Evening star., 1945-12-30
By Florence S. Bergman

group Oh OlSClQgulSQeQ |re1u-
gees" from France will return short
ly to their native land. The Ma
tional Gallery of Art is holding a
"P. P. c." exhibition of selection
of these paintings on loan from
the French government, which 1t
says will probably be their last
showing before they are returned
to France
These works of art were hung in
the spring of 1912 and have become
familiar to gallery visitors during
the war period-moIe familiar, in
deed, than the Widener and other
gifts and loans which have been
there a shorter time. Hence it seems
advisable to call to the attention
of Washington art lovers, the re-
hanging of some of these French
paintings, which will never be seen
again as a group
The collection in its entirety t299
paintings and drawings comprised
loans from 10 museums in France,
one in Belgium and one in Hol-
land, and from more than IS pri-
vate collectors abroad. 1t was as
sembled by Rene Huyghe of the
Louvre for the government of the
Third Republic and sent in 1899 to
South America on a goodwill tour.
After the fall of France, Dr. Walter
He'll, director of the M. H. De Young
Museum, San Francisco, negotiated
with the Vichy government to OBJ
tain the loan of the collection for
showing there. Subsequently it went
to New York City, Worcester, and
elsewhere The National Gallery has
given sanctuary to only part of
it. but the most important part:
About lis paintings from the
museums and a few collectors.
A Magnificent Collection
Familiarity has way of dulling
our perceptions. Consequently, al
though this collection was reviewed
in detail on this page, nearly four
years ago, it's unique virtues deserve
to be pointed out again. For it Is
a magnificent and exciting collec-
ton, representing exceptionally well,
every major artist from the French
revolution to the Goth century and
many of them with particularly cele-
brated works. Furthermore, none
of them had been shown IN this
country before the present tour.
Another interesting aspect Is the
generous representation of Frances
provincial museums for the first time
in the United States exhibition his
tory.
Nearly so paintings have been
hung in the special exhibition gal
lery On the ground floor, and have
been provided with admirable labels,
giving brief notes on technique, the
artists and the subjects. Nine OF
the most famous early paintings are
now concentrated in gallery 81; gal
lery II is filled with works by i'm
pressionists, and their contem-
poraries; and a few more are inter-
spersed in other galleries with
French paintings owned by the Ma
tional Gallery, or on indefinite loan.
History of a Century
In painting, the 10Th century was
Frances own. No other nation
could compare with her for vitality,
variety and inventiveness. The
French revolution gave impetus to
a bewildering number of move
ments which comprehended almost
every imaginable esthetic view point.
David, the earliest master repre-
sented, had made his reputation un-
der the monarchy, took an active
part in the revolution, nearly losing
his life, and later became court
painter to Napoleon. The 18th cen
tury is strong in his portraits OF
Philippe Laurent de Joubert and OF
Mile. Jolly, a popular actress OF the
Comedie Francaise. Garden OF the
Luxembourg" the only landscape re-
corded among David's works, was
painted from memory of his i'm
prisonment in the palce after the
death of Robespierre. The superb
portrait of Plus VII depicts the Pope
who was to have crowned Napoleon,
but was waved aside at the last
moment by the conqueror, who
crowned himself emperor.
The heroics of Napoleon's era are
IelleCU6u III tIle LiillodIy pOI III dlto
and battle paintings of Baron Gros
The famous young Napoleon at the
Battle of Arcola," completed only
after Josephine had induced her
restless hero to pose long enough
for the distracted artist to tram
scribe his appearance; and the
panoramic Battle of Eylau," which
won for the artist, over Is competi-
tors, the commission to paint the
large version now in the Louvre,
commemorating Napoleon's victory;
also in Gericault's outstanding por-
trait of a carabineer of 1872 or
thereabouts.
Gerards famous portrait of Nine
Recamier exemplifies the neo-classi-
cism Of the period, and depicts an
ensnaring beauty who would be con-
sidered one by the standards of any
age. She gave this portrait, to
Prince August of Prussia, nephew of
Frederick the Great, who had un-
successfully asked for her hand.
Ingres, David's great pupil, lived
a long, productive life Among sev-