Evening star., 1923-05-01
FREER COLLECTION
OPENS TOMORROW
Invited Guests to See Fa-
nous Art WorkS-PubIic
Admitted May 9.

The Freer Gallery opens tomorrow.
admitting specially invited guests for
one week. after which-that is, from
May Sit will be opened to he public
For several years this opening has
been anticipated with unusual inter-
est and impatience, because of the
unique character and value of the
Freer collection
The gallery is built around court.
In the center is fountain with
plants and shrubs and across II strut
three peacocks. This Is almost the
hrst sight that greets the visitor as
he ascends the stairs of the main
entrance, on the white walls of
which are two magnificent Chinese
hangings of red velvet.
The galleries where most OF the
exhibits are incircle the court, but
are separated from 1t by wide cor
ridor. Turning to the right after
ascending the stairs. one enters gal
lery No. l, in which are hung paint
ings by Abbott II. Thayer Centering
the wall opposite the doorway Is the
well known Virgin" Abbott Thayer's
own daughter. leading by the hand
clouds behind her suggesting angel
wings.
Two superb Landscapes.
On the walls to the right and left
as centers are two winged figures.
one Of which wears a gilded crown of
laurel leaves. With these figures and
number of portrait studies, are
shown two superb landsc apes, one
Of Capri" with its head in sunlight,
itS feet in shadow The other oP
Mount Momadnock,' snow capped
and inwrapped in blue shadow
Gallery No. 2. which is adjacent.
contains paintings by Carl Melchers.
Home. Whistler and Sargent, as well as
by Thayer. L: is harmonious and at
tractive group Of American painters,
each distinctive in style. The Sar-
late works. subject pictures painted
for the joy of the doing, not por-
traits nor figures.
Gallery No. 8 is given up to paint
little figure paintings done decidedly
In the spirit of Whistler, but quite
differently. Most lovely perhaps of
these are the canvases entitled AN
lively.
Studies OF Nature.
Gallery No. contains only paint
ings by Tyron. an American painter
still living and producing (as. by
the way, is Dewing). These pictures
are interpretations of moods In ma
ture. subtle effects of sunrise, twi-
light and evening. In the corners OF
this room, which are cut off dag
onalIy. are hung little landscapes and
marines in pastel. each little mas
terpiece.
These galleries are on the north
side of the building. To find the
Whistlers one must cross to the south
side, and. doing so. will pass through
screens painted by great artists of
Japan in the seventeenth and eight
eenth centuries. One represents the
waves of the sea, and Is by Sotasu
1t gives remarkable suggestion OF
the motion and weight and rhythm of
water, and is splendidly decorative in
effect
Another of these screens shows a
composition of floating fans and a
third sets forth a beautiful represen-
tation of flowers, among which the
coxcomb is conspicuous. There Is also
a beautiful screen in this gallery
painted by a master of the Kano
School of the sixteen and seventeenth
centuries, showing white. wistaria-
whistler Works shown.
Four galleries are given up to the
works of whistler, a collection sur
passingly rich. In gallery No. s, one
finds paintings of outdoor subjects.
Here in group are three Of Whist
ler's most famous nocturr1es, BLUE
and Silver Batter Sea Reach" "Blue
and Gold Valparaiso" Blue and Silver
Bognor." In this gallery also is the
famous Thames in Ice"
Gallery No. 9. contains figure paint
ings by Whistler, the famous portrait
Of Mr.. Leyland, for whom the Pea
cock room Qater to be discovered),
was originally painted. Here also
are the Little Blue and Gold Girl"
the Balcony" the Gold Screen" the
Little Lady Sophie OF Solo," and
portrait Of Charles l. Freer, the
friend Of Whistler and the donor Of
the Freer Gallery and its contents
Pastels, drawings and water colors
by Whistler occupy gallery No. 10, and
constitute one Of the 1oveliest OF the
exhibits. These, even better than
the oil paintings, manifest Whistlers
extraordinary artistic perception and
gift. Here are pastels that have the
suggestion of mosaics Of jewels. Here
are exquisite little nudes which sug-
gest the purity and color OF 4 Jearl.
Here are water colors. showing on
the part Of the painter: full compre-
hension Of the limitations Al well a.
possibilities OF the medium. -
Famous Peacock Room.
The fourth OF the whistler series ef
galleries Gallery I'D contains etch-