The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1921-01-16
Editorial
of the Day
ART IN 1920

official European art in 1920.
The museums and art galleries OF
the Old World have been cleaning
themselves, tidying up, painting, gild-
ing, and getting rid of the army
of civilians that swarmcd into their
halls during the war, and usurped
the places of objets dart. Month by
month there have been announces
ments that the Louvre, the LuXem
bourg, the National Art Gallery, the
Tate Gallery, the Victoria and Albert
Museum, the Wallace Collection, the
Brussels Palace of Art, the Italian
galleries, have again been opened,
In whole or in part to the public.
travellers report drastic changes, re-
decorated rooms, rehanging, and
sometimes a revaluing of regulations.
There are so few war-gains that the
art world must make the most of
this furnishing and rcjuvenation Of
museums and galleries. 1t is some
thing to have Degas' great carly
work called "A Family" hung in the I
Louvre, and to find in Florence that
all the Fra Angelicas scattered over
the city have been shephcrded into
san Marco. and the Botticellis gath
cred into one room Of the Uffizi in
the order or their painting The
great museums of Europe seem, since
the war, TO be adopting the chronolo-
Gical method Of showing their treas
ures. This may not be so pleasant
TO the eyes Of the visitor but il Is
more agreeable to his intelligence
1t is kinder to veil the vicissi-
tlides Of the museums of Germany
and Austria during 1920. The works
of art stolen, or acquired by act and
art OF war have been returned. In
some cases treasures have been re-
stored which We're made captive long
before 1914. 1t is said that the ltal-
ian government has received from
Austria all the pictures taken after
1860 to Vienna. Berlin has been
obliged To restore TO Belgium certain
details of Van tycks Alteration of
the Lamb" which were acquired by
purchase many years ago. This seems
hard, and must have been a blow
to Dr. Bode, who has resigned the
post to which he gave great luster--
curatorship Of the Kaiser Frederick
Museum. Maybe he will follow the
military leaders and write his Me-
moirs.
The galleries Of Europe have been
so changed that the experienced art
lover will find novelties in most OF
his well-known haunts. In England
the National Gallery has been rear
ranged. and the Tate Gallery, through
the transference of pictures from
the National, Is becoming truly Il
gallery Cf British art. Progress l.;
being made with the Gallery OF
Contemporary Foreign Art, at Mill
back. adjoining the Tate Gallery. II
properly organized ii will do more
than many speeches to promote the
nivcrsatility of art. 1t is hoped
that the first exhibition in the neWi
building will be q collection of AM.
otican pictures. Al any rate, that
will he change from the French
pictures, which invade London with
Increasing frequency. England has
always been hospitablo to the forA
c,gner In the autumn a collection
OF Spanish pictures was shown at
Burlington House why not show
American Art?" some one was heard
to cNclain. Spanish art was appro-
pirate, as, during the year. the ad-
anced connolssours had been giving
all the admiration they could spare
from negro art to IL Greco.
Tho war pictures housed in the
Imperial War Museum were more
popular than the works shown at the
Royal Academy. These British war
pictures, and the series done for the
Canadian government, the second in
stallment OF which was shown at
Toronto during the summer, are the
completcst representation of the pic
torial art Of the day by all schools.
No nation has been able to settle
definitely upon It's national war me-
mortal. In America. Victory Hall
on Pershing Square, New York.
George Gray Barnard's plan for
monument on Washington Heights.
North Manhattan, and bridge
across the Hudson. ar first in pop
ular favor In London. Sir Edwin
i.uytens cenotaph in Whitehall has
become a place of national pilgrim-
age.
America, being far from violence.
was not obliged to hide her treasures
In cellars. The good work of con-
struction continued. The beautiful
Lincoln monument at Washington is
completed. SO is the Frecr Oriental
at Whistler Galley. They will lac
opened in the new year.
Although In museum activities
New York. Boston. Washington and
Chicago naturally draw popular at
tentiun. these who will take the
trouble to acquire all the bulletins
issued by the museums and art gal,
lories scattered through the United
states will be astonished nj the
work that has been done during tho
year. Purchases have been made.
bcQuests have poured In. New gal
lcrlcs are being planned. and there
is very proper feeling abroad thnt
the time has now come when tho
arts ANA crafts of the twentieth CEN
tury should receive more attention
and encouragement than hitherto.
That Is the aim OF the newly formed
art Center" In New York.
II has been suggested that the
Metropolitan Museum should attach
To itself Gallery OF Contemporary
Arts and Crafts; but Mr.. Robert dc
Forest. president OF the board ~
trustees. has explained, tempcrately
and cunslusivcly. that, although the
museum does all 1t can Tor Amcrt
can artists (sil American painters
and ~ American sculptors arc repre-.
snntcd therel. Il can not. for many