Evening star., 1923-01-21
Notes of Art and Artists


ground, out of scale with the rest of
the picture-a figure which intrudes
upon the composition and would
seem to have little reason for exist
ence. His etchings lack accent and
instances are overworked but still
there is in them that reminder of in
telligent purpose which lifts them
out of the realm of experimentation
and puts them In class with the
like them, and yet must respect the
talent which has called them into
being. -.
AN interesting loan-a baby's head
- cast not in bronze, but in ar
morer's metal-has recently been
made to the Corcoran Gallery of Art
by its present owner, V. v. Parma.
1t is the work of Germaine Pilon. a
French sculptor. born in 1915. died
in 1890, and the original in marble
is one of the most priced possessions
an armorer, and probably this little
head was cast by him. 1t Is GER
tainly of this substance, which.
! though widely used in the sixteenth
century, cannot be reproduced today,
| the secret of it's alloy being lost. The
Appearances, to a great extent, that
of reddish bronze, though upon
close inspection the observer Will note
| difference in the matter of surface
i and quality of texture, and yet it
! has been marveiously used to inter-
i pret exquisite subtlety of line and
expression. The softness of the babys
flesh, the delicacy of the lines of the
| face, the infantile curves of the neck,
are all beautifully transcribed, and
the little sixteenth century baby lives
! today as then-three hundred years
| now past.
1t Is a great work of art a treasure,
not because of careful preservation,
/ but rather on account OF the inde-
structible material in which 1t is
wrought 1t was carried from coun-
try to country among spoils OF war
and passed from owner to owner. not
through the medium of the auction
room, but in payment Of debt or as
an expression of gratitude for favors
received. BY one friend it was given
| to another until il finally came into
the possession of its present owners.
who, by lending 1t to the Corcoran
Gallery of Art. are sharing its ENJOY
ment with others.
= =
TT is interesting to compare this old
work of sculpture, produced so
long ago. with marble bust in ap-
proximately the same scale, life size,
Of a very young child by Paul Jenne-
vein, who, but a few years ago. was
a fellow in sculpture at the American
academy in Rome This child por-
| trait in marble has been loaned to the
Corcoran Gallery by Charles Wright,
and Ii well deserves place in mu-
scum collection. Not only is il beau
tifuIly modelled. but charmingly de-
signed the base of the work being
I a n eli oh n
of children dancing. typical of the
joyous spirit of Childhood work by
a modern American. which well bears
CONF parison with the masterpiece OF
great French sculptor of the renais-
sance. Like the sculpture of Paul
Manship, this little work in marble
demonstrates again. the great benen-
cent service which the American
Academy in Rome is rendering TO
!. x * =
| A T a meeting of the board Of di-
- rectors of the Amer rican Fedora
| tion of Arts held in New York last
week several important resolutions
We're passed-one indorsing the bill
now before Congress for the estab-
ilishment of a park commission. to
| have supervision of the parks and
! Fairgrounds in Washington, and
carrying with it an appropriation for
| the purchase of additional property
for this purpose year by year; an
other urging the Importance of a
building for the National Gallery OF
Art and authorizing concerted effort
20 arouse interest throughout the
country in the matter in order to Sc
cure action by Congress-; and still a
third. protesting against the an
nounced change in the rule, long in
effect. that finds made by excavators
| in Egypt should be apportioned on
the ifty-fift basis. half going to
Egypt. the other half belonging to
! the finders. The new French direc-
! tor general of the service des an
tiquites has given notice that a year
from now only such finds shall be re-
moved from Egypt as in his discre-
tion can be spared or are not of great
interest for the Egyptian collection.
| This would mean that exploration and
| excavation would be brought practi-
| cally to a standstill by all nations.
| except perhaps France: for 1t would
entirely rob the excavators of possl-