The Washington times., 1936-11-21

Of the pen.
The autocratic and, in many
cases, anti-social rulers Of Italy
extended the munificent largesS
that filled the galleries Of Flor
ence with the works Of old mas
ters. Artists found support at
their hands, and through this
Sustenance there was developed
an era Of great art.
The social attitude Of the gov
eminent had no effect in the
quality Of the art, however much
It did affect the subject matter
and treatment.
It was through the support
and recognition Of the artists
that the quality Of greatness was
achieved.
High Level
Were the government Of any
other form, and the same degree
of support and recognition ex-
tended, the quality would doubt
less have been on the same level.
These are all interesting re-
Elections, and indeed they have
charted the course of the Treas
ury Department Art Project. It
is the hope Of the directors OF
the project that their efforts
will not in later years be de-
scribed as a fancy form OF
pork barrel. or an artistic form
Of relief.
Whether or not the works OF
the artists now being supported
by the government will acnleVe
the halo of "art treasures" is
impossible Of answering; however
the quality in these works is
obvious.
It is q quality that measures
I'D to the most rigid requirements.
It Is q quality that may not
achieve the heights Of the great
masters, and the mere mention OF
comparison will possibly outrage
some conventional sens1ollltles'
but one cannot help feeling that
It either contains or presages an
era Of flourishing American art'
The quality Of this art Is ap-
narent in the exhibition now con-
tanned In the Corcoran Art Cal
.ery.
Most Heartening
Some of the work is bad, its
onlv excuse being the drone-llke
persistence Of "pluggerS". who Will
not be denied. There are also
pieces that are good, lacking, now,
ever. the brilliance that could
carry them above this passive
quality.
The most heartening among the
naintings could best be descrloeo
as promising, and these are tne
b11lwark of hope for the directors
Of the art project.
On these, the project directors
have leaned, and will continue 70
do so, in answering Suggestions
of boondoggling and pork barrel
The greatest portion of the ex-
hibition consists Of muralS when
will adorn the poStoffices OF the
country, The best executed and
most vigorous of the murals are
destined for the Federal buildings
in Washington, as are group OF
figures sculptured in aluminium
which will be placed IN the FED
eral Post Office here.
It is perhaps a droll thougnt
that some small postoff1ce IN a
rural district may for years treas
ure a piece of work that Is par
ticularly bad, but it is hoped that
the citizens of that community
will reject the deficient mural
before their perspective in art be-
comes warped.
The purpose Of the exhibition IS
not to present to the public a
small selection Of the painting
and sculpture done for Federal
buildings. It's purpose, as out
lined by the project directors. Is
to present an exhibit that illus.
trates the general character OF
the program.
Last Opportunity
A project of the Treasury De-
partment, the program differs
from that Of the Federal Art
project through the fact that 1t
is definitely allied with the Fed
eral building program, which IS
also under the supervision OF the
Treasury Department.
The exhibition which opened
last week and will continue
through December 13, is the last
opportunity to see the mural
work in mass, as the individual
murals are to be installed in the
buildings for which they were
designed.
A record of the entire mural
program is contained in volume
issued as private enterprise,
and which contains prefaces by
Edward Bruce and Forbes Wat
son. The volume may be OBJ
tained at the Corcoran Gallery.