Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-08-09

Despite the depressing polit-
ical and economic news from
Italy for some years, the Ital-
ian people continue to dem
onstrate that they have, as in
former days, their large pro-
portion Of artistic gifts, imag-
ination, ingenuity. Industrious
ness and devotion to fine
craftsmanship. The exciting
exhibition of modern design
entitled Italy at Work" at
the Baltimore Museum. is
truthfully described as a
modern renaissance" in the
field of decorative and indus
trial arts.
This exhibition, which has
been on view for several
months, has one more week to
run. Washington art lovers
who have not already visited
it, can scarcely find a more
rewarding short excursion be-
tween Tuesday morning and
Saturday evening. (The Balti-
more Museum is closed Mon
days.
This largest museum show
ever brought to the United
States was organized as a CO.
operative effort by IL Ameri-
can museums, including Bal
timore's, assisted by the Ital-
ian Government, the National
Artisans Society of Rome, and
various United States agen-
cies, including the ECA and
the Department of State. The
exhibition has five full-Scale
interiors, by leading Italian
architect-designers, and $500
diverse objects, in many clas-
Sifications: furniture, ceramics,
textiles, metalWork, glassware,
ironwork, leatherwork, mo-
sales, lighting fixtures, wom-
ems accessories, straW-work.
bookbindingS, toys, tiles and
other items, ranging from the
unique luxury class to mod
crate priced furnishings.
Travelled 5000 Miles
The exhibition includes only
objects created since the be-
ginning of 1850. A jury Of
American experts in design
spent several months touring
Italy to select the show. They
travelled 5000 miles and Wis
tied some $50 artisans and
craftsmen. Another objective
was to exclude anything purely
traditional in design. (There
are a number of items, how
ever. which struck me as def
nitely traditional: e.g., Della
Robbia type ceramic figures
glazed in white and colors,
inlaid wood cabinets, inlaid
hard stone objects. But all Of
them add to the shows
charm
Featured are the exhibit
tons full-scale rooms, COM
pletely furnished: dining room
by Clio Ponti Of Milan, "a
decorative fantasy" somewhat
too cluttered; terrace room by
Luigi Cosenza of Naples; all
purpose room by Carlo Mollino
of Turin, serene and livable,
with blond wood furniture.
dark green upholstery and
fabrics, lemon yellow ceramics;
private chapel by Roberto
Menghi of Milan, conveying
religious feeling even in its
austere museum display; and
a foyer for q marionette the
alter, by Fabricio Clerici OF
Rome. Let no visitor miss the
enchanting introduction the
architect has written for this
display, in which he says chill
dren should find themselves
lin surroundings different
from reality, walking through
the fanciful corridors OF the
unreal, as in a wondrous
dream"
Many ecclesiastical and Ii
turgical objects fill the gallery
in which the chapel is in
stalled. Among them is an
enameled crucifix by Luigi
Martinotti of Milan, which
received a special benediction
from Pope Plus before it
started the tour. Fourteen
stations of the cross in the
chapel. and other exquisite
enameled and mosaic works by