Evening star., 1939-07-17
Art School Urged
For Nations Capital
Training Needed for Native
Progress in Painting and
uIpture, Writer Says
To the Editor Of The Star:

To the Editor Of The Star:
Announcement of Samuel H. Kress'
munifcent gift Of his great collection
of italian pictures and sculptures to
the Mellon National Gallery provides
opportunity for reaffirmation of the
fact that slowly perhaps vet surely
Washington is becoming one of the most
important art centers. Of the world.
The public, of course, is familiar with
the Corcoran Gallery, the Freer Gal
lery, the Phillips Gallery and with the
growing frame Of the building given
by the late Secretary of the Treasury
now nearing completion in Constitution
avenue between Third and Seventh
streets NV.
But popular attention probably has
| not been definitely drawn to the Folger
| Shakespeare Library as gallery. Rela-
lively few people realize that Henry
and Emily Folger gathered together
some hundreds of paintings and many
| thousands of prints rejecting the life
and work and times of the greatest of
poets. Their treasures are not merely
| Va olSIll1lCdllSC. 4lloVCdu, uIdlly
| of them possess the qualities which
would gain them admission to any of
dozen different museums dedicated to
art abroad.
So too, few visitors to the Library
of Congress may be aware that its Fine
Arts Division is one of the most no.
tably complete galleries" of its kind
now in existence. The bequest of Joseph
Pennell, to mention but a single bene-
| faction, has enriched it distinctively.
And the vast accumulation of books on
art associated with it possibly has be-
come the largest available in the West
ern Hemisphere.
Again, there are many rare and beau
tiful pictures and plastic masterpieces
in the various Government departments,
| at Georgetown and Catholic Universi-
ties, at Washington Cathedral and at
| the Shrine of the Immaculate Concep-
ton. These need not be brought to-
| gether under single roof in order to
| constitute objects of esthetc pilgrimage
Neither is it requisite that the Capitol
be robbed of its historical paintings and
monuments. Statuary Hall, it is true,
has been ridiculed by certain critics. yet
1T happens that it contains a number
| OF very fine achievements by sculptors
who are no discredit to their country.
Many private homes in Washington,
also, are adorned with works of art ma
lively produced or imported from Europe
or the Orient. The embassies and lega-
tions possess interesting pictures, bronzes,
marbles and ivories.
But the full and complete artistic
wealth of the city should be more deeply
comprehended when the Smithsonian
National Gallery has been constructed
and the valuable art already in the Gus
tody of the regents is supplemented by
further gifts which it is reasonable to
suppose will be offered as soon as room
for their reception is guaranteed.
Mr. Mellon visioned an unlimited de-
velopment. Toward it he gave his own
unparalleled collection. Following his
example, Mr.. Kress has parted with his
cherished property. There is hope that
Joseph E. Widener may decide to add
his famous pictures to those already
pledged to the Nation.
| One thing, however, eventually will be
wanted even more than further acces-
slons or still other galleries-namely a
school in which American youth may
learn the elements of American art
worthy of the name. Esthetic endeavor
in the United States currently is an
archlstlc. 1t lacks the discipline of COM
petent teaching. A casual inspection of
the average "shoW"-that now on display
at the New York Worlds Fair is case in
point-will suffice to prove that the
present generation is equipped with
energy and courage; but it cannot draw,
1t knows little if anything of the science
OF color and it is too easily pleased with
Its "self-taught" performance Correc-
ton for its faults and failings will come
only through education, authoritative
training OF the eye, the hand and the
heart.
| This, naturally, will be denied bv
many OF the artists themselves. Some
OF them are too old to start anew; others
are too rigidly dogmatic. But the
younger men and women are neither
| oOc AL GliCll ways nor unwilling tn
learn. 1t is for them-for the painters
who are not satisfied to repeat Cezanne,
Gauguin, Van Gogh. Matisse, Picasso
and the surrealists and for the sculptors
who are not content merely to initiate
Rodin and Epstein-that the new WASH
ington school of art should be organized
Its students may be radicals, if thew
choose. but they should be given the in
struction which would aid them toward
an intelligent decision.
| The Mellon trustees might take the
proposal under consideration. Should
they be friendly to the suggestion, wavs
| and means for making a start could
be devised without difficulty. Or the
| Corcoran School might assume the re-
sponsibility. The third alternative is an
! independent enterprise, newly organized
| for the purpose.
Public support fairly may be presumed
| for the venture. There is a dynamic of
| appreciation of art in the soul of the
! American people which could be relied
upon for help. J.W.F.