Evening star., 1938-06-26
By Leila MechIin.
HHERE is tendency today to
consider the American artist as

consider the American artist as
an extremely recent discovery
L and to claim that only since
the Federal Government has recog-
nized his need of relief and employ
ment has he come into his own. This
Is false and misleading supposition.
American artists since the days of
Copley and West have not been with
out honor in their own country
Gilbert Stuart had no scarcity of
sitters, nor had Malbone and Fraser,
miniature painters of Charleston.
Trumbull, under Government COM
mission, did a series of historical
paintings for the rotunda of the
Capitol which were well paid for and
much admired. When Clark Mills
completed the bronze equestrian
statue of Jackson which stands in
Lafayette Square grateful Congress
insisted upon adding $4,000 to the
$4,000 previously agreed to as pay
ment in token of appreciation.
In 1880 when Mrs. Anthony Trollop
, returned to England from visit to
the United States she wrote in deri-
sion that the newspaper lungs of
the Republic were breathing forth
praise and triumph for their native
art" which, incidentally, did not seem
to her of very high standard. But
in those days, and for the better part
OF the 10Th century, the work of our
American artists was cherished and
admired. 1t will undoubtedly surprise
many to learn that in the exhibitions
OF the National Academy of Design
New York. during the last three
decades of the past century, many
. more sales were made than in any of
the similar exhibitions of contem-
porary American painting today. And
paintings were then bought because
they were desired and prized-not
primarily to help the artists.
OF COURSE, there was a vogue for
things foreign and some of our
painters found short cut to fame
via Paris-but the American scenes"
was even more popular then than now
and better selected as well as
painted
One of the leading patrons of Amer
lean art in the much-derided COS was
William T. Evans of New York who,
having given up architecture for a
business career, consoled himself by
buying the works of contemporary
American artists. Not only did he
buy contemporary paintings, but in
most instances he got them almost
while the paint was wet from the
painters whose studios he visited, and
with whom he was on terms of COM
radeship. Such acquisitions gave him
Tthe keenest delight, and each was dis
played to his circle of friends with
pride an enthusiasm. I've just got
the best thing that John Smith has
painted. Come and see it," he was
won't to remark.
With these purchases he literally
filled his suburban home at Mont
clair, N. j., until 1t overflowed, and
then he fitted up gallery in the
loft of his carriage house. When
the saturation point was reached he
sold his entire collection at auction
in New York and began all over again.
sThis was in the late COS, and not
only was his judgment vindicated by
the prices brought, but market values
established for paintings by American
artists who heretofore had had to
take what they could get. In short,
the Evans sale was landmark in
the history of American painting.
BY 1906 his house was again over
flowing and further acquisition had
@ecome an embarrassment.
THEN it was that he conceived the
idea of giving a representative
collection to the Nation-an idea very
modestly and hesitatingly presented
first to the writer and then to the
late william H. Holmes, then curator
of the National Gallery of Art, pre-
arranged for the purpose, in the Cor
coran Gallery of Art. That was in
March, 1907, and Mrs. Evans. gener-
ously concurring in the gift. and
urging the retention OF a high stand
ard as befitted national gallery, SO
pictures were almost directly turned
over to the Institution. This number
Iyas very quickly increased to so, then
ITO 100, and finally to $50; the idea
being to represent 100 painters
When the gift was originally made
and accepted the National Gallery
Of Art had no place in which to
display the works into which it had
come into possession. Through the