Evening star., 1937-04-17
Leila Mechlin.

dTI Ill tllS Guy during tI1e Cul
rent week was the opening,
Il Thursday with a private view,
and yesterday to the public, of the
notable loan exhibition of important
paintings and sculpture in Washing
ton, set forth in the Phillips Memorial
Gallery.
The paintings in this exhibition
cover five centuries of production, and
represent not only some of the greatest
painters of all time but those trends
which have found expression In the
epoch-marking schools. Furthermore,
practically every work in this collec-
ton is a masterpiece and well authen-
ticated. An unrivaled opportunity Is
offered for study and comparison.
As noted in these columns last week,
no less than four great works by Ell
Greco are here shown. There are two
Chardins, two Fragonards, two Dau-
miers and two Degas. There are works
which date back to time before the
discovery of America, and works pro-
duced in modern times which have
upset all the theories of the masters
Of the past, as well as our own of to-
day. Rarely in so small collection
(not counting the contributions from
the Phillips Memorial Gallery's per-
manent collection, there are only few
over 80 catalogued) is so wide scope
obtained. And what is the lesson?
That there have been many men, of
many minds, with great diversity of
expression, and all good. But even SO
In diversity there is unity, underlying
all is evident agreement in fundamen-
tails and regard for craft. No one work
In this superb exhibition but has been
painted with knowledge and brains,
enthusiasm or aspiration and skill. 1t
Is great art and to its production the
painters gave their best.
The contribution from the Mellon
Education and Charitable Trust gives
foretaSte of the wealth awaiting the
completion of the National Gallery of
Art Included in this group are the
charming Chardin, LA Maitresse
d'Ecole"; an outstanding Memling,
Portrait of Man With Arrow"
marvelously painted with grave exacti-
tude; the famous Turner, "Martlake
Terrace; a fascinating David, Rest
During Flight Into Egypt" which
showed the continuing power of Bible
themes to inspire, and two great Ell
Greco's.
The next largest contributors are
the Hon. and Mrs. Robert Woods Bliss,
rx-loN 1aSS thQn
seven distinguished anvases-"Por-
trait of Woman" by Maitre de Fle-
MALE born in Liege in 1914, the son
of a glass blower landscape painted
by Hieronymus Bosch before 1900; a
Mother and Child" by Alfred Stevens,
than whom none painted interiors
with figures more charmingly; Street
Musicians" and Bust of Woman" by
Daumier. the inimitable painter of his
time Q8O8-1879); a Degas, "Repeti-
tion de Chant" and Head of a Young
Woman" by Seurat, who also exercised
strong influence on contemporary
art. There has scarcely been a notable
loan collection of paintings by the
masters in this country in the past few
years to which Mr.. and Mrs. Bliss have
not generously made contribution.
The English School is represented
by landscapes by Wilson and Turner
the former lent by Mrs Marshall
Langhorne, and by portraits by Rey-
nolds and Raeburn, lent respectively
by Ambassador Houghton and Mrs.
Keith Merrill. The Reynolds is 8
three-quarter length portrait of the
Right Hon. Anthony Malone, In wig
and elaboratedly embroidered velvet
gown with lace neck cloth, and is a
superb example 1t is customary,
today, rather to belittle the eighteenth
century school of portrait painting
in England and regard the painters
as merely servants of the ruling aristo-
cracy, willing to flatter and to please,
pretty at times and superficial. But
to such charges this portrait, lent
by Mr.. Houghton, gives complete
denial-as does perhaps the more
famous portrait by Reynolds of Dr.
johnson. Truly, this work is painted
with the utmost cunning; textures
and materials are beautifully rendered,
but the personality dominates interest,
and the expressive face gives insight
to strength of character and marked
intelligence.
The same is true of the best works
OF Raeburn, who painted with more
breadth but less suavity. And after
all, are we not fortunate in possessing
today this record left us by Reynolds
and his contemporaries Of the we'll
bred gentle folk Of England? Were
they not representative of ripening
civilization and worthy of emulation?
Life Is many sided-a mixture of
good and bad. The painter must
choose which he would perpetuate.
In the past, almost without excep-
ton. the choice of the great masters
was for that accounted fine. 1t is
for this reason, we may believe, that
their works have been so treasured
that they may today be gathered in
such an exhibition as this.
NeU Mural Painting by Curry
GiUen Permanent Placement
In Justice Building.
WHILE John Steuart Curry was in
wv Washington recently. serving as
q member Of the Committee of Ad-
missions and Awards for the Corcoran
Gallery of Arts fifteenth biennial
exhibition of contemporary American
oil paintings, now in progress, he
found time to supervise the placement
OF the two murals which he had
painted, under commission from the
painting and sculpture section of the
Procurement Division of the Treas
ury Department for the new Depart
ment of Justice Building, on Consti-
tuition avenue. These are long, mar
row panels, arched at the top, fitting
spaces high up on the north and south
walls of the elevator lobby on the
fifth floor, from which the visitor
passes either into the large depart
mental library or, by broad passage
ways, to the reception room and Of
fees of the Attorney General. They
rocporfiVeIv "Miorofi