Evening star., 1940-12-29

Congress purchased and added to its
amples of the works of contemporary
printmakerS.
Despite the fact that more sales
were made in Washington than in
New York during National Art Week,
this city is as yet far from being an
art market. 1t has no gallery which
can be rented for exhibitions by
single artists or groups of artists,
no important sales room, no print
sellers establishment. These and
buying public are dependent one
upon another-if the one is assured,
the other will follow.
Effect of War Felt.
Art in this country is feeling in
many ways the effect of the war
in Europe. For the first time
since the early days of our Republic,
We are cut off from European cul-
tWe and from the sources of art
from which inspiration has come.
No student can be sent to our Amer
ican Academy in Rome; the Amer
lean Schools of Art and Music at
F'ontainebleau have been closed and
brought to this country temporarily;
the numerous travelling scholarships
and fellowships awarded by profess
sional schools throughout the United
States are either withheld or granted
for study in Central and South
America.
The Carnegie Institute of Pitts
burgh had to abandon its inter-
national exhibition this year for
Survey of American Art" and has
just announced an "All-American"
exhibition for 1941. Travel in
Europe and Asia has become i'm
possible. save under urgent az eX-
traordinary circumstances. What all
this means, and will mean, to us,
we cannot yet even surmise. But it
does throw us on our own resources
and lay us under special and un-
foreseen obligation.
We are, it is true, surprisingly rich
in this country in Old World treas
ures of art, as evidenced by the COL
lections of our art museums. built
up through private muniicence, and
recent loan exhibitions held in both
museums and dealers galleries: but,
though the attendance at such is
large, larger than it ever was in
Europe, the love of art is as yet
neither very definite nor widespread
among our people; indeed, to the
majority it is closed book. Here
is where the blackout will affect us,
and the loss of contacts be felt. II
we must stand alone, we must rec
ogniZe our weakness and overcome
it. This cannot be done by publicity
stunts or high-pressure salesman
ship, but by sharing admiration for
the love of art is a contagion which
can be spread by contact-and con-
tact only-with art itself, and with
those to whom it has already spoken.
/ In September it was reported that
| the Louvre had been reopened to
| the public, in part, at least, but
| lately has come word that vanloads
of treasures have been removed
therefrom by the invaders, their
destination unknown, and that one
of the great paintings by Murillo
has been offered as gift to Spain.
In London much damage has been
/ done to historic monuments, by
| bombs, to say nothing OF injury so
/ inflicted on the Tate Gallery, the
building housing the Wallace Col
lection, and to Burlington House. But
Notwithstanding exhibitions are still
being held, despite the danger to
visitors of glass roofs, and are, what
is more, unusually we'll attended,
many persons turning to art for re-
taxation and consolation.
Because of the war, certain dis
tinguished refugees-paintings and
sculpture by great masters, sent to
this country for exhibition before
hostilities began-are remaining here
indefinitely. They are very welcome.