Evening star., 1939-06-18
Masterpieces
Exhibition
Superb
Paintings Rarely
On Display Seen
At N. Y. Fair
Rr Leila MechLin.

Is the jewel in the crown of the
New York Worlds Fair. No such
exhibition of the works of the old
masters has been held in this
country before, and, while some of
the works have come from the great
galleries Of the world, the majority
are from private collections, hence
as rule inaccessible to the public.
There are between 400 and 500
paintings, all of which were Sc
lected with the utmost expert
= knowledge and infinite care by Dr.
William R. Valentiner, director of
the Detroit Art Institute and one
of the leading world authorities in
this field. These pictures have been
arranged chronologically so that the
magnificent pageant of painting
from the 18th to the 10th century
is set before the visitor so that its
significance as we'll as splendor are
patiently manifested.
This exhibition, its collection and
display, is a private contribution
made to the New York Worlds Fair,
and those who will visit 1t, by a
group of art lovers who, knowing
the joy of art of such quality and
rarity themselves, would share it
freely with their fellow countrymen
and who are profoundly convinced
that as the quality of the art of
today can only be measured by that
of yesterday so that of tomorrow
will be determined by knowledge
and understanding of the great
tradition.
World Of Yesterday.
In this sense it has been truly
said in connection with this eXhi-
bition that. paradoxical as it may
seem, the New York Worlds Fair
individually makes it's chief contri-
button to civilization in the form
of the world of yesterday instead of
the much-vaunted tomorrow" Small
in comparison to its deep signifi-
canoe is the fact that in this exhi-
bition one finds welcome antidote
to the influence which may emanate
from the American Art of Today
Exhibition in the Contemporary
Art Building. Out of the turmoil
of modern life new and infinitely
fine art expression may come, but
from the past we have the best in
which civilization has brought
forth the measure of mans i'm
mortal striving.
The idea of the Masterpieces of
Art Exhibition was originated, it is
said, by Mr.. Louis S. Levy; the cost
was met by the Marquis and Mar
quise de Cuevas and other liberal
donors, and the organization was
headed by DR.. Alexander Hamilton
Rice. Serving as chairman of the
Exhibition Committee was Mr..
Charles R. Henschel. Preferring to
avoid personal publicity. these men
and their fellow conspirators have
made the contribution under the
name art Associates, Incorporated.
The works shown are invaluable, but
for purposes of insurance the sum
OF over $50 100000 Is named,
Lending Galleries.
Glancing through the catalogue it
Is interesting to note the names of
the lenders. At the head of the
list must be put the Louvre in Paris;
the Rilks Museum, Amsterdam: the
National Gallery, London, and the
National Gallery of Australia. They
have consented for the first time.
IN most instances, to send their
choicest treasures to this country.
Among American museums lending
are the Art Institute of Chicago,
the Cleveland Art Museum, the Gin
cinnati Art Museum, the Detroit
Art Institute, the Fogg Art Museum,
Harvard; the William Rockhill Nell
son Gallery, Kansas City; the Min
neapolis Institute of Art, the San
Diego Fine Arts Gallery, the Wads-
worth Atheneum and the Art Gal
lery of Yale University-in addition
to the Mellon National Gallery of
Art, the Phillips Memorial Gallery
and the Dumbarton Oaks collection,
all Of this city.
Thirty-two of the 63 paintings in
the matchless Bache collection of
New York are here, as are IA paint
ings from the johnson collection in
Philadelphia, which were supposedly
impossible to borrow.
Samuel H. KresS. who in the last
decade has risen to a high place
among astute art collectors, turning
his S and 10 cent stores profits into
outstanding works by the Italian
masters, is credited with the loan
of IL pictures. Robert Lehman. J.P.
Morgan, Edsel Ford, Edward S.
Harkness, John D. Rockefeller, jr,
and his wife, have all lent gen.
erously, as have dozens of others
whose names are less glamorously
known. Apparently interest in mod
ern manifestations in art does not
preclude interest in and apprecia-
ton of the works of the great mas
ters Of the past, for among the
contributors are not only the Rookie
fellers, patrons of the Museum of
Modern Art, but Solomon r. Gug-
genheim, who has lately established
In New York Gallery of Non-Ob-
tective Art of the most extreme
order. 1t Is interesting also to note
how widespread, geographically, are
the lenders to this exhibition, and
how many come not from the At
lantic seaboard, but the Middle
West.
Modern Paintings Cheap.
As Sir Kenneth Clark, director of
the National Gallery of Art in Lon
don, recently remarked, 1000 con-
temporary paintings can be pur-
chased for the price of one great
masterpiece. But the latter find
purchasers and the former do not.
The reason is not hard to seek
the one is wanted, the other not.
Intrinsic beauty and perfection Of
workmanship still appeal-primarily
, all fine art is pleasurable. When
1t ceases to stir the emotions pleas
urably it loses its market. This, as
much as fashion, accounts for the
W. --u,k\S