Evening star., 1932-03-06

u
- surprise visit to the Corcoran
Gallery Of Art yesterday after
i noon for private previeW OF
the George Washington Bicen-
tennial exhibition of portraits, which
opened with private viewing last
night.
Accompanied by Theodore G. Joslin,
one of his secretaries; Col. Campbell
Hodges his military aide, and two Sc
cret service men, the President walked
from the executive Offices at the close
Of the days work to the gallery. He
wore no Cvercoat because of the Spring.
like warmth of the day.
G. Powell Minnigerode, director of
the gallery met the President and took
him Immediately to the exhibit, which
had just been installed for the formal
preview last night.
Encounters Charwoman.
So unexpected was the visit that as
the President turned the corner into
one room he came face to face with
charwoman carrying a scrub bucket in
each hand as she went about for the
final cleaning up of the section housing
the Washington collection. She stood
in open-mouthed amazement at the
sudden meeting.
Mr.. Hoover had little 70 say, doing
little more than acknowledging with
nod as Mr.. Minnigerode explained the
various pictures. He expressed interest
in a painting of Benjamin Franklin by
Joseph Wright and commented. There
is rather interesting Franklin at the
White House, too"
Yesterdays visit was the first the
President has paid the Corcoran Gal
lery in several months. After he saw
the Washington exhibit he remained to
look over the permanent collections, in
Guiding the famous collection of w. A.
Clark, late Senator from Montana.
He strolled quietly back to the White
House unnoticed, for the most part, by
the paSSersby.
The Washington exhibit includes 158
portraits of George Washington and
his official family. They were assembled
by the George Washington Bicenten-
nial Commission.
Greatest Collection.
Never before has such a collec-
ton been assembled, and in all prob
ability to reaSSemble it at future time
would prove impossible. The Portrait
historical loan exhibition includes Mrs
McCook Knox, F. Lamont Belin, Mrs
William CorcOran EustiS, Mantle Field
ing. Mrs. Rose GouVerneur Hoes, George
B. Mcclellan. John Hill Morgan, Dun
can Phillips and Alexander w. Weddell.
Mrs. Knox has exceptional knowledge
Of early American paintings and their
location in both public and private
ownership; Mantle Fielding is one of
the leading authorities on works in this
country by Gilbert Stuart, and John
Hill Morgan is an outstanding author
Ity on all early American paintings. This
committee was assembled more than a
year ago and has been busily at work
ever since.
The art museums and private collec-
tors have been generous in making loans
and many paintings are included In this
exhibition which have not heretofore
been publicly shown. Through the
courteous cooperation of the British
the world famous full
length portrait Of George Washington
by Gilbert Stuart, which was originally
the property Of the Marquis of Lans-
downe, was lent to this exhibition by
its present owner Lord Rosebery. This
portrait was painted by Stuart on the
order Of William Bingham, a delegate
to Congress from Pennsylvania from
1887 to 1890 and United States Senator
from 1895 to 1901, His own portrait by
Charles Wilson Peale lent by the
Carnegie Institute. Pittsburgh, is in
cluded in this same showing A replica
of the Rosebery portrait owned by Rob-
ert l.. Pierrepont and painted to order
for his great grandfather hangs at the
opposite end of the Washington Gallery
and save in the matter of tone is identi-
cal with the supposed original.
Three Stuarts Shown.
There are three bust portraits Of
by Gilbert Stuart of the
type in this collection; one
which Is usually referred to as the
original portrait from life of this type
comes from the Thomas B. Clarke COL
lection; another and far superior, is
from the Richard de Wolfe Brixey col
lection. and the third, which incident
ally vies with the last named, is lent by
Mr.. Mellon. Apparently both the Mel
lon and the Brxey portraits have
happily escaped the ravaging hand OF
the expert restorer.
The Boston Museum Of Fine Arts did
not accede to the request to lend the
famous unfinished Atheneum portraits,
but there are In this collection numer-
Gus replicas of the Atheneum portrait
OF George Washington, which has come
IN time to be regarded as the authorita-
tive type. Stuart himself is known 10
have made many such copies OF his own
original work, and It Is interesting 70
note among those set forth at this time
how the artist himself varied both his
atyle and his original Interpretation.
The place Of honor has suitably been
given In the Washington room TO