Evening star., 1947-04-20
Art
and
Objects of Interest
From Indian Culture
At National Gallery
By Florence S. Berrymon

py TiotSHSS ,. pSfTym0H
Columbus discovery of America
vas a catastrophe, in the opinion of
a noted entFs1ologist some years ago.
Had Europeans not found their way
to this hemisphere as early as the
18th Century, the undisturbed In
dian inhabitants here would have
developed, perhaps, civilization
that would have astonished the
world.
Glimpses of its esthetic beauty
and creativeness are afforded by the
exhibition just opened at the Ma
tional Gallery of Art, Indigenous
Art of the Americas, from the. col
lection of Robert Woods Bliss. It
comprises more than 200 objects
from Mexico, Central and South
America. made before the Conquest,
which Mr.. Bliss has acquired during
period of IS years. These objects
we're selected for their beauty,
rather than for their archaeological
significance. AS he says in the in
PRODUCTION to the handbook of the
exhibition. there Is "one advantage
the private collector has which no
museum can hope to attain: free
dom to buy what he likes and not
what is merely rare or necessary to
q sequence"
No attempt has been made to rep
resent every phase of artistic Pre-
Columbian expression, or to show
the full chronological development. -,
But the exhibition is far more varied
and colorful than the layman may
imagine.
A few of the outstanding treasures
are an Olmec statuette 9 inches
high. of man made of diopside-
jadeite of a rich blue-green color;
a Mixtec gold necklace of cast fill
gree beads of delicate and complex
design and ear ornaments in the
shape of humming birds; a cere-
monial axe of metamorphosed rock,
representing a human head; and a
large Toltec mask of green SER
pentine.
Particularly human is a painted
clay Mayan. statuette of man
wearing an elaborate headdress,
knding with crossed arms, his feet
ly planted. Two bronzes from
inlaid with copper and silver,
adze representing bird and
hing knife with a handle
hg in llama head.
Re but few of the many
objects which will be on
Geral weeks. But this Is
E the Bliss collection has
in its entirety.
*E* X 4
Erks in Display
the Home
he Home" Group, organ
Atkyns in 1945, is hold
ibition at the Arts Club
lay 8. More than 40 works
", most of them paintings
water color. Thirty-six
ii artists of the Washing
who are members of the
ect their own exhibits,
he Intervention of a jury.
10 me that the current dis
ais an understanding of
of work suitable for home
In. However, these artists
in most instances esthetic
consequently their entries
cal as we'll as pleasing exam
their work.
are large enough and suff1-
kSN simple in color scheme to
serve as foundations for room dec
Grafton, with Jdraperies, upholstery
and other furnishings keyed to their
colors Such, for example, Is Lee
Atkyns' View from My Studio"
'restful landscape in green, warm
yellow and gray. Other works with
fresh, bright colors, could be fitted
into various interiors, among them
Henry Olson's sunny view of the
Georgetown Canal, Marcella Comes
"Girl With a Fan" Alfred Schmidt's
INDIAN Summer" Ga mixed bou-
ouet). Carl Nyquist's &c Place."
Ethel Robertson Gath's Green
Pears" and "Cyclamen," Phoebe Hy-
ats "Daffodils" and Rowland Lyons
two harbor scenes. Emile Arlt's
Low Tide" is almost a monochrome,
but is striking and attractive. One
feels that Paul Arlt's Circus Ri
ders," more progressive in character
than the above mentioned, would be
good for a 'teen-ager's room.
Of the few sculptures 'on view,
Russell Houston's husky little nude
in cast stone and Glare Fontanini's