Evening star., 1935-12-29


look back over the year and
~ make note of those events in
the field of art which have made it
memorable At the head of the list,
and of all most notable, are two great
gifts to the people-those of Andrew
w. Mellon and the late Henry Clay
Frick. In October announcement was
made that Mr.. Mellon had set aside
$4,000 900 for the erection of a ma
tional gallery of art in Washington,
and that therein would eventually be
placed, as the nucleus Of still greater
assemblage, the magnificent collection
of paintings, valued at approximately
e25. 100000, which he has brought to-
gether, always with the thought of
national possession. On December 16
the Frick mansion in New York, with
the amazingly fine collection which Mr..
Frick assembled was, in accordance
with his will. opened as museum. free
to the public-a Mecca for all time for
art lovers.
In an editorial on "Old Masters From
the Mellon Collection" published in a
recent issue of the Ladies Home Jour-
nal, it is said that Mr.. Mellon has had
the purpose he is now putting into ef-
feet in his mind for over so years
lever since 1882. when he and his life
long friend, Henry Clay Frtck, as
young men, made their first visit to
Europe" There they saw great paint
ings, such as could not then be seen
in this country, and they returned to
Pittsburgh resolved to acquire works
Of art of this worth when their means
permitted" Both carried out their in
tentions. The Frick collection, one of
the finest private collections in the
world, now belongs to the City of New
York. It is administered by board of
trustees, one of whom is Mr.. Mellon.
The Mellon collection has been decided
to an educational trust, to be held for
the benefit of the people of the nation
and form the nucleus Of national GAL
tery of art.
AS further evidence-if such were
heeded-of Mr.. Melons desire that
the paintings which he has acquired
should benefit the people at large, not
just a chosen few, is the fact, but
lately made known, that he has per-
2nitted six of the rareSt and finest to
be reproduced in color, published first
In the Ladies' Home Journal and then
through. this distributing agency sold
separately at very small price. Evil
IDENTIFY Mr.. Mellon is of the opinion
that paintings of this standard can
not be cheapened. The first reproduc-
tion to be made is of the Alba Ma
donna" by Raphael, which was pur-
chased from the Hermitage Gallery,
In Leningrad, for s1,000O00. The
Mellon paintings are stored at pres
ent in the Corcoran Gallery of Art,
and 1t was there, under surveillance,
that the color plates were made.
I OOKING for a moment from the
past to the future, the next step
toward the realization of Mr.. Melons
dream is the assignment of a site by
the Government for a national gallery
building and agreement between Mr..
Mellon and his trustees and the Gov
eminent and its representatives con-
cerning the matter, eventually, of ad-
n1inistration, but certainly such assign
nnent and agreement should not be
long to seek. That the building may
be erected and the collection installed
during the donors lifetime is a con-
summation greatly to be desired.
"A MOTHER munificent gift for the
extension of art knowledge made
during 1885 was that of a fund of
SZ,ooO'OOO given by John D. Rookie
feller, jr, to the Metropolitan Museum
OF Art, New York, for the erection of
. building in the form of a. medieval
monastery on a site in Tryon Park,
New York, which he also gave, to
serve as museum Of Gothic art and
thus take the place of the old Cloisters,
purchased some years ago from George
Gray Barnard, the sculptor. This will
house not only the museums medieval
collection, but the collection which
Mr. Rockefeller himself has assem-
bled, including a set of tapestries,
"The Hunt of the Unicorn" French
fifteenth century, valued at over q
million dollars.
A very valuable collection Of the
early art of Italy. France and other
European countries, assembled with
great discrimination and excellent
taste over a considerable period of
years by John r. VanDerlip Of Min
neapolis, at his death, in March, came
into the possession of the Minneapo-
lis Art Institute, which was also
named as his residuary legatee.
THE year 1885 will always be re-
membered as that of the great
exhibition Of italian art in Paris,
which took place during the Sum-
mer, and Of the exhibition of Chinese
art In London, which opened in No
Sambeg and IL still. In progress.