Evening star., 1962-08-26
Phillips Collection

FhIllIps Collection
1t always pays to keep your
eye on the Phillips Collec-
ton. Not only is the place
the most congenial museum
in the country and possibly
the world. but it also has
hidden asures, any of
which is likely to come to
light at any time. Phillips
watching is something like
the current seasonal occupa-
ton of watching for shoot
ing stars. You haven't a clue
as to what will turn UP, or
where, or when. But you
know that when it does it
will be we'll worth while. And
in the meantime the station
airy stars, all by themselves,
amply repay the watcher in
the night.
So at the Phillips. The new
wing is pretty we'll totally
composed of fixed stars right
now and how lovely they are.
The great Renoir, THE
Luncheon of the Boating
Party" glows in its own
room. holding forever a gold
en- moment now 80 years
gone, a vision of Joy and
youth reflected in the aston
ishing variety of light be-
meath a single sun on a sin
gle scene.
The roomful Of Braque
downstairs is quieter, more
classical in feeling. but no
less intense in concentration.
Next to it is a room that
constitutes a kind of essay
on modern painting. Rela-
lively free form abstraction
is seen to begin rather be-
fore World War I in a small,
exquisite and funny painting
by Arthur Dove. Through
Juxtapositions the visitor
benefits from the perceptive
minds Of Mr.. and Mrs. Phil
lips. He sees, for example,
relationships he never
dreamt of between Karl
Knaths and Picasso, between
Bradley Walker Tomlin and
Pierre SoulageS. Related to
both is the happily raucous
street band - composed en-
tirely of thick bands Of paint
of Nicolas de Stael.
Upstairs the visitor is con-
fronted by the unique pair of
Spanish pictures, the weep
ing st. Peter by Ell Greco and
again by Goya. The irri-
descent paint quality of Ell
Greco transforms the saints
tears into crystal rain from
heaven. The thick paint of
Goya emphasizes the main
truth about Peter, that he
was of the earth. earthly.
Turning from Goya, the
visitor sees another enter
prise Of changing matter to
spirit. This is THE Upris-
ing by Daumier, that re-
markable picture of a 10Th
Century Partisan street mob;
with no Justification or
idealization whatsoever, the
participants. and especially
the central figure, are
charged with a spiritual
quality. They seem to be the
first line of defense, or per-
haps the last resort, of de-
mocracy against the tyrants
who have fought so long and
so desperately. AS in many
Daumier paintings, one is
conscious here of the
draughtsman's line. 1t comes,
no doubt, from the artists
life long work as a litho-
grapher; but it recalls less
the line of printmaking than
the line Michelangelo carved
into a frescoed ceiling with
an iron stylus.
Passing from the new wing
over the bridge into the old
building. the visitor finds his
first surprise, the austere
construction on of Georgia
OKeeffe's white Place in
Shadow the cliffs and sky
Of the southwestern desert.
The hanging completely iso-
lates the painting and you
recall, perhaps incredulously,
that somewhere there is heat
more intense than Washing
tons.
The great dark drawing
room. as before, opens a Sc
ries of windows on sensitive
views: Augustus Tack's orr
entail storm clouds, Rouault's
Biblical landscapes, Month
cells luscious Shakespearian
forests. Beyond is a major
change. The small room for
merly given over to Kokosch-
ka, with his sweeping pana-
ramaS of Prague and I,von