Evening star., 1923-01-11
The North Window
BY LEILA MECHLIN.

One of the secrets that has been
whispered behind north windows re-
Gently. causing great. glee. is the date
of the opening of the Freer Gallery.
Being no longer q secret, however, II
may be told to all. This long -antici-
pated and eagerly awaited event Is
to take place early In May, when
Washington is most lovely In spring
dress. 1t will be an event tof the
utmost note, for the Freer collection
Is SO rich in oriental art that orient
hereafter will come here to study II.
The Freer collection is unique in
another particular---It possesses a
most complete collection of works by
Whistler, paintings in oil and water
color, pastels and drawings. There
Is, in fact. no collection In the world
OF a single artists productions that
Charles L. Freer was a great friend
of Whistler, and to some extent his
collection was built up around what
might be called the Whistlerian idea
whistler, as he himself frankly ad-
mitted, was Influenced strongly by a
study of Japanese prints. and be-
tween his art and that of the oriental
picture makers there was distinct re-
lationship. The Japanese and Chinese
artists are masters of the art of elm
ination; they have the power Of re-
ducing their pictorial equations to
the lowest terms: their compositions
are invariably simplifled to the last
degree, yet they never lose sight of
the Importance of decorative motive
in design. Many of Whistler's paint
ings and etchings-in fact, the ma
jority-are extremely simple in COM
position and exceedingly decorative
in effect. Like his confreres of the
east, he was acutely sensitive to
beauty of line and mass, and was able
to deliver his message fully. in the
briefest possible terms. But beyond
this Whistler shows in his paintings
kinShip with the eastern potters,
instances as lovely, as well as subtle
from the color standpoint. as are the
glazes on Japanese pottery or the
patina of Persian ware, long buried
beneath the ground.
1t was thus that Mr.. Freer added
bit by bit to his collection, trying out
the exhibits one with another, dis
carding such as were not in harmony
and bringing the whole into complete
unity. He spared no pains and 1T be-
came an absorbing life work He
travelled in the east extensively and
he employed the most expert advice in
the purchase of eastern exhibits. But
II was Whistler's theory that he put
into effect. and ii was around Whis-
tiers work that the collection was
built.
Mr.. Freer's home was in Detroit
an attractive double house. two
stories in height. designed by Wilson
Eyre. set in the midst of ample
grounds. Much of the furniture in it
was built-in-window seats. fire set
ties. bookstacks and the like AS an
addition to this house he built a lit
tie gallery, storeroom and a replica
of the peacock room, decorated orig
inally by Whistler for Mr.. Leland.
At no time was it possible TO display
the entire collection, and for some
years no part of 1t was on view, but
persons especially interested who WIS.,
tied his home were shown IL piece by
piece, picture by picture. vase by vase,
having them passed before their no.
tice and being permitted to pause and
enjoy each exhibit, by Mr.. Freer's
faithful servitor, Stephen, who is now
assisting in the work Of installation
here. 1t was a wonderful way to get
an introduction to this unique and
splendid collection. and those who
had the privilege retain an fndeIibIe
impression of a pleasure seldom
equaled.
When Mr.. Freer originally decided
his collection to the nation il was
with the understanding that it should
not come to Washington until after
his death, but it was not very long in
point of years thereafter that he
changed his mind, and il was under
his own supervision that the plans
Tor the present building were made
by Charles J.. Platt. In fact, there
was reason to hope that the collection
might be installed and the gallery.
opened before his death. UnhappiIy
this was not achieved; death came too
soon, but because the work had been
already undertaken, the wonder has
been the greater that the opening wa 6
so long postponed.
The reason for this may also now
be made known. 1t has to do large
ly with the tax regulations of the
state of Michigan, of which the late
Charles L. Freer was a resident. De-
spite the fact that the moneys left TO
the Freer gallery for completion and
support, as well as subsequent acoui-
Sition, were the gift of pubIic-
spirited American to the people of the
nation. the state of Michigan claimed
and has, collected an inheritance tax
of $475,000 on the bequest Naturally
the trustees endeavored to secure a
release from the burden of this heavy
taxation, particularly in view of the
fact that to meet it required the sale
of securities at a considerable loss
But the penalty accruing for DELAYED
payment became So great that settle-
ment was eventually determined uuon
and met. The last of this indebted
ness has only lately been cleared so
that it is but now that the trustees
have been released and the funds
placed completely at their disposal.
There are only two states in. the
Union in which such a tax would have
been levied and collected. 1t seems
unfortunate that Mr.. Freer should
have been a resident of one of these.
Meanwhile, however, the work of
installation has gone slowly forward,
so that in a little more than three
months it will be possible to open the
doors of the gallery to the public and
to number the Freer gallery among
National Capital henceforth and for
ever.
!. X x x
There has been some criticism OF
the closeness with which the doors of
the Freer gallery have been kept shut
UP to the present time. admission
having been forbidden to all alike.
Seldom is a regulation kept with as
great strictness and as absolute fair
ness as this regulation has been kept
here, and, although to many who felt
4hev ought to have friends at Court,