Evening star., 1940-09-22
LHes Quickening Tempo Has Changed Museum Policies
Efforts Attract Attendance American Galleries Have Resulted

smallest and newest museums have
prejudice against works from the
cellar-sometimes most fooishly.
Inaugurates Sales Policy.
1t was the Metropolitan Museum
which inaugurated in this country
the practice Of selling works in its
so-called permanent collection -
which has now become a fixed habit.
and one deterrent TO gifts The
Metropolitan Museum. some years
ago. was faced By a surplus Of eX-
hibits, some of which were works
retired because better ones had been
obtained. Should they dispose of
them through gift or sale? The
latter course was determined upon
as more eQuitable--a guarantee that
those who acquired them would do
so with genuine desire for possession
If the donor were living, offer was
made to return the work. or If the
donors heirs could be reached. the
same plan was followed. Few re-
quests for return were received. An
auction was held at downtown
gallery, under dlgnified auspices;
many little museums were among
the buyers. The cellars were cleared
So far so good, but the precedent es-
tablished has not been altogether
advantageous.
Artists selling their paintings to
art museums before this invariably
made reductions in price because OF
the perpetual honor of inclusion in
its collection. Donors giving cher
ished works of supposed value felt
they were not only benefting the
public, but assuring their safe
keeping indefinitely. Not so today.
Within a few years. under a single
head. one of the well-known mu-
seums in this country has sold many
Of the paintings which it once
gladly received and proudly dis
played. Here is a dilemma difficult
of solution. Also, museums making
purchases find their path beset by
thorns.
History Repeats Itself.
In 1859, oddly enough. William
Cullen Bryant. presiding at the or
ganization meeting of the Metro
politan Museum. said. "The Ameri-
can soil is prolific of artists The
fine arts blossom not only in the
populous regions of our country, but
even in the solitary places" To
which he added: Our artists. espe-
cially our painters, find their gen.
ius cramped by the narrow space in
which it is constrained TO exert it.
self, like bird in cage which can
only take short flights" The con-
straint to which Mr.. Bryant re-
ferred was that of painting pictures
for the home, rather than for great
wall spaces which galleries were
then supposed to afford. How his
tory repeats itself! Was Mr. Bryant
unconsciously anticipating the cur
rent outlook and the activities OF
Government agencies today? 1t
would almost seem so.
But contemporary artists still
want to be represented in art mu-
seums, and great complaint has
been made concerning the pur-
chases made by the Metropolitan
Museum from the Hearn Fund,
which is specifically for the works
Of contemporary artists.
Among the public there are those
who feel that the selections made
by the Purchasing Committee are
much too liberal, especially, as, be-
cause of limit of space, they require
the retirement, temporary or other
wise, of works earlier acquired Of
superior merit. The Spokesmen for
the artists, however, are of another
opinion, declaring the works bought
not fully representative of the ad-
vanced art of today. All in all, 1t
must be admitted that the collec-
ton now assembled Is pretty dull
and dreary.
Fifty Exhibitions . Week.
After all, let us ask ourselves and
our museum directors, are art
museums designed and run for the
benefit of the artists or Of the
public? Also, why should the works
of immature artists be purchased
and shown, as presumably ex-
emplary, until proved by time and
consensus Of two or more gen.
erationS?
When it comes to the matter OF
display, the artists Of America are
abundantly well on In New York,
so or more exhibitions open every
week during the season, and in in
Vulnerable cities and towns from
coast to coast excellent exhibition
facilities are accorded.
One goes to an art museum to see
masterpieces selected by those OF
expert judgment. To the museums
the people still look as to author
itatiye sources. The fact that Z
nasAaisn os*As&,s- sze,xl. has ham s7aax.,