Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-10-27
Assenblage
Of Master
Works Here
Association With
Mellon Group
Admirable
By Leila MechIin.


lection of art assembled, for the
most part, by his father, the late P.
A. B. Widener, is to be given to the
National Gallery of Art, was great
news, indeed, for although this hope
has long been entertained there was
no positive assurance heretofore of
realization. When consummated it
will be a princely gift, for there are
few if any finer private collections OF
art in the world than this, and the
probabilities are that no more will
be brought together because of the
heWing down Of great fortunes and
the economic conditions which will
prevail for many years to come.
P. A. B. Widener. who, through
his own toll and intelligence.
amasScd large fortune, was a dis
eliminating as well as generous
buyer CT works of art. All but
few of the 100 paintings now in
cluded in the catalogue of the Wide
ner Collection were purchased by
him. His son, Joseph +. Wldener'
inherited his taste and has SAFE
guarded the collection as whole
in the matter of esthetic value by
eliminating. in the first instance,
all but the best and by adding there
to with cautious wisdom. The result
is superb asSemblage OF world
masterpieces which any gallery
might show with pride and any
nation covet.
The value of the collection Is va
riously estimated at from II to o0
million dollars-but art OF this
sort is beyond price, invaluable.
Here are paintings by the great
est masters the world has known
and in not merely representative
but outstanding examples. In the
matter of standard as we'll as in
the character of the exhibits, these
works will combine admirably with
those in the Mellon Collection,
likewise carefully chosen and only
within the range OF one with vast
wealth at his control.
Supplement Each Other.
It is indeed interesting to observe
how exceedingly well these two COL
lections would seem to supplement
each other and how, with the Kress
Collection, devoted exclusively TO
Italian art, they cover and exem-
pity the whole field Of painting
from the 18th to the present CEN
tury.
For example, there are in the
Mellon Collection nine paintings by
Rembrandt. In the Widener Col
lection there are supreme examples
of the works of this master to the
number OF IA. The Mellon Collec-
ton includes the larger "CoWper
Madonna" by Raphael, whereas the
little "Cowper Madonna by the
same artist is in the Widener Col
lection. The Mellon Collection has
the famous portrait by Raphael OF
Pope Plus II, Of which a copy,
made almost contemporaneously, is
to be found in the Widener Col
lection-the only copy admitted to
this artistic hierarchy.
The Widener Collection is espe-
cially rich in works by Van Dyck,
and in none other is he to be seen
at better advantage. World famous
are, in particular, the full-length
standing portrait by Van Dyck of
the Marchesa Elena Grimaldi, wife
of Nicola Cattaneo reproduced
with other notable works from the
Widener Collection in the roto-
gravure section of The Star today
end the seated portrait OF Paolo
Adorno, Marchesa di Brignole-Sala
ana her son.
Among the Rembrandts are The
Mill" which Bode- claimed was the
greatest picture ever painted, as well
as this masters Descent From the
Cross" which puts him in the first
rank as a religious painter, and his
magnificent portraits OF Man With
Tall Hat" and Lady With Ostrich
Feather Fan" both of which were
purchased by the present owner
from Prince Youssoupoff of st. Pet
ersburg, who later, claiming that
they were merely given as collateral
for a loan, sued for their return,
but failed to establish his claim.
Another great and famous treas
ure in this collection is Vermeer's
painting of lady Weighing Gold"
which many consider his master
piece-an exquisite piece of paint
ing. Early works of the Dutch and
Flemish schools form an especially
prominent part in this collection.
The earliest of the Flemish works Is
an altar piece painted by Gerard
David, greatest of the 18th century
painters of BRUCE. 1t is of St. Anne
holding the Virgin and Christ Child
on her lap, with full-length figures
of st. Nicholas and ST. Anthony in
subsidiary panels.
There is portrait of "Titian's
Schoolmaster" by Moroni which RI
walls his famous portrait OF a
Tailor" in the National Gallery,
London, and two magnificent paint
ings by Ell Greco, who was one time
q pupil of Titan. These are st.
Martin and the Beggar" and "Vir-
gin with Saints" both famous can
vases.
Rich in Great Works.
The collection is rich in works of
the British school of the 18th CEN
tury, including among the canvases
Sir Joshua Reynolds charming por-
trait of Nelly O'Brien (Which is
small version of the picture in the
Wallace collection London) and
Gainsborough's of Mrs. Graham, be-
sides two Romneys, a Raeburn and
q Lawrence, the last Of the famous
Mrs Robinson. The French school
is likewise delightfully."- represented
by portraits painted by such artists
as Corneille de Lyon and Clouet, as
well as three of our own era-Manet,
Renoir and Degas-excellent ex-
amples.
1t is only possible at this time to
give intimation of the wealth and
richness of this collection which. in
whole or part. will eventually come
to our National Gallery OF Art
through the generosity Of its owner