Evening star., 1923-12-30
\ ENCOURAGEMENT has been made
Y that the Phillips Memorial

thereafter on Tuesday. Saturday and
Sunday afternoons from to O'CLOCK.
This little gallery, representing the
beginning of something rarely fine and
distinctly unique, always affords con-
noisseurs exceptional pleasure. but its
opening now gives to the public op-
portunity not only to enter into such
pleasure, but to view for the nrst
time the lately acquired masterpiece
by Renoir, lie Dejeuner des Cano-
tiers" acquired by Mr.. Phillips for
the gallery last, summer while IN
Paris. This is one of the most famous
French paintings of modern .inleS
With six other Renoirs it was ex-
hibited last winter in an upper room
in the Durand- -Ruel Galleries In New
York, but no one % these paint
ings from NJ. Durand Ruels private
collection was for sale. A numoet
OF large offers were made 1or the
"Dejeuner'' by private collectors-one,
it is said. of no less than sloo.ooo-
but all were refused. the owners nav,
ing decided that If they ever allowed
Il to leave France it would have 70
go to museum. The PniIipe
Memorial Gallery made an offer wnich
Was accepted. and Washingtonlans
can now be congratulated on acauar
ing as a treasure this world-ralnous
painting.
1t is a large canvas, showing
group of eleven persons luncnlhs On
the balcony of small hotel over
looking the Seine. 1t was painteu II,
fssI, al Bougival. In the foreground
rs the table; lunch is over: the party
81 canoeists and guests nave oroken
IN into little groups: conversation
* the order of the hour. Each figure
is a portrait They are the painter
friends and comrades. Nine Renoir
Sits at the left, still at the table, but
playing with her little pet dog.
Straddling a chair in the foreground
in his canoeist's costume is Caille-
hottie. the painter and collector, VINO
left his collection to the Luxembourg.
With back turned to the observer Is
the witty Baron" Barber, Renoirs
pretty girl, who leans toward him.
Nesting her elbow on the balustrade.
Isestringuez. Paul Lhote and Eph-
russy. all interesting personalities OF
he day. are there, not sitting tpa tp
1heir portraits. but shown IN the
midst of a most natural social en-
yironment. Thus the painter gives us
and registers for all time a phase OF
typical eotemporary Frencn ime' c,,no ~
this day Paris, on hot summer sun,
days, turns out in holiday mood ana
spends hours amusing itself on or
near it's beloved river. The FrenCn'
better than any othehr peopie Al ,his his
world, know how to play, anu ehiS
is the way they do IL.
To the average visitor the fact tnat
Renoir In this, his masterpiece ex
presses the joy of life will be founo
the lure of the picture 1t is evident
that the artist recognised his own
power to paint in a large and sumptu-
Gus style the beauty or the mate
rial world the pleasures OF the pass
ing hour and chose thus to honor ms
friends and cotempararies as the
renaissance painters had done, put
more directly, with reference to re-
ligious or NEUROLOGICAL prescriptions.
AS the present owner has aptiy
said: .Tn splendor of design: and
color this modern picture more than
holds its own with the great oorH.
positions of such masters OF the past
as Titan, Veronese and Reubens;
truthful, and it offers the charming
illusion of life itself. of pulsating at
mosphere, of sunlight,. of summer
Dreezes, of rounded solid forms play,
I'd upon by flickering lights. OF FACIAL
expressions and bodily gestures sug-
getting the evanescent beauty OF the
moment which can only be saved
through the artists subtle powers OF
observation"
Writing Of the painter Of this pic
sure, the late James Hunneker. in his
'Promenades of an Impressfonist,
said: wherever Renoir hangs
opulent and sonorous color music.
hut note should be made of the fact
that this impressionist of the i'm
pressionists deigned. at the height OF
his power. to condescend TO a SUB
tect picture. a picture which. while
OF vast technical interest, possesses
a perpetually human interest as well.
II X ~
THERE are other newly acquired
notable paintings to be seen in
tho Phillips Memorial Gallery-Sis-
nArI ~ icrir vol
studies for mural decorations by the
master mural painter of France.
Puvis de Chavannes-but Of only one
oan mention be made at this time.
a comparatively small canvas by
Andre, showing Renoir in his studio
ut his easel, apparently completing
a painting, while a. well known Paris
dealer sits at his elbow, watching,
with evident satisfaction. the prog
ross of the work. The inclusion of
this picture is an added compliment
10 the artist and an increased satis-
faction to the visitor.
COLLECTORS, museum directors
~ and artists from all parts Of the
country are coming to Washington
to see the Biennial Exhibition Of
Contemporary American Painting at
the Corcoran Gallery Of Art. The
record of sales up to December 81
was sixteen pictures, aggregating in
value S28,00o. This included, to be
sure. purchases made by the Cor
coran Gallery of Art for its own
permanent collection, six Of which,
by the way, were acquired through
accumulated interest from the Clark
prize fund. Former Senator w. A.
amountingS to $4,000, gave the Cor
coran Gallery of Art. two years ago,
100000 by way of endowment.
lated interest has amounted to
$4,000, so that in addition to the
$4,000 paid out in prizes there were
$4,000 to spend in purchases. With
this six paintings were acquired and
tho gallery permanently enriched.
To a great extent these purchases
may well be reckoned as prizes. In
fact, In the estimate OF many they
are the best of all prizes. inasmuch
as the competition is open to all and
the reward determined solely by merit.
x X y X
MUCH interest is Being shown in
.l the collection ofS pastsls and
silver points by Thomas ". Dewing.
which constitutes a. special exhibit
in the atrium of the Corcoran Gallery
Of Art. and the great paintings by
which it is surrounded There are
ffty-three of these exquisite little
works. thirty Of which have been lent
Ivy individual private collectors who
have graciously taken them off their
own walls and deprived themselves of
their possession for over a. month in
order to share their pleasure with
others.
Thomas W. Dewing is one of the
American painters, it will be remem-
bered, who, to use the words of
Royal Cortissoz, has been "canonized"
by inclusion in the Freer Gallery
Of Art. The reason for this Canon
iz.tion" is readily to be discovered