Evening star., 1925-10-18

NallOnil ACADEMY OF ttSlS II,
which opened with a recep-
Il tion at the C0rcoran Gallery OF
Art last evening and Will be
on view free TO the public until No
Hember Is, is one of the most, II not
the most, important exhibitions. which
have as vet been held in this city. 1t
comprises over 500 exhibits and stands
for art in America during the past 100
years.
The painters are more largely rep
resented than the scuiptorS, arChi-
teCts. engraVerS and etChers, but the
exhibition is not restricted to paint
ings. Indeed. the first sight which
meets the eye of the visitor on enter
ing the main doorway is Saint Gau-
denS exquisite figure in low relief,
Amor CdritaS." which has been
placed in the central position at the
head of the main stairway, u position
of greatest honor. To the right and
left on this stairway are to be seen
works in sculpture by other and CO.
temporary American sCulptors. To
the right Of the Amor CaritaS," on
the Lhain platform. stands an admir-
afle portrait head in bronze of Au-
gustuS Saint Gaudens by his confrere,
John Flanagan
The paintings, architectural draw
ingS. etchings and engravings occupy
the walls of all the galleries on the
second floor. They make a superb dis
play. and no wonder, for not only do
they represent the work of over 400
of the most distinguished American
artists during the past hundred years,
but they have been selected with the
utmost care by a special committee of
the National Academy of Design, and
have been lent by the leading art nu-
Seums and collectors in the country.
Many OF the pictures shown in this
exhibition come from the great Metro
polltan Museum of Art, in New York;
others from the Boston Museum of
Fine Arts, the Worcester Museum
and the Carnegie Institute, Pittsburgh
The museums of Cincinnati, Cleve-
land, Buffalo and Chicago have all
made generous contributions, with
drawing the works from their own
permanent collections to lend impor-
tanCe to this showing, and SO not only
to demonstrate the achievements of
American art, but duly honor Amerl-
can artists. Among the other notable
lenders are such we'll known clubs in
New York as the Century. the Union
League and the Lotus: to say nothing
of the innumerable private collectors,
such as Miss Helen Frick, Charles NJ
Swift, William Sumner Appleton and
Col. F. J. Hecker. No wonder it is an
imposing exhibition.
ITO some extent the arrangement of
the collection has been made
chronological. Beginning in gallery
A. chiefly the works of the painters
who lived and produced a hundred
years ago are shown. The semi-cir-
cular gallery also is largely given up
to the works of these early Academ-
icians-they, it will be remembered.
who, rebelling against the conserva-
tism of the American Academy" set
up in opposition the National
Academy of the Arts Nof Design"
How strangely conservative and old
fashioned the works of these men
seem today, how quickly times
change, how timid, measured by pres
ent-day boldness, seem the efforts of
these rash innovators. And yet,
withal. how evidently sincere high
minded. really beautiful, apparently,
were their ideals and inspirations.
1t does one good to be privileged thus
to turn back the page
They were not "a large band, these
early Academicians, and even before
one passes into gallery 3 the works
OF some of our living American
painters are met with. From gallery
ID on through the remainder of the
series almost all of the paintings
shown are by men and women Of our
own day and generation, and this
portion of the showing brings strong
fy to mind the admirable biennial ex-
hibitfons Of cotemporary American
painting set forth habitually by the
Corcoran Gallery of Art.
The place of honor in gallery c, the
entrance to which is directly oppo-
site the staircase. has been given to
one OF Abbott Thayer's masterpieces.
his beautiful "Caritas" owned and
lent for this occasion by the Boston
Museum of Fine ArtS-a superb work
before which all must stand in rev.
erent admiration. To the left hangs
Wipslow Homer'S we'll known paint
ing, Eight Bells a small but i'm
pressive Canvas-Homer at his best.
To the right is an admirable land
scape by Ralph A. Blakelock. with
whose tragic life many are familiar.
On the same wall is to be seen THE
Donkey Ride" a most charming child
picture by ]. Alden Weir. and also
that famous painting by John La
Fargo, The Muse of Painting"
owned by the Metropolitan Museum.
Here, too, are Douglas Volk's ideal
portrait of Lincoln and one of Henry
Rangers most beautiful landscapes,
Spring Woods" lent by the Brook
lyn Museum.
Turning to the right. ones attention
is caught by Homer ID. Martins cele-
brated landscape. Harp of the
Winds" with which almost all,
through reproduction, are familiar A
little beyond this is Elihu Fedder's