The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1926-06-24
Trying to Discover Some of the More
Beautiful Things in Our Own Big City
BY walter D. Hickman

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have found lots of real beauty
that didn't know existed.
Am trying to find the Ten Most
Beautiful Things in Indianapolis.
have asked prominent people to
list me ten things that they con-
slider beautiful in the city Of In
dianapolis.
Asked J. Arthur MacLean. director
Of the John HerronN Art Institute.
to list me ter beautiful things" in
the city of Indianapolis.
He told me. that he would give me
the titles OF ten things in the
Museum at the Art Institute which
he thought were beautiful.
Mr.. MacLeans selection and com.
ments are as follows:
T. In the court of the museum
there has lately been installed a tur-
quoise tile pool five feet. five inches
square, and in it has been placed
peir of fish one inch long, a pair OF
fish two, inches long. a pair of Ash
three inches long, a pair of fish four
inches long, a pair of fish five inches
long. and one big fellow ten inches
long, all chosen from many thou
sands at Grassyforks Fisheries for
their brilliant vermillion color. This
vernillion against the blue.green
color of the tiles makes compli-
mentary color scheme which in itself
is delightful; but. furthermore, in the
the center of the pool on a pure
white marble base stands a beautiful
nude figure called Joy of the
Waters" by Harriet Frishmuth, a
woman sculptor of New York of
great skill and ability. 1t is an orig
inal bronze, finished with a dark !
green pat.na. Every time I look at
this, call 1t beautiful and I think !
that probably We pool and fishes add
to the beauty. though the sculpture
is in itself an important work of
art, q
2. Upstairs in Gallery TX. there is
a painting by Clifton Wheeler with a |
predominating color scheme of blue. /
The notified sky and the landscape. |
every time enter this gallery, ap-
peals to me in a most delightful way, |
and I call it beautiful.
Two More Beauties
3. In Gallery III. the European
Gallery OF the museum, there are
two cases OF lusterware, any piece
of which might be taken out and |
placed upon a pedestal for individual |
admiration. These pieces of luster-
ware are so consistently installed |
and so delightfully."- enhanced by a
beautiful piece OF brocade OF the
contemporary period. that I am in
clined to look upon them as a
picture. The space relations are so |
carefully considered for this in |
stallation that il makes a compo- |
sition like picture. Yet, when one
examines each individual piece they |
being separated or individualized so |
definitely that each piece can be
examined readily and easily, l find |
them exceedingly beautiful and i'm.
portant specimens. I call the objects
in these cases beautiful.
4. In the court of the museum |
across the northside, there is
composite screen made up of East |
Indian cravings, stone. wood and
metal. In the center Of this screen
is small carved doorway. encased |
in carved jams. This single unit is
so consistently done. every square
inch carved, that 1 feel, whenever I |
look at it, that it is one of the
beautiful things in the museum.
8. In Gallery VII, where we are
showing at the present time
modern American water colcrs,
there is exhibited an American ma
hogany table. 1t is a gate-leg. tilt
back table Of nearly severe lines, but
decorated sufficiently to give
sparkle and smartness at those
points. where it is most needed to
attract the eye in making II a
picture composition, to include the
top and It's fore legs. The wood IT,
self is beautiful and the finish, too,
out were the wood cheaper than ma.
hogany and were there no finish on
it at all. 1t would still be an ex-
ceedingly beautiful table.
6. At the present time there is
exhibited in Gallery x OF the
museum a part Of the memorial ex-
hibition Of the work of Otto Stark.
He painted in oil. but also made
pictures In charcoal and colored
crayon and. in the last. he excelled.
On the northwest splay of Gallery
x in the upper row at the left, there
is one of these charcoal and colored
crayon pictures entitled "Ripples."
This picture is one that not only
shows the power Of the artist hut.
because OF that power and the
practical character of Otto Stark. it
is a thing OF great beauty. Here
is a case where an object, perhaps
not as pretentious as that of many
others Of the museum. is neverthe.
less to be numbered among the
museums most beautiful treasures.
Dutch Silver
Z. In case in Gallery III there
is some Dutch silver, Originally |
this silver was common table ware,
but now 1t has been elevated to a
position in an art museum where 1t
no longer figures as table ware, but
as art. OF the four dozen or more
objects of table ware, one is a small
spoon, second from the left in the
top row, in the center of the case.
which in technique is perhaps the
simplest of all. The pattern is
punched and engraved in the han.
die. which has a perfectly beautiful
curve and the bowl is subtly tapered