Evening star., 1946-02-03
One of the Worlds Greatest Italian Art
Collections on View at National Gallery
By Florence s. Berrvman

5. Bergman
and Cherubim" and Neroccio de
Landi's Madonna and Child With
Saints" The first mentioned is an
oval panel in which the figures have
a convincingly natural appearance
of floating in space.
Rare BofficeM
Two Madonnas by Botticelli and
one by Pintoricchio are memorable
new exhibits in gallery 9. Mr.
Walker stressed the importance OF
Botticelli's Alteration of the Child
because 1t is rare sample of the
Florentine masters larger architec-
tural altarpieces which are not to
be found elsewhere in the United
States. Its condition is particularly
fine, which can be said of the Kress
collection generally, as Mr.. Kress
has always considered good con-
dition major factor in his acquisi-
ton OF paintings. The smaller MA
donna and Child With Angels" is
an early work by Botticelli, in which
he has represented children in a
lifelike manner, compared with
Pintoricchio's idealized Infant"
Sixteenth century Italian man
nerists are hung in gallery Is
among them an arresting work by
Baccguaccam Gathering of Man
na," with an unusual color scheme
and many figures and animals.
Among the Ferrarese 18th and
18th century paintings in gallery
10, should be noted the "Crucifixion' ~
tondo by Francesca del Cossa, which
is part of the same altarpiece to
which belonged the st. Florian and
st. Lucy panels previously given by
Mr.. Kress.
Late 18th and early 18th century
Venetians, to whose works gallery
81 is devoted, include Carlo Cri-
velli's Madonna and Child En-
throned With Donor" from the
well-mown English collection OF
Sir Herbert Cook. The donor In
this panel is reduced to microscopic
size, thus enhancing the Importance
of the Madonna. Titian's superb
portrait Of Cardinal Pietro Bembo
famous Greek and Latin scholar, Is
in gallery 20.
Laini Frescoes
The National Gallery of Art has
constructed special semicircular
room in which Luini's nine frescoes,
illustrating the legend of Cephalus
and Procris, are handsomely in
stalled. This setting is as close as
possible to their original one in the
Villa Pelucca. Beautiful in design
and color and appealing in theme
these frescoes, Mr.. Walker says
offer the most extensive evidence
available in this country of the tech
Inique of the 18th century frescoe
painting"
Works in sculpture shown here for
the first time include outstanding
English, German and Italian mas
terpieces. Charles Seymour, jr.
curator of sculpture at the National
Gallery, mentioned as particularly
important and rare examples two
English alabasters, the late 18th CEN
tury figure of ''The Holy Trinity" q
large impressive work In the style OF
cathedral sculpture, and "St. George
and the Dragon" late 18th century
with broad, graceful curves, preserv-
ing almost the whole of it's original
color decoration.
Tilman Riemanschneider's "St
Burchard of Wurzburg," a half
length figure in poplar wood, is a
good example by this celebrated Ger
man master of the late 18th and
early 10th centuries.
The Kress gift places the National
Gallery Of Art among the four OF
five greatest collections in the world
in representation of Florentine Rem
aissance sculpture. Major new addi-
tions are Lorenzo Ghiberti's poly
chromed terra Gotta Madonna anc
Child" and the famous monumental
J, bust Of Lorenzo de Medici in the
same material.
i Renaissance SCULPTURE
4 A significant reunion has beer
effected by Mr.. Kress' gift of Desi.
derio da Settignano's wirsome little
marble bust of the Christ Child
and also Rossellinos "St. John the
Baptist" These works originally
formed a pair in the Vancheton
Chapel in Florence, but were sep.
larated after entiring other collec.
tions. The Holy Child" promises tx
be one of the National Gallery's mos
popular exhibits. Jacopo dells
Quercia's marble Madonna ane
Child" depicts the Madonna seatee
on the ground-an unusual pose.
/ Glazed terra Gotta works by Mich.
elozzo and the Della Robbias in gal
lery 27 offer interesting comparisons
Mr.. Seymour stated that Micheloz
zo's Madonna With Sleeping Child
was an early work in a process thel
experimental, which accounts for tn,
cracks, but that its powerful model
ing and intense but restrained emo
tional quality make it far more ap
pealing than two Della Robbi,
Alterations" exhibited nearby in tn
same gallery, although their glaze,
technique is superior.
Paintings From France
French paintings of the 18th an,
18th centuries, shown in gallerie
So and So, constitute one Of tn
| most notable series of this schoo
and period ever received by an,
museum. They have exceptions
grace, charm of color and pictoria
appeal. The earliest are Louis T.