Evening star., 1923-06-21
The North Window
BY LEILA MECHLIN

summer. Away up at 156th street and
Broadway there is an exhibition of
American sculpture, arranged by the
National Sculpture Society. COM
prising some seven or eight hundred
works In the Grand Central station. UP
under the roof, there is an exhibition
OF paintings and sculptures by Ameri-
can artists. set forth under the auspices
or new cooperative organization
made up of artists and art patrons. At
the Metropolitan Museum Of Art, 9th
avenue and SGD street, there is a loan
collection of paintings, furniture and
art objects of the Italian Renaissance.
Any one who passes through New York
will be we'll repaid by stopping over and
visiting these exhibitions, which are all
Of an extremely pleasurable character.
The sculpture exhibition is largely
unique character. The Hispanic
Society's museum, the museum of the
Numismatic Society, the Indian Museum
and the new home of the American
Academy Of Arts and Letters .prac-
tically occupy the entire block between
155th and 156th streets. Broadway and
the next street running north and south.
They have been built on the land as it
lay, which was a bit hilly, and their
grounds therefore slope upward from
Broadway and drop down in terraces to
156th street. Here, amid excellent
planting, many of the works in sculpture
are shown. Others are to be found in
the halls and galleries of the three as
sociations, the Indian Museum alone
not being included
A good deal of the work. while ac-
complished, meritorious and fairly
correct. is obviously uninspired, but
more than a fair proportion shows a
real CLINT OF genius, and a few startle
with their evidence of inspiration,
with that subtle something which
transcends definition but proclaims
great art. Such is the bust of Pablo
Casals by Brenda Putnam, the daugh-
ter of the librarian Of Congress,
which is a superb work. The head is
slightly turned to the left shoulder
and thrown back, the eyes are closed,
the lips slightly parted, but it is in
sistent with life. The lids almost
seem TO culver. the lips to move.
1t is restrained, and yet intensely
emotional-a superlative work, and
one which sweeps the sensitive OBJ
server off his feet. This is TO be
found in the Hispanic Museum
wherein also is shown a collection of
drawings by scuIptors. which evil
dence that the art of modelling is an
all-around art, requiring the subtlest
craftsmanship as we'll as feeling for
form. 1t was a happy thought, ex
hibiting these drawings in conjunc-
tion with the works in the round
u r.
How extremely modern, American
and up-todate is the idea of main
tanning a salesroom for paintings
and sculpture of the best sort by
cotemporary artists under the roof
of great metropolitan railroad sta
tion! II you have an hour to wait
between trains, step into the Wander
bilt avenue corridor, summon the
genie of the elevator and be lifted
above the trains. above the hurry Of
traffic coming and going. partings and
greetings, and find yourself trans
lated into an atmosphere of leisure
and quiet and art. From the minute
you step into the entrance yestibule
you will find yourself in another
world. One gallery opens out of
another and each is arranged accord
ing to the best art OF display of a
modern museum-small galleries well
lighted, pictures hung with plenty
of space on wall charmingly tinted.
furniture. plants. a little fountain
with tinkling water.
And the pictures that are shown
are of the best-robust works by
American artists who have a vision.
landscapes and figures. pictures of
seashoTe and mountain, woods and
open fields. winter and summer,
charmingly arranged. Some are high
priced, but one whole gallery-and
1t is not the least attractive-con-
tains moderate-sized pictures, suita-
BILE for the home, by artists whose
names are ali well known, but any
one of which is procurable at $3.50.
What temptation to buy while one
waits. to add little picture to the
luggage waiting below. a tempta-
tion which, 1t is understood. a good
many have not resisted. But what a
novel idea!
The Italian Renaissance exhibition
at the Metropolitan Museum recalls
Florence and Venice and the great
days that once were. 1t also brings
to mind the wealth Of American pri-
vate collections. the increasing num-
her of princely collectors on this side
of the sea The pictures are all by
great masters, but are. not the MOST
important portion OF the exhibition,
which includes furniture, textiles,
| Mt Inf q N - al n n N,S,-
ingly set forth.
From the Morgan collection has
come a portrait of Giovanna lorna
buoni by Ghirlandaio, that bears a
translated. reads as follows: art.
couldst thou but portray character
and the mind, there then would be in
all the world no picture more beauti-
From the Kahn collection is a por-
trait by Botticelli Of Giuliano de
Medici, the younger son OF Piero dt
CossmS,. who was noted ed for his his
catalogue tells US. for his devotion
TO Simonetta Vespucci. whose beauty
the courtly poets of the time extolled.
There is a Portrait, of a Boy" by
the National Gallery. London. the
painter of the tailor with his shears.
The Boy" is now in the C.. c. still
man collection. There are three Bel
, INNS, ali 1HduoHHdS, silu Sdti Wv iSu
by a different collector. There is a
Charming carpaccio--a portrait of
Man in Armor. Which, was once In
the collection Of the Vernon Went.
worths, but is now owned and lent oy
Mr.. and Mrs. Otto H. Kahn.
And with these paintings are shown
sculpture of the period. works by
Della Robbia, Rossellino, and others,
and with them chests ana cupboards
and cabinets and chairs such a were
used by those whose portraits are
painted and modelled. Further oon-
tributing to the picture or the tme