Evening star., 1921-04-03

George Frederick Watts famous
painting, Love and Life" which for
some years past has hung in the White
House. has been permanently deposit
ed by President Harding with the Ma
tional Gallery collection. with which
it will hereafter permanently be
shown. This action is in accordance
with the wish of the artist, who in
1891 presented the painting to the
United States. with the hope that lit
might possibly aid in giving a stimulus
to the idea of establishing a sort of
Luxembourg or National Gallery" The
presentation was made through the in
strumentality of Mr.. and Mrs. Henry
White. who were friends of the
painter.
AS there was no American national
gallery at that time. the painting was
temporarily placed in the Corcoran
Gallery of Art. which temporary dis
position met with Mr.. Watts ap-
proval. Replying to a letter written
mann. then president of the board OF
trustees of the Corcoran Gallery of
Art. Mr.. Watts said: .'Of course it is
satisfactory to me to know that the
picture ! had the temerity to offer to
a great nation has found SO ad-
mirable a resting place. l could not
have presumed to make suggestions.
but certainly the picture would not
be in place in dwelling house. being
essentially gallery picture
Referring to his object in making
the gift, he expressed ii as his con-
viction that mo great or.wealthy ma
tiOn should be without. the wealth
represented by literature and art"
The picture, replica of which
hangs in one of the great European
galleries. represents Love leading Life
gently over rugged way toward the
heights. 1t is purely allegorical. THE
fragile female figure" Mr. Watts said.
is intendede to be a symbol of hu-
man life in the abstract without ref
erence to sex or any Individual con-
ditions, aided to ascend the rugged
sleeps, the path upward from the
mere animal being to the purer re-
gion of the spiritual sensi bilities. by
love in the widest sense. by the finest
OF those qualities that constitute the
distinction between man and the
lower creatures-self-sacrifce. con-
sideration. sympathy. aftruism, kind
ness. generosity. charity-all that
goes to make the nobility of human
thought and character. I have not
represented this influence by a mus
cular creature. only suggesting
power by wings"
This type of picture, save in the
realm of mural painting, is compare
lively rare today. Subject pictures
and especially subject pictures of an
idealistic sort. have quite gone out
or fashion. But this. as Kenyon Cox
once explained. Is because the ma
1ority of painters who gave them
selves to such work selected subjects
which were too trivial and rendered
them in manner which was by no
means worthy. Mr.. Watts subject is
fundamental things of life, an ex-
perience which may well be regarded
as belonging to the universal, and he
mas portrayed it with art of a high
order.
George Frederick Watts, even in
his own time. was a unique figure.
a man of great talent, extraordinary
humility and extremely high aspira-
| tions. He was self-taught, he be-
longed to no school. yet he received
freres could bestow upon him, and
ms works are today among the most
| priced possessions of Great Britain
His aliegorical picture Of "hope," in
the Tate Gallery. is known the world
over. His great portraits in the Ma
| tional Portrait Gallery of England
| are of vast interest and profound
| significance. He was not always a
| finished technician. Occasionally, in
! fact. his craft is rather clumsy, but
he had a large, ample method and
| his work never descended to petit
| ness.
| Love and Life" is painted with
| breadth and at the same time re-
| finement. The figures are chaste in
| suggestion. The group is admirably
composed. the workmanship capable.
the cyihole effect atmospheric and
| harmonious. With Nttle doubt. this
| is one of the best OF Watts produce
| tions and it is a possession of which
| the nation should not only be CRATE
\ ful. but proud. To our national coll
| lection il adds distinction as we'll as
| interest.
! President Harding has not onlv
J carried out the artists wishes and
| stimulated interest in our National
| Gallery but conferred benefit upon
! the people generally, by again piac-
ing this painting where it can be
| publically seen.
/ The Benson exhibition at the Cor
| coran Gallery of Art continues to at
| tract unusual interest. The painting
| which has the place of honor on the
| semi-circular wall of the special ex-
| hibition gallery has been purchased
| by Mr.. Phillips for the Phillips Me-
| mortal Gallery. SO that it. at least.
| will find permanent home in Wash
| ington.
| OF as great interest as the paint
ings in this collection are the wash
drawings and etchings. exhibited in
the anteroom, cases in the atrium and
room on the first floor. These al
most without exception. are of out