Evening star., 1938-05-08

Ol
interest. and one which doubtless will
be long remembered. This is the ex-
hibition of Swedish art sent to this
country, under official auspices. in
celebration of the tercentenary of the
first Swedish settlement. which, it will
be remembered, was in Delaware. 1t
comprises 337 exhibits and spans a
period of at least 5000 years from
the Bone Age to the beginning of the
present century. The idea of this
exhibition had its inception in this
country two years ago, at which time
the Swedish-American Tercentenary
Association, the Scandinavian Founda-
ton and committee representing
our American museums united in an
invitation to the government of
Sweden to arrange an itinerant ex-
hibition of Swedish decorative art, to
be shown in chain Of our American
museums in 1878 The invitation
was accepted, a distinguished COM
mission appointed and placed in
charge, and, with the thoroughness
and care which marks practically all
Swedish endeavor, an amazingly COM
prehensive and enlightening collection
was assembled.
Museum Loans Selected by
Distinguished Committee.
THIS collection has been drawn
almost entirely from the museums
of Sweden, and includes some Of their
most cherished national possessions.
Such a collection has never before
been seen out of Sweden, and the
privilege of seeing it here is very great
The committee responsible for the
exhibition comprises Olof H. Lamm
of Stockholm. former Swedish Consul
General in New York, chairman; Erik
Wettergren, curator. the National
Museum, Stockholm and president
of the Swedish Arts and Crafts AS
ISOLATION, secretary; Sigurd Curman,
royal state antiquarian; AXel Gauffin,
chief director of the National Museum;
Andreas Lindblom. director of the
Nordishka Museum Stockholm Gustav
konstslojd Museum, Gothenburg; AXE
Stavenow, president of the Swedish
Arts and Crafts Association, and Sixten
Strombom, curator of the National
Museum and president of the Ma
tional Swedish Art Corp. The last,
DR.. Strombom, compiled the very
handsome and illuminating catalogue
ND Ill1r
to February of the current year, acted
as commissioner. position now held
by DR.. Gustaf Munthe.
Both DR.. Strombom and Dr. Munthe
are very modest in their expressions
concerning the exhibition as whole.
In his introduction to the catalogue,
the former says: The committee has
sought to give some idea of the conti-
nuity and character of the develop
ment of Swedish art: of its long
history and mission within a small
nation on the northern outskirts of
Europe. Obviously, similar and from
a formal standpoint more remarkable
things are known to the Americans
from other European countries" But, |
at the same time, he expresses the hope /.
that our public will apprehend the eX-
hibition as it is intended, namely in /,
the light of an invitation to step over
the bridge of art into closer contact |
with the Swedish nation. its history
and spiritual atmosphere" The same |
thought is given expression by the |
latter. in an article written for and !
published IN recent number of the |
Carnegie Magazine. After stressing
the modest place Swedish art occupies |,
in comparison to the art of certain |
other old nations, he adds, but it /
Ghe Swedish art spirit) has created /
much that is good, much that can help t
foreigners to better understand our
country and people; noting, at the
same time, the fact that in recent
years, on this basis, our two countries
have drawn more closely together.
Our Associations With SWeden
OUer the Bridge OF Art.
THIS is very true In the last quar-
ter Of century. and more par
ticularly in the last few years. We in
America have been drawing closer to
the people Of the Baltic countries and
10 Sweden in particular, largely through
greater familiarity with their art
painting. sculpture. architecture the
handicrafts. and, most lately, the in
dustrial arts.
Aside from the knowledge of certain
distinguished artists. such as Zorn, the
inception of this interest in Swedish
art in America dates from the eXhibi-
ton Of Scandinavian paintings brought
to this country in 1912 through the
cooperation of the American-Scan-
dinavian Society. Zorn. the magician
with paint brush or etcher's needle,
was represented therein as we'll as
Liljefors. Carl LARSON and Prince
Eugen all artists of especial gift, whose
regulations are still outstanding, but
It was the conjunction of these with
forward looking younger men of
Sweden and neighboring countries
which awakened us here to new move
ments in the field of art, then taking
shape.
This acquaintance has been broad
ened year by year through the medium
OF the Carnegie Institutes Interna-
tional Exhibitions, in which Sweden
has invariably been honorably repre-
sented. The Swedish section of the
great international exhibition held in
1882, in connection with the 10th
Olympiad in Los Angeles was out
standing and the first prize for paint
ing was awarded to David Wallin of
Stockholm for a canvas entitled "At
the Seaside of Arid
Further strengthening the bonds in
art between Sweden and America is
the fact that for some years now
Sweden's most distinguished sculptor
Carl Miles, has spent at least half Of
his time in this country teaching in
the Cranbrook School. near Detroit,
Mich, and there maintaining studio.