Evening star., 1933-06-23
Cellatly Collection Gives Art Lovers
OF Capital Rare Midsummer Treat
Exhibit at National
Museum Presents
Many Subjects.
BY LEILA MECHLIN.


opening of the John Gellatly collection,
which took place in the National Gal
1ery of Art, United States National
Museum, last evening under official
auspices.
This collection. one of the finest Of
Its kind in this country. was given to
the Nation just four years ago by John
Gellatly of New York, by whom, over
a long period of years and through
large expenditure of money-how much
none will ever know-it was assembled.
OF Mr.. Gellatly comparatively little is
known except through this collection,
which testifies to his love of art and
discriminating taste, and through
small circle of friends, artists and art
lovers who shared with him this abb
sorbing interest. When he died on
November 8, 1881, he was a poor man,
his fortune had been spent. At the
time M Gellatly decided this collection
to the National Gallery of Art 1t was
stored in the Heckscher Building, New
York, and there. until this Spring, it
has remained until it was packed up
and brought here 1t has been IN
stalled under the direction of Ruel P.
Tolman. chief of the Division OF
Graphic Arts of the National Museum.
now acting director of the National
Gallery of Art, in cooperation with
Ralph Seymour. who has been IN
charge of the collection in New York
for 10 years and closely associated with
the donor.
1900 Items in Collection.
Over 1000 items are included in the
collection not only oil paintings, water
colors drawings and few prints, put
q great variety of rare, precious ano
beautiful objets dart-furniture, glass,
bronzes. jewelry, textiles, carvings ana
other things, from many .aoS lanoS anu hea
periods, each apparently chosen De-
cause of intrinsic worth and charm.
Three galleries are occupied by the
display-the large center gallery
wherein was lately shown the blcen-
fennial Exhibition, and two smaller
adjacent galleries. The first thing one
sees upon approaching the exhlpltlon
Is, facing the entrance, large, seated
polychrome figure of the Chinese Coo
dess of Mercy-Kwan Ym-o1 the
sung Dynasty-960 to 1850 AID. In
strangely unconventional attitude this
statue. with complete aloofness OF ex-
preston. seems to hint OF mystery, ana
passively keeps guard over the great
collection-neither welcoming nor re-
pelling-but reminding us silently tnae
art Judges us, not we art.
On the walls of this main gallery |
hang 100 paintings by distinguished
American artists-too many 1or tne
most effective showing, as OF necessity
they are in two rows and almost 1rame
To frame-but available space was |
limited. This with the furniture and
cases containing exhibits gives the gal
lery. on the instant, somewhat VIC
torian aspect, which, however. carries
with it a sense of wealth and luxury
a board groaning beneath the r1cnneSs
and bounty of the feast.
"Virgin Enthroned."
And what glorious pictures some OF
these are! Here is Abbott Thayer's |
s1Inerb "Virein Enthroned," we'll known. !
Through repeated reproduction, among |
the masterpieces Of American art. |
Another of the Virgin series to which |
this belongs is owned by the Boston |
Museum of Fine Arts, second by the |
Freer Gallery of this city. Another
version heretofore unexhibited, is In |
cluded in this collection under the
title MY Children Here alD is
Thayer's Stevenson Memorial ANel,
one of his greatest works; his denent-
full painting, Brother and Sister
Mary and Gerald Thayer," painted low
ingly in low key, one OF two land.
scapes, very characteristic, and bowl
of roses, most exquisitely rendered
Invaluable possessions all.
Turning to the catalogue one f1ndS |
that the Gellatly collection includes no |
less than % works by Thayer. Next IN
numerical representation Is Albert r.
Ryder, for whose smallest canvases |
museums and collectors vie with one |
another. He is represented by II. |
There are, however, an equal NUMBER
of Dewings-not all oil paintings; Is |
Childe Hassams, dating from 1892 to |
1919; IL paintings by Twachtman,
among them a most subtle and lovely
transcription of Niagara Falls, and two
or three works each by several equally
famous masters.
Sequence Is Lacking.
It should not be forgotten that this
Is essentially a collection brought TO-
gether by one man to crafty his own
love of beauty in art and longing for
possession. Apparently Mr.. Gellatly
made no effort to build up collection
in historical or chronological sequence
To such he was Indifferent. The col
lection contains but one painting OF
the Colonial period-a portrait by
Copley-also but one painting by
representative of the Hudson River
School, view on the Hudson Of Storm
King" by Samuel Colman, and but one
by a painter who may be considered
modern, Jerome Myers, with one Of his
unique paintings of life in East Side
New York. But what taste he had!
How well he chose as a dilettante.
Sargent is represented in this col
lection by striking portrait of Betty
wertheimer" in red, painted with his
exceptional facility but without that
spiritual insight so evident in his
greatest works. J. ]. Shannon, another
American who had. as a portrait
painter, a great vogue in London, is
seen here perhaps at his best and worst
in portraits Of his own wife and
daughter, one painted indoors with
rather superficial prettiness; the other
outdoors, with freshness and lightness
of touch. But what treasures are the
little study of a mans head by
Duveneck. and the small portrait OF
a child-a little girl-by Mary Cassatt.
which hang, both on the upper row, at
opposite ends of this gallery. In these