Evening star., 1957-12-25
Gallery Offering Visitors Rodios
To Provide New Art Perspectives
BY HARRIET GRFFITHs

The National Gallery OF Art
Is about to open q new door
to public enjoyment Of the
world-famous art treasures
housed in the late Andrew Mel
Ions gift to the nation.
The gallery hopes 10 inaugu-
rate next month a service called
Lec-turs, q means by which
q visitor looking ct q painting
may tune In on the spot an
authoritative commentary
about the work.
For q small fee. the gallery
tourist rents q little plastic
radio attachment for his ear.
with Q compact receiver that
may be worn around the neck.
Thus equipped. he automati-
cally tunes in on a closed-cir-
cult radio broadcast as he en-
ters an exhibition room. The
commentary. which only he can
hear. describes the paintings In
sequence as he tours the room.
| Queen Tested Device
Queen Elizabeth II became
THE first visitor to try out the
device when she was here in
October.
The lectures. lasting from 10
ito Is minutes for each room.
are prepared and read by mem
hers Of the gallery stafi. They
are couched in conversational
Language easily understood by
the layman.
The viewer-listener hears
something about the meaning
of the paintings. the artists
who painted them. the times in
which they were produced,
their significance in the art
world. techniques they repre-
sent or other pertinent infor-
lmation.
In Gallery No. 4. for in
stance. he viii be informed
that in the Italian city Of
Florence, in the period between
ll430 and 1890 known as the
EARLY Renaissance" men Of
genius mapped the course
which Western art was to fol-
low for the next 500 years.
Art Milestones Explained
Looking at The Annuncia-
ton" BY an unknown artist
whose work Is famous. the
master Of the Barberini Panels,
the viewer learns that the
discovery Of the laws Of per-
spective was one of the mile
stones IN the history Of art.
While the building lines give
"a convincing impression Of
three-dimensional space, the
artist had not learned to rep
resent a circular shape In
equally correct perspective. he
notes, and ''as q result. the
vase with roses on the pave
ment seems to be floating in
mid-air.- -
| One of the finest examples
lof 18th century Italian art Is
1.-The Alteration Of the Magi"
Iby Fra Angelica and Fra
lFilippo Lippi. once owned by
the Medici family who ruled
Florence.
visitors May Pick Time
The fine network Of cracks
lin the "Pieta." by Filippo Lippi
will be explained as what Is
called ''eracalure." usually
caused by changes in tempera-
ture. The National Gallery is
Ientirely air conditioned and
the humidity is controlled ito
combat this age-old enemy Of
paintings" the lecturer adds.
The idea Of the system is
mot original with the gallery.
but its adaptation to art view
ing is q pioneer step In WASH
lington, at least. The gallery's
system, which uses transistors.
was designed by Frank H. Nc
Intosh g. Associates.
So far. 10 separate galleries
thave been wired. They rep
resent various major periods Of
art. Together. they offer about
two hours Of commentary.
The gallery has an extensive
program Of live lectures and
other programs open to the
public. but the new medium
has the added advantage that
the visitor may choose his own
time schedule during the gall
llerv,g 0nof hours