Evening star., 1942-02-22
Rare Art
Given War
Protection
Local Galleries
Keep Many Fine
Paintings on View
Bv Leila MechIin.

Because of the hazards Of war,
our art museums in this and other
cities near the coast have thought
it expedient to remove to places Of
greater safety paintings and other
works of art in their permanent
collection which, If damaged, would
be irreparable losses.
Such steps have been taken by
the National Gallery Of Art, the
Corcoran Gallery, the Phillips Me-
mortal Gallery and other institu-
tions such as the National Museum,
the guardian of the National Col
lection of Fine Arts. This has been
done with utmost regret, but with
a keen sense of responsibility on
the part of the several trustees.
And what a difficult task for them
It must have been to make selec-
ton. In the case of the National
Gallery practically every work in
the Mellon collection is a master
piece and irreplacable as are many
of those in the collection given by
Mr.. Kress. But the good of the
public has by no means been over
looked. Empty art galleries exert
a depressing effect upon the peo-
pie. The service which art may
render at such times as these In
keeping up morale is very great,
hence the determination, univer-
sally, to assume certain risks and
not let down on general activity.
One must sorely miss the great
works that have been removed from
the National Gallery of Art, but it
should not be supposed for a mo-
ment that there Is not still a great
aggregation of fine paintings and
sculpture there on view. In fact,
passing through the galleries, prac-
tically all of which have been re-
hung and rearranged, it is surpris-
ing to find all the famous schools
represented and by works OF inter-
esting character.
In his lecture Of "Sienese Paint
Ing" given under the auspices of the
Washington Society Of the Fine
Arts recently, in the lecture hall Of
the National Gallery. DR.. Edgell
called attention to the fact that
practically all but one of the great
Sienese painters is now here rep
resented. If some Of the precious
canvases of the Flemish school are
gone to place of greater safety, su-
perb examples by Rubens and Van
Dyck still linger to uphold the great
tradition. Some of the RembrantS
have gone, but happily. several re-
main. The English and the Amer
lean school of the 18th and early
18th centuries are exceptionally well
represented.
In this connection mention should
be made of the extraordinary gene
rosity of private individuals who,
assuming personally all risks, have
continued their loans to our sew
eral galleries and even increased
them.
Furthermore, interest will be ad-
vanced by series of special, tran
sient exhibitions and there will be
no cessation in educational work,
lectures, etc In fact, greater stress
is being put on public relations in
this field than in times of peace.
The Corcoran Gallery has abol-
ished it's pay days for the dura-
ton; the Phillips Gallery is lend
ing its library for musicales for
which 1t provides delightful setting.
French Paintings to Be
Shown Here.
OF very great interest is the an
nouncement made by the National
Gallery of Art that a notable col
lection OF French paintings of the
18th century will shortly be placed
on view. This is a section-and a
large one, for it will fill five gal
leries-of the exhibition sent from
Paris to the Argentine, as a GESTURE
of good will, on the part of the Dela-
dier government. which, after be-
ing circulated in South America, was
brought to this country and set up
in the De Young Memorial Museum,
San Francisco, on request OF DR..
He'll, director, and under permis-
sion granted by the Vichy govern
ment. The paintings were select
ed by Rene Huyghe, head of the
department of painting Of the
Louvre, and came from this great
national gallery Of France, from
the Petit Palais, and from 10 pro-
vincial galleries as well as certain
private French collectors.
The attendance at this exhibition
IN San Francisco was over 100000.
A section of the collection, which
covers French painting from the
17th to the Goth century, was shown
last spring in the Metropolitan Mu-
scum, New York, where it was sup
plemented by loans from American
museums and collectors. Another
section was exhibited during the
summer in Los Angeles, supple
mented by paintings in the Robin
son collection. Here the representa-
ton will be from the 10Th century
and thus will supplement or be sup
plemented by the notable works
lent by Mr.. and Mrs. Chester Dale,
and drawn also from the White
more collection. Thus, in a unique
way, will be illustrated the most
brilliant period of French paint
ing and that with which, through
the National Gallery loan exhibits,
Washingtonians have lately become
better acquainted.
Additional Loans From
Chester Dale Collection.
Scarcely had the arrival and early
exhibition of French paintings from
the Louvre and other famous COL
1acfiops n, Eranca heep oppo,,prad