Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-06-26
\rt
Displays of Prints
Open in Galleries
Reviewer Is Happy
They Are Separate

P-fnu Are Ia ne foreground -
waxh.ngsor this week. The Ma
tsonal Gallery viii open this A!Ier-
neon a exhibition os recent &C.
QUESTIONS from the L<sstng J. 70
senwald collection and the Horace
0&llatsn becuess. Included via be
prints by such old masters -
Durer and Rembrandt. and nine
tenth century masters Neyyun
and Whistler.
The Division Of orlphie Aria.
Smithsonian building. opened .
few days aso. a exhibition Of
prints tths majority by 18th
century mastersl purchased
through the DAhlgreen Fund. and
. group By Charles W. Dahlgrsen.
At the Library Of Congress are
the exhibitions Of Polish wood
engravtngs and other pr!nss. and
the seventh Pennen show.
Finally the Corcoran 0allerys
latest bulletin calls attention TO
its Gown print collection and I'm
portan, accessions thereto. There
are several other permanent; col
lections in Washington.
In this era OF increasing cen
traliZation some people will I'M
doubtedly wonder why the four
mentioned local collections, three
n them belonging to the Nation.
and overlapping In some phases.
are not merged into one colossal
United States print collection, But
many OF US are grateful for the
present structure OF several grow
Ing collections. and for all the
arguments OF the cenralists. We
can return Just a. good In favor
Of division.
In the first place We would not
be able to see at one time 90 much
variety.
Secondly. while our above men
toned national institutions could
not be called branch museum"
by any stretch Of the Imagination.
at least by their several locations
they probably serve As such TO a
limited number Of visitors In their
respective areas.
In the third place. II We had
one hippopotamus collection. peo-
pie would not see Is much Of II
on any visit. An interesting ex-
pertinent conducted In Philadel-
phia some years ago. revealed that
when museum visitors enter An
enormous building. crammed with
objects. they hurry through.
glancing at only one or two items
in each gallery. whereas when
they visit q smaller place. where
only . dozen or 20 items occupy
each room. visitors will. In many
instances. scrutinize every one
So / for one. wish more power
TO each Washington institution
building UP It's own print collec-
ton.
Dahlsreen Fund Prints
Charles w. Dahlgreen. = gifted
artist OF Oak Park. III. in ls45.
presented to the Smithsonian In
stitution nearly 100 of his own
etched plates. with the provision
that a special Smithsonian edi-
ton Of prints be made from them
and sold to the public at mod
crate prices. and the proceeds
used for the improvement OF the
Smithsonian graphic arts collec-
tions. In the past three and .
half years. three special exhibi-
tions Of these prints have been
held. and q free illustrated cata-
logue printed. As 4 matter OF fact.
1t constitutes 4 little chalcog-
raphy.
1t is gratifying to report that
the public has purchased these
Smithsonian edition prints from
Mr.. Dahlgreen's plates in such
numbers that the fund created
has to date brought In 81 original
prints by other artists. the Il in
cluded in this special exhibition
being largely Of the 10th century.
Hung across the gallery from
them are Is Oahlgreen prints.
some pure etchings. others q COM
bination Of aquatint and etching
or drypoint. This selection In
cludes the most popular prints In
the Smithsonian edition a. evi-
denced by the number Of sales.
Masters of Five Countries
Outstanding printmakers OF
France. England. Spain. Sweden
and the United States are repre-
sented by the II acquisitions.
Goya (born l746>. one OF SPANS
greatest masters. Is the earliest:
his ''Pobrecitas" Is . Characteristic
example Of his mastery use Of
aquatint to express his biting COM
ment on foibles and evils OF his day
land essentially OF all times.
BY the mystic William Blake.
earliest OF four English artists IL,
the group. Is one OF his engravings
for the Book Of job" done In
1875. two years before his death.
Quite different in character Ia the
Autograph by Richard Bennington.
who Was only n when he died the
year after Blake This beautiful.
wholly objective street scene In
Besancon depicts several dilapi-
dated French houses. one still
relics OF earlier ttmes.
c. r. w. Nev.nson. who died tn
ie46. In his sos. Was . progressive
artist. although his clean-cut dry
point. Prom . Paris window.
appears traditional. Frank Brang-
wyn Is the fourth. whose large
etching "Oid Kew Bridge" has
the coarse lines, dark tonaIity and
quality ef mich of