Evening star., 1936-11-28
rare opportunity to view and become

rare opportunity to view and become
intimately acquainted with the work
of this great master of French art of
the past century. One hundred works,
of which many are from the Louvre
and other European collections, are
here to be seen in America for the
first time. Also from American
museums and private collections have
come some Of Degas' most famous
canvases. Two of these paintings
come from the collection of the
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Woods Bliss
of Washington. Here are Uncle
lent by the Art Institute of Chicago;
the Interior" seen in the Fogg
Museum last Summer, the property of
Henry P. McIlhenny of Philadelphia;
Carriage at the Races" lent by the
Museum Of Fine Arts, Boston: "Pout-
ing" from the Metropolitan; Head of
a Young Woman" and The Orches-
ira" from the Louvre. and, most in
terestingly. The Cotton Market in
New Orleans" lent by the Museum
de Pau. These are in oils, but there
are also colorful pastels and exquisite
drawings-in short, feast for the
art lover. The Musse du Louvre was
to have held a Degas exhibition at
this time, but learning of the plans
for this exhibition in Philadelphia,
graciously postponed its showing until
next year.
An elaborately illustrated catalogue
has been issued and is sold at a nomi-
nal price. Herein are admirable essays
on Degas, in the form of prefactory
note and introduction, by Paul j..
Sachs and Agnes Mongan. In the
former. Prof. Sachs says that in his
estimation Degas is "the most sensi-
tive as we'll as one of the greatest
artists of the nineteenth century"
and names. as one of his distinguished
characteristics. which sets him apart.
Imagination which visualized the in
ner, higher TRUTH adding: With
great economy of means Degas set
forth commonplace themes with dig
nifty and distinction impossible of .ap-
proach by minor men" Miss Mongan
says "Degas was an aristocrat undevi-
ating from his own high standards,
aloof from the contamination of the
mediocre" What could be better?
This exhibition contains one work
in sculpture-a ballet girl in bronze
her skirts of brown tarleton, faded,
whitish ribbon tying her hair. A
i strange combination, but strikingly
vital work 1t is through the gener-
osity of single patron, Mrs. John D.
McIlhenny. that this magnificent
showing. conceived. assembled and set
forth by her son, Henry P. McIlhenny
of the Philadelphia Museum staff. was
made possible.
A ReDie1u of Mural
| Painting in America.
/ IN connection with the exhibition
= of murals for Federal buildings
set forth by the Treasury Art Projects
in the Corcoran Gallery of Art an
elaborate volume, Mural Designs
1s34-36. Vol. l." has been issued pri-
vately by the associates in this work
headed by Edward Bruce. who set UP
and directed the p w. A. P. and now
is guiding spirit of the Treasury Art
Projects. To get out and market this
publication. these eight men formed
a company-"Art in Federal Build
ings, Inc"-which proposes to publish
a complete, continuing record of the
paintings and sculpture created under
the Treasury Department Art Projects
Volume contains preface by Ed
ward Bruce. full Of enthusiasm. and Q
thoughtful resume of the history o1
mural painting in America by his col
league, Forbes Watson. besides bio.
graphical index Of the 125 artist.
whose designs are reproduced. Pri.
marily. however, this is picture book
the bulk being illustration. Thirty
works produced before the Treasury
Art Projects were set up are illustrated
with approximately 120 produced ir
the last two years under these auspices
John La Farge's magnificent painting
of 1.-THE Ascension" in the Church o.
the Ascension, New York, is used q.
q frontispiece, and several Of thu
paintings by celebrated artists mad.
for the Library Of Congress and othel
public buildings follow. Naturally. thu
balance Is not very well preserved be.
tween what came before 1894 and whai
has been produced since, but this pub.
lication was issued primarily to bring
current production to attention.
To exaggerate the size and impor'
lance of that which Is close at hanc
and to overestimate the. effect oi
what transpires in our own time are
almost inevitable. When we read that
"the present great mural stimulus
may prove the strongest civilizine
force of modern times" and look al
the works illustrated from which thi'
influence Is supposed to emanate w
cannot but ascribe the utterance u
such lack Of perspective and the en-.
thusiasm of those on "the front" Ever
so, we cannot subscribe to the present
necessity Of breaking down" conven.
tions to escape the ills Of material.
istic world, or to the "frail" character
Of the earlier works, which Is called
to attention. To some minds-pos.
sibly prejudiced-the recent work.
seem much more materialistic in con.
tent than do those which preceded
them. The book as q whole. how.
ever, constitutes . valuable record o!
current activity In this field and gives
very desirable publicity to the worl
that is going forward under ths
Treasury Art Projects. That it has