Evening star., 1937-11-28


the opening in the Corcorar
" Gallery Of Art yesterday at the
exhibition of historical poE.
traits, commemorating the 150th an
niversary Of the framing Of the Con-
etitution of the United States. From
the walls of the four galleries in the
west wing given over to this exhibi-
ton looked down upon those in at
tendance the faces of the men and
women who were founders of our Re-
public and to whom, for their wisdom
as we'll as their courage, We owe q
great debt. Men and women attain
worldly Immortality through their
deeds, but it is personality which
colors action, and personality must be
reflected in all portraits worthy of the
name.
Last evening in the Corcoran Gal
lery Of Art the portraits on the walls
seemed not only to speak for them
selves but to mingle with those who
had come to do them honor Time
was turned back $50 years, and those
who were prominent in social and
official life then resumed their i'm
portance. Who were the guests OF
honor? Obviously Washington, the
AdamSes, John and Samuel; Jefferson
and his daughter, Mrs Randolph
Charles Carroll of Carrollton, his
dear, old mother and his wife; Ben
lamln Franklin, sage Of Philadelphia
Alexander Hamilton, one of the hand
soonest of them all; John Hancock
James Latimer of Delaware and his
wife. Henry Laurens, Washington
sister Mrs. Fielding Lewis; James
Madison and the fascinating Dolly
John Marshall and his mother, George
Mason and Mrs. Mason. Gouverneur
Morris, and numerous members of his
'amily, Charles CotesWorth Pinckney
Philip Van Cortlandt, George Clin-
ton and John Witherspoon, to name
only those special luminaries noted in
the throng. And how well they are
painted! So we'll that they seem not
mere likenesses but alive; men and
women of individuality and strength
OF character, in some instances, also,
OF great magnetism and charm. they
hold themselves well with an air Of
aristocracy not assumed but taken for
granted
SOME of these paintings date back
before the Revolution, and were
done by itinerant painters who came
to this country from abroad to make
nfhnrc 0-lr e
American artists, outstanding today
rs at the time that they painted.
Among the earliest. in point of date,
are those by Robert Feke and John
Smibert, both of whom died before
1852, and John Wollaston, who was
also exclusively of the eighteenth CEN
tury. Later in birth and activity
come such celebrities as Benjamin
West, John Singleton Copley, the
Peales, Charles Wilson and his son
Rembrandt; Trumbull, Sully. Durand
and host of others, not forgetting
the incompatible miniature painter,
Edward G. Malbone.
Such an exhibition as this has dis
tinctly a two-fold interest, that de-
rived from the personages portrayed,
with their historical background, and
that which relates to the art Of paint
ers. Obviously when historical sig
nificance takes first place one can
not expect the artistic standard to
be evenly upheld, but it is an extra
ordinary fact in connection with this
exhibition that the merit of the work
shown is from first to last OF a very
high level. That this should be so
reflects great credit upon the Por-
trait Committee, which assembled the
collection. and in particular Mrs. Nc
Cook Knox. chairman, who has
brought to bear upon this task her
exceptional knowledge Of early Ameri-
can art and its relationship to Ameri-
can history.
Other somewhat similar exhibitions
have been assembled in the past to
CELEBRATE like occasions. At the time
Of the centennial celebration of tho
inauguration Of George Washington
as the first President of the United
States, which was observed with very
much ceremony in New York in 1889,
there were brought together portraits
OF washington, his cabinet, the men,
bers Of both Houses of the first Con-
gress. and those connected with the
administration and the Inauguration
ceremony itself, the catalogue of
which, published in 1892, is considered
by collectors one Of the most valuable
sources Of information concerning
American painting Of the lf-cen-
tury between IT'S and 1925
When the George Washington BIZ
centennial was celebrated in 1892, an
exhibition of portraits of George
washington was held in which por-
traits Of his associates were included.
The last was also got together by Mrs
Knox and shown, as is this, in the
Corcoran Gallery of Art, but the cur
rent collection, 1t is believed, Is the
most important OF the kind ever
assembled.
IN IT'S catalogue are no less than
157 oil paintings, besides minia-
lures, drawings and silhouettes of the
signers Of the Constitution and other
deputies to the convention in 1879,
signers Of the Declaration Of Inde-
pendence and, in addition, members
Of their respective families and as
sociates. The reason for making this
exhibition so comprehensive was to
give a general background to the life
Of the times which witnessed the birth
and establishment of our new Re-
public. After all, both the Declara-
ton of Independence and the Con-
stitution Of the United States were
human documents, and it Is the hui
man element which this exhibition