Evening star., 1939-04-08
Mellon ART Gallery
Preview Offered by
Realistic Model
20 Foot Miniature
On Display at
National Museum
By JAMES WALDO FAWCETT.

BY JAMES WALDO FAWCETT.
At noon today an elaborate 90
foot model of the new National
(Mellon) Gallery of Art was placed
on display In the main lobby OF
the National Museum, Constitution
avenue at Tenth street. 1t Is a
faithful representation of the struc-
ture which, when finished, will be
the largest marble edifice in the
world. Created by Charles G.
Peters of New York, under the SUI
pervision of Otto R. Eggers and
Daniel P. Higgins, successors to
the late John Russell Pope. archi-
tect responsible for the design, 1t
is precise and accurate in detail and
gives comprehensive idea of what
the entire development, including
its Handicapped setting. will be when
completed in the autumn OF 1910.
Notable features illustrated by
the model are: the central portion
Of the building, with colonnaded
porches north and south and
graceful dome rising above a ro-
tunda; two wings. east and west,
without windows; tall entrances at
both extremes; exterior inches, per-
haps for statues or bas-reliefs: wide
stairs to the north and the south
doors, and driveways at both east
and west ends.
7S5 Feet Long.
The gallery will be 785 feet long
about equal to the height of the
Woolworth Building in New York.
Floor areas are $4,000 square feet
for exhibition purposes; $4,000
square feet for other uses. Approx
mately 300 carloads of rose-white
Tennessee marble will be employed
in the construction of the outer
walls. 80 feet high. Seven quarries
near Knoxville have been producing
the marble since September, 1887,
with $50 men engaged in the fabri-
cation of the blocks. The lower
courses in the walls are to be
delicate rose pink, the upper nearly
pure white.
Interior arrangements provide for
the 1otunda 100 feet in diameter
and 100 feet high from floor to dome.
Columns of dark green marble. "a
in number. will support the corona.
Two garden courts, one in each of
the principal wings, with plants and
shrubs growing around open pools,
also are stipulated.
Represents S70,000,0O0.
The gallery and its contents, all
given by the late Andrew w. Mellon
of Pittsburgh. Secretary of the
Treasury in the cabinets of PreSi-
dents Harding, Coolidge and Hoover.
represent an investment of more
than $70,000,000 on the donors part.
The gift is administered by board
of trustees, including the Chief JUS
tice of the United States, chairman;
the Secretary of State. the Secre-
tary of the Treasury and the secre-
tary of the Smithsonian Institution,
ex-officio. and five general trustees,
Paul Mellon, David Bruce, Donald
D. Shepard, Duncan Phillips and F.
Lammot Belin.
David E. Finley is director of the
gallery; Harry A. Mcbride, admins
traitor, and John Walker, curator.
Pictures Being Catalogued.
None of Mr.. Melons pictures will
be moved into the gallery until it is
ready for dedication. Meanwhile. q
catalogue is to be prepared, listing
the priceless masterpieces which
Mr.. Mellon brought together during
more than 20 years of careful buy
ing-the finest available examples
of such artists as Raphael. Botticelli,
Duccio, Fra Angelica, Masaccios,
Jan van Eyck, Rembrandt, Titan,
Vermeer. Frans Halls. Goya Velas-
quez. Ell Greco, Raeburn. Gains
borough, Corot, Copley, West and
Gilbert Stuart.
The gallery likewise will contain
some of the greatest rarities of Rem
aissance sculpture, which Mr.. Mel
lon purchased from the priced COL
lection of the late Gustave Dreyfus.
Future gifts and acquisitions" the
trustees believe, ARE destined to
make the new institution one of the
foremost galleries in the world"
1t is understood that the model
will remain on exhibition at the Ma
tional Museum indefinitely. The
public may view it between $50 and
4:30 daily. except Sunday, 1870 to
4:30.