Evening star., 1945-11-04


partment's war art project. A fine
record has been made by artists
commissioned to make paintings
drawings and prints of the war in
many areas. Net few exhibitions
of work done under 1t. Parsons
have been held in Washington, most
recently that of 1t. Millman ct the
Central Public Library, last month
On Sunday. November 18, an ex-
hibition Of paintings and darwings
by 1t. Mitchell Jameson, U. S. N. R..
lent by the Navy Department, will
open at the Corcoran Gallery.
***
|"Oriand0 Fnsi0so"
Fragonard's drawings for Ariosto
now on view in the printrooms oi
the Phillips Memorial Gallery, COM
prise an exhibition not only of great
interest to art lovers, but also of nc
little enchantment for romanticists
The entire series of 1877 has just beer
reproduced for the National Gal.
lery of Art, and Harvard College
Library, in handsome volume by
Pantheon Press, with essays by
Elizabeth Mongan of the Nationa
Gallery's curatorial staff, Philir
Hofer and Jean Seznac of Harvard
Fifty-two of these originals are III
the Phillips Gallery's exhibition
lent by the National Gallery of Art
Mrs. Edith G. Rosenwald, DIR. A. S
w. Rosenbach of Philadelphia anc
Mr.. John Nicholas Brown. Two
originals are owned by the Phillip,
Gallery.
Although these drawings are the
largest series of illustrations ever
made by Fragonard and are re.
garded by some critics as his most
important, and in addition, the
finest and most original illustra-
tions for Ariosto's masterpiece since
the mid-16th century, they have
never before been reproduced. The
edition of Orlando Furioso," fol-
which they were intended, was not
published.
Various significant aspects OF
these drawings have been pointed
out, such as the linking of French
art and Italian literature in two OF
historys greatest periods. But il
is sufficient for visitors to the Phil
lips Gallery to see with what vitality
and charm Fragonard has caught
the spirit of Ariosto's classic. Nearly
all of the drawings are heightened
with touches of bistre and sepia
wash.
Ariosto's Orlando Furioso" COM
pleted and greatly surpassed an
earlier poem on the same theme by
Boiardo. who died before he fin
ished it. Ariosto's romance out
shone all others of the italian
Renaissance during the 18th to 18th
centuries. 1t has a great theme
and characters, comparable to those
OF Homer and Virgil.
"Oriando" in Resume
Set against a background of wal
between Christians and Moslems
are numerous episodes involving
many characters. The major theme
however, is not that of Orlando's
madness, but of the love between
Bradamante, the Virgin Knight
and Ruggiero, a young Saracen
whom she refused to marry unit
he was baptized. Their marriage
after many adventures, conclude.
the poem. About one-third of the
drawings at the Phillips Gallery dea
with Bradamante in her white ar.
NOR and white-plumed helmet, and
Ruggiero, who owned a hippo
gryph" or winged horse, and a daz-
zling shield which blinded his oppo-
nents and enabled him to win easy
victories. His nobility is exempli-
fed by such acts as his discardine
this shield because it gives him an
unfair advantage over others.
An equal number of drawings in
the exhibition deal with Orlando
and his love for Angelica, whose
elopement with handsome young
Moor drove Orlando mad with jeal-
ousy and rage.
Still another motif illustrated In
the present exhibition is the love of
Isabella and zerbino, who couldn't
marry because she was a pagan.
Her lament over bis death is an out
standing passage in the whole poem.
Many other characters depicted
in Fragonard's spirited drawings
include Rinaldo, brother of Brada-
mante, who enlisted the aid OF
British knights in the crusade:
Agramante. king of the Moors; AL
Gina, an enchantress: Astolfo, who
eventually restored Orlando's SAN
ity, and Brunello. thief of such
dexterity that he stole horse from
under its riders legs.
The ease with which Fragonard
depicted alike the supernatural and
the realistic is apparent in many
instances. He made Ruggiero's 8
hippograph, for example, just as
convincing a steed as Rinaldo's
horse Baiardo. In one illustration
at the Phillips Gallery, the latter is
bucking as furiously as any broncho
in Wild West rodeo.
Fragonard had q great theme and
gave 1t pictorial form of such charm
that his interpretations are treasured
after nearly two centuries. One
wonders how future generations will
regard the work of some Of today,s
illustrators. who must deal with
such popular favorites as Tobacco
Road" In the long run, it would
seem as though the advantage Is
with artists fortunate enough To
have as subjects, men Ike gods
.se..ieT I,lan sus.slumans.
This exhibition Of original draw
ings will remain at the Phillips Gal
lery through November II.