Evening star., 1938-06-26

Art the Evans gifts we're temporarily
assigned to its custody and hung
in the atrium The initial consign-
ment, placed on view April 2, 1907,
consisted of 43 paintings. BY July l.,
1909, the number had reached "a.
In making the first shipment Mr..
Evans wrote to those in authority as
follows:
Il have every reason to pelieYe that
you will like my selections, but should
any of the examples not hold well,
others can be substituted, as it is my
desire to have every artist represented
at his best. As already intimated, I
intend that the present gift may not
be considered as final. Additions may
be made from time to time as oppor-
tunities occur to secure exceptional
works.
"Opportunities" did occur and were
taken advantage Of. Also certain ex-
changes were made.
7 INHAPPILY certain works which
Mr.. Evans had bought from a
dealer as by Homer Martin, were found
to be spurious and were withdrawn, a
most unfortunate lawsuit resulting.
The verdict Of lay jury was, as it
almost invariably is, in favor Of the
seller. But what is pleasanter to re-
member and record is the fact that
for six or seven years Mr.. Evans made
repeatedly interesting and valuable
additions to the collection, buying as
opportunity offered, most frequently
from the artists, bettering his repre-
sentation and showing the keenest
enthusiasm and zeal for the project.
In March, 1910, the whole collection
was transferred to the new Natural
History Building of the United States
National Museum and placed on dis
play in the large central hall on the
main floor which has been adapted
for gallery purposes There it re-
mained until displaced by the Gellatly
collection in June, 1893. Since that
time 1t has been shown only in part
and occasionally lent to other insti-
tutions for lack Of space, a condition
which the new proposed Smithsonian
Gallery of Art is designed to rectify.
William T. Evans died in 19l8-a
comparatively poor man-the business
with which he was connected failing
because of conditions brought on by
the Great War. The collection which
he gave the Nation probably cost him
upwards of 100000 and is today
worth more than that amount. a
single painting, High Cliff, Coast of
Maine" by Winslow Homer, alone
being valued at more than $4,000.
Aside, however, from the monetary
value Of the collection its purpose is
outstanding, the decentralization of
that which is best in American paint
ing Of the late 10th and early goth
centuries.
As CHAIRMAN of the Art Com
mittee Of the Lotos Club, New
York, and as donor of the collection
to the National Gallery of Art, Mr..
Evans did much to establish American
painting on a hound footing and to
pass on to others that appreciation
for it which he himself so strongly
felt. That he himself got much
pleasure from the giving none who
knew him can doubt As q patron he
was never arrogant or condescending-
before works which to him gave indi-
cation of artistic gift and achievement
he always stood in warm but modest
appraisal.
No mans judgment In matters of
art is invariably correct, for such is
almost .unavoidably controlled to an
extent by external circumstances, ones
critical faculties are sometimes tempo-
rarily IN abeyance-"on holiday" as
it were-but taken by and large the
Evans National Gallery of American
paintings holds up well, both in merit
and in catholicity Of viewpoint. And
1t comprises some very notable works.
works which any museum or nation
might be proud to claim. For in
stance, in addition to the work of
Winslow Homer, previously mentioned.
there is La Farge's grave and superior
painting of THE Visit of Nicodemus
w SAAAcl
Also there are three of George In.
nesses' best canvases, q lovely Twacht-
man, Ryder. two ]. Francis Murphy,s
and a panel by Vedder, THE CUP of
Death" as we'll as works by Fuller and
others. The landscape school of the
S0s is especially well represented but
there are in this collection also some
admirable figure paintings, among
which two come to mind as of especial
interest and charm. One Of these is
of Mrs. Evans and Son." by Henry
Oliver Walker, the other, which might
well be considered a companion piece,
is of an anonymous mother and
daughter. the work Of the late william
Sageant Kendall. entitled THE Inter-
lude."
WALKER, it will g. remembered, is
represented by . series Of mural
paintings In the Library Of ConRroeg,