
with the great national galleries o
other and older nations.
The need today is for a suitable build
ing, not only to house the present col
lection, but to make possible the &C
ceptance of such additions as would un
doubtedly be contributed by other pub
lic-spirited citizens and the acquisition
of works of extraordinary value Thi!
/ is an urgent need which should be sup
piled as soon as possible. delay entailint
incaIculable loss.
The exhibition Of war portraits is be
ing shown in this city under the direc
, tion of the Smithsonian Institution. bu
is being circulated by and under tn,
charge of the American Federation O.
Arts.
An exceedingly attractive little ex
hibition Of water colors by Miss Leslie,
jackson of this city is on view now il
the new CARRIER galleries. 1910 1Stl
street. The collection comprises forty
four pictures, the ma jority of whicl
were painted during Miss Jackson's re
cent sojourn in Japan, the fiowery king
dom, q land where appreciation OF art i
common-the artists mecca. And Mis-:
Jackson's water colors give an excel
lent impression OF the picturesquenes
OF that little island toward which tn
eyes of the world are today turned
They show the blossonling trees. the per
golas covered with wiStaria, the tenn
pies. the streets gay with banners ant
throngcd with people, the bridges. tn
tea houses. not as an illustrated guid
book might show them. not as the,
would be Transcribed through the medi
um Of photography. but interpreter
through the artists vision and skill
Miss JackSon's method of paintins
is direct. her color is clear and bril-
liant, her technique engaging. and
what is more. her art is so sound tina
her pictures wear well and are foun'
of more than passing interest
Side by side with the Japanes
scenes are shown pictures OF Glouces
ter fishing boats and garden
equally picturesque in their own wa
and no less cleverly rendered.
good many of these pictures ar
shown in deep mats covered with Jap
anese grass cloth, which gives attrac
tive setting. a group of excellen
figure studies of Japanese women an
children are exhibited on dark brow
mounts and without frames. The
are intimate and personal.
This exhibition, which opened las
Thursday, will only continue durin
the first three days of this week. ]
is worth a longer showing.
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