Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-07-31
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.

ten persons out of ten thousand who
are able to appreciate the Whistleriana
which forms so large part Of the ex-
hibitionS.
One must have made a special study
of Oriental art, too, to be able to enjoy
the pottery, screens and ether Far East.
ern art objects which fill parts Of the
galleries.
It must be admitted that the halls
are not nearly so crowded as those
which house more popular exhibits. Per.
haps the most popular portion Of the
gallery is not in the building at all, but
outside Of 1t in the central inclosed
garden known as the patio.
| Here masses of petuniaS form q pic
| ture which one with limited education
In art may easily understand and en-
JOY. While walking through the gal
lerieS we were interested in listening
to the conversation of two visitC<3.
mo doubt this is a wonderful col
lection" one of them declared, but II
is over the heads of almost every one
who visits 1t. 1t is something like Elm
stems theory, which only a dozen men
in the world are supposed to under
stand.
Perhaps I am a low-brow, but ]
question the ACCESSIBILITY OF SO much
space given to such a beautiful build
ing in order to house a comparatively
few works of art for the pleasure OF
the very limited few"
The other gentleman suggested that q
few pictures of bathing beauties might
not come in amiSS.
The first speaker smiled. "No, don't
want bathing beauties, Of course, al
though Whistler has something Of an
approach to them over there" Che waved
toward the walD, but do think that
there might be some happy medium be-
tween what may be termed the high
brow in art and the low-brow in art.
What this gallery needs is modern
publicity agent, who could pep it up a
bit for the average tourist. At the same
time he need not do anything which
would make it repulsive to the genuine
connoisseur and student of true art"
The speaker looked at one of WhiS-
tiers ladies, confessed audibly to his
companion that he could see nothing
in it," and went on: Eyes, sir; what
this gallery needs Is a good press agent.
He could get its name on the front
page Of every newspaper In the United
States"
"How?" asked the other.
EASY enough! All that would be
necessary would be to take one of these
tiny etchings down from the wall, store
it in safe and call in the newspaper
boys and show them the empty space on
the wall.
"Tt disappeared overnight he would
tell them. Reporters and photographers
would do the rest, and the first thing
you know everybody in America would
know about the Freer Gallery and
would visit it when they came through
Washington on their way to Illinois,
and Indiana. and Wisconsin, and Kan
sas, and Oklahoma, and all the other
States"
We left our imaginative gentleman.
convinced that he had spoken several
grains of truth at least, and went out
into the sunshine. Over on the steps
Of the old red building-we have for
gotten what it is called, although we
have lived here almost all our life-a
fine specimen of Youthful America was
turning handsprings along the walk
Her yellow bobbed head cleaned in the
sunshine, which bathed her tanned arms
and legs. One more turn brought her
to the family car, which was old and
worn, but had come Sthousand miles
to Washington. We wondered If that
family had visited the Freer Gallery.
You never can tell about people.