Evening star., 1932-03-20

that the Ranger Fund, through the medium Of
which the national collection of paintings by
American artists is continuously enriched has,
contrary to most trust funds, almost doubled in
value in the last few years instead of shrink
ing. Through wise investment, the sale Of
stocks before they began to drop and the re-
investment in stable bonds, this fund has been
brought up from S250,00 to $400 600. Con-
sdering the fact that the trustees of this fund
are Impractical" artists, they seem to have ad-
ministered it with exceptional acumen.
The trustees OF the Ranger Fund have, dur
ing the past year, been enabled, therefore to
make or 10 valuable purchases, all of which,
though temporarily assigned to other museums,
may come to our National Gallery of Art.
Among the paintings lately purchased are
Woman in Cloak" by Robert Henri; I'm My
Studio" by Leopold Seyffert; Eagle Lake" by
Jonas Lie; "Francis,' by Frederick c. Frieseke;
THE Black Cloud" by Eugene Higgins; por-
trait of Joseph Pennell, by Wayman Adams;
THE Fall Season." by Bruce Crane; street
Shrine" by Jerome Myers; Fishermen" by
Eric Hudson, and, most lately q painting by
George de Forest Brush.
NOTING in these columns last week the
mural paintings by James M. Newell in
the Potomac Electric Power Building
reference was made to paintings by william
Of the same technical character. This, it seems,
was incorrect, according to Miss Ellen Day
Hale, who was pupil of William Morris Hunt.
They were not. she says frescoes, but were
painted with oil colors stone. "As you
know" she writes, these paintings were his
last great work. They were produced during
the latter part of the period-a long one
when had the privilege of being his pupil.
You can imagine the excitement this COM
mission, which seemed to be the fruition of
the work of his whole life, caused among his
ardent followers; and while the two great
hnettes at the end of the Assembly chamber
were being painted few of us had the good
fortune to go to Albany to see them. 1 was
one Of that party. They were painted in
oils. directly on the lght-colored stone Of
which the interior walls of the chamber were
built; slightly absorbent surface. we were
told They were painted from the beautiful
fe-sized cartoons he had made in charcoal
and from numerous studies in color which he
had been making all his life for the Flight
OF Night his favorite, I think of the two
conceptions. He was assisted in this work by
practical painter who had much experience
in the practical side of the craft and who was
devoted to Mr.. Hunt He also had a small
number Of workmen. He was becoming familiar
with certain principles of wall painting well
known today and the completed work, which
saw soon after at the formal celebration
with which the chamber was opened was highly
which 1t was painted must have been a decided
mistake and would have been so even without
the leaks from the roof which seemed To have
ruined It, Believing it to be permanent he pro-
ceeoed with pleasure in work which would
have been a bitter disappointment If he had
hVed few more years. So hope" Miss Hale
concludes this delightful account of one of the
nrst mural paintings produced in this coun-
Try tnat no more mural painters will trv
OIL painting on stone. and I hope, too that
fresco painters will be quite sure about the
preparation of their walls and plaster" If ALI
errors were productive of such delightful cor
rec1lve statements they might more readily
be forgiven.
A N exhibition of 40 paintings by 10 members
OF the Landscape Club of Washington
mas been on view in the art gallery OF
Howard University since March / and remains
through TINS afternoon. The works are well
hung and make an effective display Similar
subjects by different artists are nlaced To-
getner In many instances affordinp onnort,,n
itleS 1or comparison; but the HOMOGENEOUS
character OF the members work as a whole
preciudes any disastrous juxtapositions Some
OF the paintings have been seen before i'm
the clubs exhibitions at the Mount Pleasant
Branch OF the Public Library and elsewhere in
this CITY, but these faithful ikenesses of aspects
OF washington and vicinity beautiful in them
selves, never lose their appeal
Five canvases each by Garnet w ley and
Benson B. Moore, four each by R. Bruce Hors-
fall and Minor Jameson, give a more ADEQUATE
idea OF the work of these artists Mr. Moore
SHOWS three snow scenes an EARLY Suring,'
ana Through the Arch, Key Bridge Washing
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