Evening star., 1938-07-17

Works Benefit Capital
and Small Museums
Are Assisted.
Bv Leila MechHn.

DD LCttu Il l6CNtIus
TN 1907 William T. Evans gave
to the Nation the notable coll
lection of paintings by American
4 artists, now in the custody Of
the Smithsonian Institution, which
bears his name. This collection COM
prised works by the foremost painters
of Mr.. Evans own day and genera
ton. such as Inness, Winslow, Homer.
Ryder, La Fargo and others. Among
the then contemporary landscape
painters represented was Henry W..
Ranger. National Academician. a man
Of high standing in his profession
with enthusiasm for art and gift
for friendship. During the years that
Mr.. Evans was selecting and up
building his collection for the "Na-
tional Gallery of Art" Mr.. Ranger
was at his elbow. encouraging, ad-
vising. They made repeated trips to
Washington together to Superintend
the hanging of fresh acquisitions:
to decide whether some canvas should
be withdrawn and a better by the
same artist substituted. At such times
they were as gay as school boys on
holiday. They were both lovers of
art and they were busted in con-
structive work--the perpetuation of
that which was best in the art of
America.
Mr.. Evans collecting was brought
to an end by the loss Of fortune,
but when, in 1916, Mr.. Ranger died,
. }a
and provided the means whereby the
work should be Indefinitely continued
and enlivened.
BY his will, Henry w. Ranger left
his entire residuary estate, which
then amounted to approximately
$4000 900, to the National Academy of
Design as trustees, to be invested.
and the income therefrom used for
the purchase of paintings by living
American artists, on all of which
purchases, ten years after the decease
of their painters, the National
Gallery of Art" was to have option.
Meanwhile, the acquired works were
to be lent, under certain very liberal
terms, to the smaller art institutions
of the country. 1t will be seen at
glance that by this plan the National
Collection of American Paintings is
bound to be kept up-to- date and fully
representative.
WITH regard to these purchases,
w Mr.. Ranger was quite explicit
In his will. At least two-thirds of the
income from the Ranger Fund, he
specified, should be spent for the
works of artists As years Of age or
over-the remaining third. at the
option of the trustees, might, how
ever, be spent for the works of those
younger. Believing that only time
can confirm Judgment, he fixed a
ten-year period between the death
of the painter and the time the pur-
chased work would be offered to the
National Collection-but he generous
ly allowed those in authority five years
thereafter in which to arrive at
decision. He, too it would seem. had
in mind the admirable plan of the
Luxembourg and the Louvre Museums
in Paris, works being entered in the
one on probation, and in the other
with, as far as is humanity possible,
guarantee Of permanent merit.
But note also how admirably he
provided for this period of waiting,
distributing, on the basis of loans. the
works by living artists to institutions
throughout the country, by which
method knowledge and appreciation
are distinctly advanced. Was ever
a gift more widely beneficent? In
the first place it assures the building
up of our national collection OF
American art, safeguarding quality;
then it distributes American paint
ings, calling attention to their worth,
throughout the United States; and
third it gives encouragement and
patronage to American painters who
have developed their genius and been
faithful to their trust.
THE sum that Mr.. Ranger left for
the purpose was exceedingly gen.
erous, and from the first the income
therefrom has allowed the trustees
to purchase literally. Also, remark
able as it may seem, as the years have
passed, the fund has greatly increased
through wise investment-despite the
depression and the fact that the
trustees were the, proverbially, "im-
provident" artists. Eight years ago,
when all the purchases were brought
together and exhibited, briefly, here
in Washington, the number was 78,
which by now has been increased to
over 100. To have a painting pur-
chased from the Ranger fund Is as
high an award as contemporary
painter may hope to receive.
1t should be pointed out, however,
that good part of the beneficence of
the Ranger fund bequest is the fact
that it was not purposed primarily to
profit the artists-but art. It was
not conceived as a charity, or an aid
to the INDECENT, but to stimulate and
reward achievement-to perpetuate
for the benefit of the public. and those
who follow after us, that which was
best in American production in this
field. This is the attitude which
every self-respecting artist has toward
his profession and which puts art on
higher plane than wage earning,
necessary as that may be. And after
all the race is not worth the running,
or the mountain the climb, unless the
goal is difficult of attainment, the top
hard to reach. For his fellow artists,
sss we'll as the public, Ranger drew
his will wisely and we'll.
HENRY WARD RANGER was born
in Syracuse, N. Y, in January,
1858. He received public school
education and went through the
freshman year at Syracuse Univer-
sity. His leaning from the first was
for art, and after working for some
time by himself, he went to Europe
where he remained until 1888. He
was practically self-taught, using his
own eyes, learning from all he saw,
studying nature as well as the works
of well known artists. Before he
.u,.~& nhrood bo u,oy, Soma rap,,f fion