Evening star., 1939-09-24
Death Claims
NOtables of
Art World
Lord Duveen Was
Well Known in
This Country

well Known in
This Country
There have been serious losses bv
death IN the art world since the
season OF 1938-39 came to a close
prominent among these was Lord
Duveen. outstanding not only as an
art collector and connoisseur, but
q patron. Few have had a more
amazing career than he. The son
OF London dealer in art and an
tlques, he rose through his own
efforts and intelligence to the high
est place IN this field as a recoc-
nlzed authority in England, on the
continent OF Europe and in the
United States. It was through his
advice that many Of the paintings
included in the collection assem-
bled by the late Andrew w. Mellon
Rnd given to the Nation were ac-
'quired. A large proportion of the
paintings In the Bache collection
OF New York were bought on his
recommendation and through his
fundamentally. The same is true
OF other notable collections in this
country and presumably In England.
In recognition of his gifts to the
British Museum and the Tate Gal.
!ery OF London, he was knighted in
1913, created baronet in 1925 and
baron in 1888. He was also elect
ed trustee of the National Gallery.
London. the Wallace Collection. the
Tate Gallery, the National Portrait
Gallery and similar institutions,
among them our own National GAL
lery OF Art. His home was in Kent.
England, but he spent much time in
This country, and in recent years. to
facilitate consultation with Mr.. Mel
lon, sometimes for weeks together
ne occupied an apartment adjacent
to Mr.. Melons, at Massachusetts
avenue and Eighteenth street NV.
There is none to take his place
and the loss will be greatly felt.
F. C. Frieseke.
Among the painters who have
been lost by death of late is Fred
erick Carl Frieseke, who died in
Paris on August 20. Mr.. Frieseke'
was a native Of the State of Mich !
igan, studied first at the Art Insti-
tute of Chicago, then at the Art
Students League. New York, after
which, In 1898, when "a years of
age, he went to Paris and entered
the Julien Academy. This was
when French impressionism was at
its height and though he did not
adopt its technique he was pro-
foundly influenced by it. The ma
jority Of his canvasses were of fig
ures painted in high key, suggest
ing light Of frosty quality, such
as one finds in Paris the greater
part Of the year, barring midsum-
mer. BY these subtle and peculiarly
charming interpretations, Mr.. Erie
seke Is represented in practically all
OF the leading art museums Of this
country and many abroad.
/. Great honors went to him, such
as the gold medal at Munich, 1904;
the Temple Gold Medal, Philadel-
phia, 1913; the grand prize, Panama
Pacific Exposition. 1915: the Palmer
Gold Medal and French prize, Chi
cago, 1920. In which year he was also
made member Of the Legion of
Honor.
He is represented here by works in
the Corcoran Gallery of Art and the
National Art Collections. A retro
spective exhibition of his paintings
was held last March in the Grand
Central Gallery in New York.
His work was marked by great in
dividuality and his contributions to
current exhibitions will be much
missed.
w. A. Mackay.
Also in August, William Andrew
Mackay, mural painter, died in New
York. Mr.. Mackay served as appren-
tice in 1893 to Frank D. Millet, when
director Of decorations at the Co.
lumbian Worlds Fair in Chicago IN
1893, and worked with MIR. Millet
here in his studio in Forrest Hall.
Georgetown, when he was engaged
in painting murals for the Balti-
more Customs House and q large
bank and trust company in Cleve-
land. Ohio.
After Mr.. Millet's tragic death on
the Titanic he executed a number of |
important commissions independ-
emily, among which was a series Of
decorations for the American Mu-
scum Of Natural History, depicting
the achievements of Theodore
Roosevelt. Mr.. Mackay had an ex-
tremely pleasing personality and a
keen sense of humor.
F.. Fairbanks.
A fourth outstanding loss was that
of Frank p. Fairbanks. who died in
Rome, August 10, in his 65th year.
Mr.. Fairbanks was not only painter
IN his own right but from 1922 to
1882 director of the American Acad-
emy at Rome. During the period of
his presidency the academy was
greatly enlarged, and moved from
its first modest quarters to the very
property which it now
owns on one of Romes famous hills.
adjacent to the Vatican.-L. M.