Evening star., 1936-10-31

n.
treasurer.
An Expert
Restoration.
AN EXTREMELY expert piece Of
restoration has been made to one
Of the very valuable tapestries ac-
quired by the Corcoran Gallery of Art
last year through the medium of be-
quest. This tapestry, which is IL by
l9 feet in dimensions, represents a
scene in the story of Cupid and =
Psyche" 1t is several hundred years
old, and when it came to the Cor
coran Gallery of Art, it was found
that good many of the threads had
been broken and to be saved much ex-
pert work must be done. The advice
of museum officials was secured, also
of professional restorers in other
cities. and finally it was decided to
have the restoration done in the Cor
coran Gallery on specially prepared
frame and by two local workers. For
tunately there lives in this city at
present Mrs. Emmy Sommer of Dem
mark, who was trained as a tapestry
weaver in the Royal Tapestry Works.
To her, direction and supervision Of
the work Of restoration was given,
and with her in this work was asso-
ciated Mrs. Natalie Scheffer formerly
of Russia. most expert embroiderer
and needlewoman. who had already
worked for the Freer and National
Galleries.
These two, with one or two un.
trained aids, have reconditioned this
entire gigantic tapestry. and in such
wise that even those knowing where
to look can only with difficulty discern
in which spots restoration was re-
quired. To all intents and PURPOSES
the tapestry is as when it first came
from the looms. and will last for a
long, if not indefinite. period. The
Corcoran Gallery of Art has had 'be-
fore and after" photographs made Of
the broken sections, by which the
need of repair and the skill of the
repairs is made vividly manifest This
is a notable instance of conservation.
Exhibition of Color
Etching to Open.
ON MONDAY. November 2, an ex-
hibition of color etchings will
open in the Smithsonian Institution
Building under the auspices of the
Division of Graphic Arts of the
United States Museum. The exhibit.
ors will be Miss Gabrielle de v. Glenn.
ents, Miss Ellen Day Hale, Miss Mar.
garet Y. Hoyt and Miss Lesley Jack.
son. Three of these four artists are
we'll known in Washington, from long
residence here, and membership in
the local professional organizations.
To be sure, Miss Clements and Miss
Hale both now live in Baltimore, but
the feeling is that they still belong"
here.
Both Miss Clements and Miss Hale
are painters as well as print makers.
So also is Miss Jackson, her wate-
colors being held in high esteem. Blu.
all three of these artists have in re-
cent years been especially interested
in color etching and have experiment.
ed along these lines with exceptional
success. Whatever they may have to
show will not only be worth seeing but
insistent with sensitive perception Of
beauty and indicative of the artists
own personal point of view.
Local One-Man
Exhibitions.
PAINTINGS by Margaret Covey are
on view at present and until No.
vember % in the Little Gallery of the
Intimate Bookshop, 1904 o street, and
in the bookShop Of the Shoreham
Hotel Mary Wade Moses is showing
water colors and a portrait drawing.
Painting By Cassidy Purchased
For the NelU Interior Department
A ANNOUNCEMENT has been made
in the Art Digest and Ell Pa
lachio, the organ of the Art Museum
of Santa Fe, that painting entitled
Breaking Camp" the work of the
late Gerald Cassidy, has been pur-
chased by the Government for per.
manent placement in the new Interior
Department Building. The scene de-
picted is on the Navajo Reservation at
Smiths Lake, near the Crown Point
EOcJ, NeW ~ ID
posedly the morning after Yebecht
or healing ceremony, and the Indians
in attendance are seen breaking camp
just before sunrise to 60 to their dis
tant homes.
Mr.. Cassidy, who died in 1884 while
experimenting work under the p. w.
A. P. in Santa Fe. gathered material
for this painting during the Winters
from 1928 to 1882, when attending
various Yebechi ceremonies. He is
said to have made hundreds Of careful
sketches of individuals and details.
In the foreground are seen a squaw
and brave approaching; to the left,
a squaw and a child squatting in the
group; at a short distance are seen
wagons, horses and other Indians in
the general confusion that invariably
accompanies breaking camp.
Because of the inclusion OF the In
dian Bureau under the Interior De-
partment, this would seem a very ap-
propriate painting to be hung on the
new buildings walls. 1t is one of
the few instances of the purchase Of
painting by the Government which
was not painted under direct COM
mission or through relief rolls regu-
lations.