Evening star., 1946-07-28

Why an artist born one hundred
years ago should be better material
for commemorative exhibitions than
one who began his life half a mill
lenium in the past, is minor myS-
terry. Yet during the past decade,
centennials of the births of out
standing French and American
painters have been celebrated with
carefully assembled groups of their
works. while old masters, whose sew
eral-hundredth birthdays occurred
during the same period, have been
overlooked. or ignored. There are
doubtless good reasons for this. The
comparative rarity and high eval-
uations of old masterpieces. for in
stance, make the assembling Of such
an exhibition for brief period, a
much more formidable undertaking.
Nevertheless, in Washington's own
galleries can be seen a sufficient
number of excellent examples of
works by great masters to make it
possible for local art lovers to enjoy
memorial exhibitions" with nothing
but the expenditure of little foot
work. Hence I propose to commem-
crate here few masters whose CEN
tennials occur this year.
Perugino was born five hundred
years ago, according to many au-
thorities. Others say 1t may have
been 1445, and still others, 1850. But
1446 appears as the date Of his birth
in most biographies of Pietro van-
nucci, the Umbrian master COM
monty called Perugino. Washington
has six of his paintings: five in the
/tional Gallery, one In the Cor
.oran Gallery of Art.
Merely by studying these master
pieces, a person not previously ac-
quainted with Perugino's work, could
certainly obtain definite impress
sion of his flavor.
1t is regrettable that he should so
often be dismissed simply as the
teacher of Raphael. For there are
qualities in Perugino's paintings
that strongly appeal to many art
lovers. And Vasari's account OF
Peruginos life reveals the Umbrian
master as an energetic. vivid per-
sonality with touchingly human am
bitions and failings, and ideas In
strong contrast to the impression
one gets from his paintings.
The Isolated Soul
For this impression is that PERU
gino created a sort of Occidental
Nirvana in which Christ and His
Mother, saints and angels. are In
rapt communion with God, and
completely unaware of their sur
roundings and companions in the
paintings. This serene isolation Is
we'll illustrated in the National Gal
lery's outstanding masterpiece by
Perugino, THE Crucifixion." In the
graceful figure of Christ, sharply
outlined against clear sky, there Is
no suggestion of suffering. The
VlISiIl dIlu ot. OCl oIllC OAi Oi1C CANS
of the Gross, and on the other, st
John and st. Mary Magdalen Tin
almost identical poses) wear express
sions of sorrowful contemplation
The entire composition seems SYM
bolic. The far-reaching landscape
is the scenery of dream.
1t is natural to assume that the
painter of such a picture would him.
self be man of monumental calm
spiritually removed from the tur-
moil of daily struggle. Not so Peru.
gino. Born in the town of Castelle
della Pieve. he grew up in poverty
At the age of 9. he was apprenticeo
to a poor Perugian painter, Fiorenze
di Lorenzo, who besides teaching the
boy the usual chores of the studio
transmitted to him deep respec,
for the art Of painting. The youth
went on to study elsewhere. In hi.
early twenties, he was In Florence, &
fellow pupil with da Vinci. in ths
! studio of the sculptor Verrocchio
There perhaps, he got the sculp.