Evening star., 1945-02-25
In the Art World
The Washington of Its Planners Dreams
A CITY Picture of Artistic Beauty

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F.. McKim. architects; Saint Gau-
dens, sculptor, with Charles Moore,
secretary Their decision was made
and the new plan drawn after an
eXtended tour of the cities OF the
Old World and while under the
conviction that beauty, as well as
utility, must be considered if last
ing merit could be achieved.
The Park and Planning Commis-
sion of which Gen. U. S. Grant, 3rd,
is now head, succeeding Mr.. Fred
eric A. Delano, retired, has done
much toward enhancing our city
picture, especially through the eX-
tension of parks and roadways both
within and without city limits In
this and other developments the
National Commission of Fine Arts
has also lent valuable aid. But
there is always danger of error, Of
forgetfulness on the part of city
dwellers who do not always put FIRST
things first. Postwar planning must
be done now-in fact. Is being done
now-and it must have hearty sup
port.
From the artists Standpoint
Let us look at this from the
standpoint of the artist-painter,
printmaker-but first a glance of
cities abroad. What is it, we ask,
which attracts the artist in Europe?
Primarily architectural subjects pro-
duced when the love Of beauty
more than love, reverence-stirred
the builders hearts and inspired
their building
In London there were the Wren
towers, the grave and dignified
Adams buildings. In Paris the
broad avenues bordered with build
ings weH-designed and in. unity
! with. one another 8 In ,the, cities
Of Belgium, the monuments Of the
Middle Ages-bell towers, markets,
guild halls. finely designed, lovely
to- look Upon And of the towns
Of France what need be said? Rouen,
Chartres, Amiens, Mont st. Michel,
with their building so beautiful that
once seen they can never be for
gotten. These city pictures, created
so long ago, have never lost their
glory or their miSsion-that of testi-
flying to the goodness of God.
Venice has always been a mecca
for artists from the day of Guardi
and Canaletto to that of Whistler,
Pennell, Duveneck and, above all,
Charles Meryon. The architecture
of cities in the Old World has been
the inspiration Of some of our lead
ing American artists-such as John
Taylor Arms. Ernest David Roth,
Kerr Eby. Chamberlin, Rosenberg
Webster, Eric Scott and others
Cameron, McBey, Bone of Britain
and Lepere of France, to name only
a few outstanding.
1t was Colin Campbell Cooper and
Joseph Pennell who discovered and
made manifest the picturesqueness-
unique of its kind-of downtown
New York with its skyscrapers and
canyon-like streets-America's chief
contribution to the art of archi-
tecture-a contribution which mis-
construed has, in other cities, proved
an absurdity.. The city picture of
New York at night with its Triton
buildings and innumerable twinkling
lights is indeed a sight for the
Gods. 1t was necessity which called
forth its skyscraper-not a desire
to be original-different-modern.
For this reason they attained to
beauty.
The Washinsfon Picture
1t is in this field that our Wash
ington picture falls short, with, of
course, the exception of certain
buildings-the Capitol with its great
dome, the White House so suitable
in simplicity for the residence of
the President of a great Republic,
the Lincoln Memorial with its per-
fection of scale and complete right