Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-06-05

oy World-famous masters arrest the
attention of art lovers from every
men as Constantine
Brumidi and Filoppo Costaggini-and
the historical frieze in the
SO feet above the floor. 800
feet in circumference and feet
inches high, done in wet plaster.
Capitol Art Works.
The art works in the Capitol include
two heroic statues from most of the
States in tribute to the men IF each
State who have done most for adj
of their fellow men. a gal
lery of busts Of the Vice Presidents
and portrait paintings of the Speak
ers of the House. There are now in
the Capitol more than 300 works Of
art, including large historical paint
lngs by John G. Chapman in the ro-
tunda- Practically all of the great
painters and scuIptors of modern
times have contributed their best work
to this collection in the Capitol as the
most fitting memorials to their genius.
So much, all too briefly, in regard
to our great Government art collec--
tons. Now just a word about our
art work out of doors, in the orderly
Identification of the Capital City as
a whole. Early in 1900 a commission
appointed at the suggestion of the
American Institute of Architects, and
consisting of the greatest experts of
their day and generation-Daniel H.
Burnham, Frederick Law Olmsted,
Jr.: Charles +. McKim and Augustus
-Gaudens-undertook the ire.
mendously responsible job of prepar.
ing a comprehensive plan for beauti-
Tying the Capital City. Out of this
mas come our Commission of Fine
Arts, which is now given authority
py congress to pass upon each pro-
posal that comes up which might in
any way infringe upon the progressive
Identification and establishment of
the Capital in a harmonious SYM.
phony. y
Right here should be emphasized
tnat out of doors in Washington the
art connoisseurs of the world can find.
ana do find, sculpture and architec.
lure that commands world acclaim.
Inc Lincoln Memorial in Potomac
Park, on the axis of the Mall in line
with the Washington Monument and
the capitol, is the Lincoln memorial
which Is rapidly winning attention as
one of the most sentimentalIy beauti.
IuI buildings in the world. In Me.
rldlan Park we have the relatively
small but beautifully proportional
statue of Joan of Arc, the gift of
French women in New York CITY to
the women of America, which artists
consider one of the best equestrian
statues OF modern times. 1t is an
exact copy of the statue of Paul
DUBOIS which still stands, unmarried
by the war, in front of the Rheims
Catnedral. In Rock Creek Cemetery
is the world-famous statue bv
Augustus Saint-Gaudens. commonly
called Peace of God" which is one of
the best art works of its period.
Colonial Town House.
one OF the most charming examples
surviving of the eighteenth century
type of colonial town house is the his.
torlc Octagon House. at New York ave.
nue. and Eighteenth street, designed
Tor Col. John Tayloe, i'm his day the
rIcnest man in Virginia. strong per-
sonal friend of Washington, which in
the work Of William Thornton. who
made the original designs for the Can.
ltoi. The house was occupied by Presi.
cent and Mrs. Dolly Madison for
nearly year after the destruction of
the White House by the British. 1t is
today the Art Capitol of the Nation.
Tor 1t is occupied by American Insti.
tute or Architects, the Archaeological
institute of America, the Offices of the
american Academy In Rome and the
american Federation of Arts, formed in
I9O9 under the leadership of Elihu
noot. rms Federation now has nearly
4OO chapters throughout the States
engaged in the everlasting propa.
ganda of beauty 1t has enlisted
many thousands of persons in an army
whose objective is peace, better living.
hlgner Ideals, permanent civilization
with tnat dynamic but unpretentious
little general, Miss Leila Mechlin. as
the directing force. This organization
sends out from Washington each wear
to preach the gospel of things beautf.g
tul throughout the land, more. than
tnreescore of travelling art exhibits
valued up to a million dollars. They
nave been shown hundreds upon hun.
dreds of times from the Far North to
tne CUR and from the tip of Cape
Cod to the Golden Gate.
Only in a sketchy way, such as the
artists lay out their drawings, has it "
oeen possible in this brief space to
call attention to some of the outstand-
ing features of Washington as great
art center. That is our art back.
grouno-but there is foreground in
which the youth of today is working
out masterpieces of tomorrow and the
generation to come.
Capital Training Youth.
There are two great divisions of
art as the layman sees 1.-THE fine
arts and the applied arts. Washing.
ton is training the youth of the land
IN ooth of these branches. The Cor.
coran Art Gallery, one of the sights
OF washington, the gift of a great
hnancier and public-spirited citizen.
William Warwick Corcoran, by deed in
1903 TO be used solely for the pur-
pose OF encouraging American genius
III the production and preservation of
works pertaining to the fine arts and
kindred objects" throws open this ex-
tremeiy valuable gallery free to the
pubic, and conducts a school of fine
arts, whose graduates have won fame
IN art circles of the world
washington has also the National
ochool OF Fine and Applied Arts, of
which Felix Mahony. a Iifelone resi-.
lent of the city. is director, which is
,eaching commercial art. Both of
-nese schools are now exhibiting the
work OF their pupils. in which the pub.
nc IS taking a great interest. Our
people, as pointed out by DR.. Holmes.
Is a natural result of our birth and
'apld material advancement. have
oeen thinking first of material and
political interests, and art has had,
until now, little place in their
thoughts. President Coolidge has
sounded a clarion call to the apprecia-
Ion OF the true place of the esthetic.
he embellishing and the fine arts in
he life of the Nation and in the lives
# all the people. These schools are
that Identification may not
ong remain in the shadow of the
purely sordid.
Art is being given a place in every-..
lay life--in the structures that house
is. in the clothes we wear, in the fur
liture we use. in the way our food
s served and in the way that trades.
men and manufacturers appeal to us
o buy their wares.
All this Is emphasized by the action
# the Commission of Fine Arts last