Evening star., 1946-09-01

of art, which may be claimed under
certain conditions, by the National
Collection of Fine Arts. A portrait
of Ranger by Alphonse Jongers
(said to have been an excellent like
ness is shown. also Thomas Morans
Cliffs of the Upper Colorado River"
the first painting selected from the
Ranger fund in 1896 90 years after
the artists DEATH.
Outstanding Gift
Ralph Cross Johnson's gift in 1919
of "a old masters was (aside from
the Freer collection) the outstanding
donation up to that time. Especial
ly rich in portraits, it also includes
Msdonnas and landscapes, and rep
resents the italian, Dutch, Flemish
and British schools with works of
high standard, intrinsic value and
interest. 1t is we'll represented in
the Smithsonian centenary by Rae
burns magnificent characterization
of a contemporary Scottish painter,
Archibald Skirving, along with a
portrait of Mr.. johnson by Ernest
Moore. According to Ruel Tolman,
director of the National Collection
of Fine Arts. Mr.. johnson consid-
cred every one of his paintings of
equal merit.
! From the collection of 1900 cera-
mics and other works of very great
value. given in 1919 by the Rev.
Alfred Duane Pell of New York, a
little group of five choice items is
shown
/ Twenty-Five portraits of persons
prominent In World War I. painted
by outstanding American artists
especially commissioned by various
groups, was given in 1921. In the
next few years, additions to a Ma
tional Portrait Gallery were re-
ceived; 81 original studies of World
l personalities from the artists John
c. Johansen (whose simple but vital
oil sketch of Paderewski is shown
and from an older artist Otto Walter
Beck, his collection of % groups
done in pastel, containing 72 life
size portraits of Union and Confed-
crate veterans of the War between
the States, one Of which is on view.
The National Collection of Fine
Arts expanded again in 1929 when
John Gellatly gave 1,640 items, in
cluding 164 paintings and drawings
Chiefly Americana and other OBJ
jects of art in many categories.
Jonah" by Albert Ryder, one of a
group of is paintings by this Amer
lean romanticist, was, in the donors
opinion, the outstanding painting in
his collection.
] The greatest cultural gift to our
Nation throughout its history was
Mr.. Melons donation of his priceless
/ collection Of Ill old master paint
. ings and 81 pieces of sculpture, and
e. a SIS 100000 building to house them
!, Then followed in rapid succession
) gifts of unique importance from
; Samuel H. Kress, the Wideners and
. Lessing j. Rosenwald, not to men,
ton many gifts comprising one or
, more works of fine quality from
J other donors. The National Gallery
of Art is a bureau of the Smith
Sonlan lnstltutlon, administered sep
arately.
Smaller Gifts
The National Collection of Fine
Arts, has been augmented during
the past half century by other gifts
besides those mentioned, ranging
from single works to groups such
as the A. r. and M. H. Eddy dona-
tion of paintings, sculpture and
miniatures, and more than 700
prints by contemporary Americans
from the Chicago Society of Etchers
in 1885. Both of these collections are
represented in the special exhibition.
Another charming little group on
view is that of miniatures from the
Catherine Walden Myer Fund. With
the interest from this endowment of
less than 10000, 81 miniatures have
been purchased since 1888. Most of