San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-09-13
Famous Kruger Collection
Of European Canvases
Are Hung.
ART LEAGUE IS HOST
Public Invited to View
Paintings Starting Fri
day Afternoon.

members OF the Art Lea~ue Friday
morning, the Art League rooms on
the second floor of the Frost building
will be opened TO the public on Fri
day afternoon to display the largest
and finest collection of paintings that
San Antonio has ever seen.
Work of hanging the splendid group
of paintings that have been collected
as the work of lifetime by NJ. Krue-
ger, president of the San Antonio Ma
chine and Supply Company, is COM
pleted and the pictures are ready for
exhibition purposes. The three rooms
in the Frost building, originally as
signed to the use of the Art League,
has been increased to twelve, every
room utilizing all available wall space
for the display of the paintings that
form the famous Kruger collection.
The ten paintings that were given
10 the Art League last year have been
ill this country for number of years,
but Mr.. Krueger's personal collection
of no painting. which is opened to
the public on Friday, arrived in the
United States late in August. Mr..
Kruger spent six months last spring
and summer in Europe, buying new
pictures TO add TO those he had kept
in Germany, and in arranging for the
transportation of the whole collection
TO this country. 1t required infinite
diplomacy and small fortune in du-
ties and insurance, as well as freight
to get the pictures TO San Antonio.
Pictures Are Grouped.
Mr.. Kruger has superintended
hanging every picture himself, and
has grouped them carefully, devoting
one room to French pictures, one TO
Norwegian, one TO Italian, one to still
life paintings, and one TO pictures
of animals. Careful thought and con-
sideration has been given to grouping
and TO lighting effects.
Just as it has taken many years
and much study TO make such a col
lection, it will take a long time fully
to study and appreciate the various
types of pictures shown and to re-
spond, TO diverse appeals they make.
Perhaps the first thing that strikes
an observer accustomed TO the usual
picture galleries in this country lis
the absence of any painting that sug-
gests the modern schools of impress
sionism, and TO many persons this is
a cardinal virtue. With few excep-
tons, the pictures are the work OF
famous German artists, and have been
gathered from the great German gal
leries, many of them having been sold
at auction since the war, TO meet
changed financial conditions.
With the exception Of eight or nine
miniature painting of the heads of old
men, painted in exquisite detail, with
a marvellous sense of texture values,
painting of the human figures is very
little represented. There are many
many paintings of fruit
and flowers. many of water. whether
in quiet ponds, rivers or wider sug-
gestions Of the sea.
One Striking Canvas.
One of the very striking pictures is
a large canvas containing seven fig
ures of Martin Luther explaining the
Bible to an elector of Saxony. The
painting is very rich in details of the
represented, and the ac-
cessories Of tapestried walls, stained
windows, brocades. armor, rugs, books
and q heavy velvet curtain. Another
most striking picture is of a group of
people gathered around small bon-
fire before large stone gateway on
a rivers bank. The moon is shining
behind the arch of the gate, and the
effect of the two sources OF light,
from the moon and from the bonfire
are as unusual as they are interest
ing. This painting Mr.. Kruger re-
CARDS as the most valuable one in the
whole collection.
A small water-color by Ad Schreyer
Of Arabian horsemen envelOped in a
cloud of dust lis wonderfully beauti-
full and delicate in its coloring and
The vigorous movement it presents. 1t
is considered one of the finest of the
Schreyer paintings and n more per-
fect example of his individual art than
the large Schreyer canvas in the Net
ropolitan Museum.
Ducks and Ducklings.
Another of the paintings that ar
rests the attention in the most hasty
survey is a large canvas of ducks.
arge and small. pattering in the edge
IF a pond of dark clear water, over
which the dappled shadows from the
trees above make delightful play of
light and shade.
In the Norwegian room two small
genre pictures are displayed whics
make a sure appeal. Both have n
background of the blue and white
lies Of the Dutch fireplaces. but the
central figure in one is of an old
woman looking from the window over
he red housetors. and in the other
S Of a child seated plating on the
'loor. One of the delightful pictures
S of an old German country inn with
groups of people. horses, cows, chick
ms and a covered wagon. in the fore
yround, all colored very softly and
With a very tender touch.
An unusual painting is one OF
mountain lake at sunset, filled with
lear air and rosy color tones. with
IN edge of greensward in the fore
and on which walks n nun,
n her vestments. This gains in con-
rast with a painting hung near It
f two children in the snow. which
vas painted by the same artist who
invented the intricate process of paint
ng that is used in the very interest
ne heads of the old men, painted in
miniature. Near thees also is one of
he gems of the collection picture
f two old men inspecting an old doc
is a remarkable study
n personality and textures.
Mr.. Kruger has spent many
ears in making the collection, and
avs that be knows from the pleasure