Evening star., 1940-09-15

note, will not take place until Febru-
ary, or. more probably. March. But,
after all, with what speed the project
has been carried forward. Congress
accepte d Mr.. Melons magnificent
gift in March, 1887; the foundations
were laid in 1888, and the building is
practically completed two and half
years later-to say nothing of an
expert and efficient administrative
staff, carefully built up and fully
prepared to take over.
Few people probably realize what
a gigantic undertaking and achieve
ment this represents, or, for that
matter, what such gallery OF art
as this will mean to the Nation. The
only way to reach such comprehen-
sion is through comparison with the
national galleries of other nations.
This one, in physical size as we'll as
intrinsic merit of exhibits. already
compares more than favorably with
others.
Let us have some figures. The
length Of our National Gallery OF
Art is 705 feet. The floor space
amounts to 100000 square feet, of
which. in the aggregate. five and
one-half acres will be devoted to
exhibition purposes. Eventually,
there will be 100 galleries, all OF
which will not, however. be finished
at this time. those not at present re-
CURED being reserved for future ex-
pansion.
AS much care will be taken in the
matter of display as in that OF
acquisition. The paintings will be
arranged chronologically according
to schools, and in every instance, as
far as possible, appropriate back
grounds provided. The early 1tal-
ian rooms will have walls OF traver-
tine stone and plaster; works OF the
Renaissance will be hung against
rich fabrics; the Dutch and Flemish
will be seen against wood paneling:
the English. French and early Amer
ican will have as background paint
ed wood or textiles of the period.
Architectural features OF this
great building will be the rotunda.
100 feet in diameter, with its dome.
like that of the Pantheon in Rome,
supported here by "a Ionic columns
of green marble, and two garden
courts in the main wings, in which
will be fountains and planting
Has World Rank.
Even this barest sketch of de-
scription is sufficient to make 1t plain
that here is a gallery OF art COM
parable to the greatest in the world,
not gradually moulded into shape,
but almost as by the waving OF a
magic wand, brought into existence.
Those national galleries with
which ours will be most frequently
compared are the Louvre in Paris
and the National Gallery In Lon
don. Both have very large and out
standing collections Of paintings, the
louvre other works of art AS we...
Both possess diversified collections
covering, by outstanding examples
the art of the Western World.
The building known as the Louvre
was not originally designed Tor art
gallery purposes. and the COLLECTION
II houses had its inception in works
gathered by royal personages with
an innate love Of art.
The National Gallery, London,
was founded in 1924 as the deliberate
act of a group of art-loving citizens.
The following year. the Angersteln
collection was purchased as a nucle-
lis. to which in 1867 were added,
by gift, the Beaumont and Carr col
lections, as we'll as few works from
Individual donors. The first unit OF
the gallery on Trafalgar Square was
erected in 1888. In 1885, the Nation
al Gallery of England possessed III
paintings (of which, incidentally, "a
are still included in its catalogue.
It now possesses approximately 3,ooo'
as also does the Louvre.
Our National Gallery of Art will
open with 506 paintings-120 from
the Mellon collection, IL from the
Andrew w. Mellon Educational and
Charitable Trust, 375 from the Kress
collection, with Al works in sculpture
acquired and given by Mr.. Mellon
and Mr.. Kress, respectively. This Is
AN enormous number OF master
pieces for an initial showing-mas-
terpieces than which there are no
finer in the world.
There is no doubt that many gifts
will follow the opening-that, IN
deed. it will not be matter OF how
to fill the 100 galleries, but how to
find room for such works OF superior
merit as may be offered. Our private
collections in America are surprls-
inglv rich in old-world masterpieces
of painting; our American collectors
are phenomenally generous-both OF
which facts are attested by the
works shown in the exhibitions OF
old masters held in American mu-
seums and other galleries from time
to time. And what greater honor
can a collector covet for his trea-
sured works than that they flnd
permanent placement in such COM
panv and environment as our Ma
tional Gallery OF Art will provide.
European Galleries.
But to return to the national gall
leries of art abroad. The appear
ance of the Louvre in the l4th CEN
tury may be judged by a painting
made by Pol de Limbourg for Les
Tres Riches Heures" of the Due de
Berry. 1t had then been fitted up
as a royal residence. But again and
again it was remodeled. first by
Francis I. then by Catharine de
Medici. Louis XIV added the colon
made. But not until Napoleon be-
came ruler of France was 1t con-
verted into a national gallery. Added
to the collection assembled through
centuries by purchase, gift and be-
quest, were works brought home
from Italy by Napoleon's conquer
ing army Many Of these treasures
were later returned-but not all
When the present World War was
imminent, the pictures in the Louvre
were taken down and hidden some
where in France" Will they be re-
turned? Will Hitler claim them
among other spoils Of victory?