Evening star., 1942-02-15
National Gallery Receives
Important Goya Canvas
Masterpiece Is Second Donation of
The Great Artists Work by
Mrs. Peter Frelinghuysen
By Leila MechIin.

xl1C lNdIkO1ld1 SdllCIy o1 fAl &Aus
received from Mrs. Peter H. B
Frelinghuysen of Morristown, N. j.
In memory Of her father and moth
er, Mr.. and Mrs. H. o. Havemeyer
another important painting by
Goya. 1t is a portrait Of Dona
Teresa Srlreda, the wife Of Don
Bartolome Sureda, and companion
to the portrait of the latter given
by Mrs. Frelinghuysen to the Ma
tional Gallery last year. Both por-
traits were formerly part Of the
weu-known Havemeyer Collection
but for many years before coming
to this country were in the pos
session of the Sureda family and
are recorded In all important books
on Goya.
According to leading authorities.
the pair were painted between 1901
and 1904, shortly after Goya had
been appointed first court painter
by Charles Nv and during the period
when he produced some of his most
distinguished works, such as the
group portrait of Charles Nv and
His Family" and Don Manuel
Godoy with His Adjutant," both
still In Madrid.
3 Don Bartolome Is represented, 1t
will be remembered, standing, with
Z his gayly lined high hat in his
right hand. Don Teresa Is por-
trayed sitting in a sumptuous arm
chair, upholstered in gold-colored
brocade and with Egyptian motifs.
Her pose is very erect; her little
hands rest in her lap, one on the
wrist of the other: her eyes look
directly into those of the beholder;
the expression is reserved and not
particularly happy. But the paint
ing is admirable.
As in the portrait of Don Bartol-
ONE the influence of David, with
whom Goya fraternized in Rome
in his early days, Is felt in the
portrait Of Dona Teresa, and even
more, although there Is a virility
here which David, great master as
he was, did not always get in his
canvases.
Curiously enough, bringing these
two portraits together has added
something to both. opening. as it
were in combination, certain doors
of understanding, separately closed.
This has to do with the attitude
Of the painter to his sitters and
with his Interpretation of their per-
sonalities.
It is impossible that Don Bartol-
ONE could have looked as dissolute
or Dona Teresa as sulky as they do
in these portraits, all the time they
were being painted, therefore it is
obvious that Goya set forth q COM
posite picture Of each. Certainly
he made them very real people
not only of his time but Of all
time. There Is nothing perfunctory
about his interpretation-his read
ing of character-and in it he must
have taken rather sardonic de-
light. But first, and always fore
most, was his interest in painting,
the exercise of his power to master
technical difficulties and achieve q
desired result.
ITO Goya," says Royal Cortissoz
in his essay on Spanish art, all
his sitters were subjects That
is why his work has such tremen-
dous vitality. 1t interested him to
the point of passion. Goya's his
tory is writ plain across the sur
face of his portraits" To which
he adds, "Goya is of his time, OF
course, and his portraits are Span
ish to the core. But in their ruth
less psychology and in their pc
culiar technical brilliancy, which Is
wreaked upon human nature as in
fury Of artistic passion, his por-
traits might have been painted yes
terday."
This is particularly applicable to
these two portraits of Sureda and
his wife, the gift Of which not only
strengthens the collection of Span
ish art In the National Gallery Of
Art but, coming now, when war
clouds threaten, is especially heart
ening and welcome.
War and Defense Exhibition.
The exhibition of paintings, draw
ings and prints, purchased by the
United States Government through
a national competition initiated by
the Once Of Emergency Manage
nent In cooperation with the sec
ton of fine arts, for the purpose OF
informing the public concerning
war and defense activities, which
opened In the National Gallery Of
Art last week, cannot fail to be
found interesting. It consists Of 122
exhibits chosen from 1852 submit
ted from all parts Of the country,
the majority Of which are water
colors and admirably rendered.
Two things are evidenced, first,
tho wide distribution of skill in
this field. and, second, the ability
of the artists when a real theme
presents itself to express themselves
clearly and to the point. Also it
may be noted that whereas in many
of our current exhibitions in re-
cent years emphasis has been placed
on ugliness and vulgarity. that
which is stressed here Is strength
and competence.
From East, West, North and South
have come pictures of the young
manhood Of our land fighting, in
one field or another, for home and
freedom. Subjectively the repre-
sentation is wide. Jared French Of
New York has contributed series
showing groups Of men in the Sig
nal Corps, Aviation Corps, strategy,
anti-aircraft and infantry. From
Charles P. Quest Of Missouri has
come q picture Of tank train max
ing It's way over the prairie-"Oil
for the Fighting Force" Richard
Jansen of Milwaukee has sent ex-
cellent paintings of both pursuit
planes and bombers; Ray Bethers
Of California pictures new ships in
Il n 9s.ls