Evening Star Newspaper, April 23, 1933, Page 78

N Calendar of Exhibitions CORCORAN GALLERY OF ART, Seven- teenth street and New York avenue. Permanent collection. Prints by Argen- tine artists, collected and lent by Dr. Gill, April 27 to May 14; paintings by Wilbur A. Reaser of New York, April 18 to May 7. NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART, Tenth and B (Constitution avenue) streets morthwest. Permanent collection. SMITHSONIAN BUILDING, DIVISION OF GRAPHIC ARTS, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. Etchings by Kerr Eby, March 28 to April 26. FREER GALLERY OF ART, Twelfth and B streets southwest. Permanent collec- tion. LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, print divi- sion, First street between East Capttol and B streets southeast. Drawings in pen and ink and wash, by William T. Smedley, recent acquisitions. ARTS CLUB OF WASHINGTON, 2017 I street. Paintings by Olive Rush of Santa Fe, N. Mex., and Gordon Grant of New York. April 16 to 30. PHILLIPS MEMORIAL GALLERY, 1600 Twenty-first street. Open Saturdays from 11 am. to 6 p.m. TEXTILE MUSEUM OF THE DIS- TRICT OF COLUMBIA, 2330 S street northwest. Rugs, tapestries and other textiles of the Near and Far East. Open Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, 2 to 5 o’'clock. Admission by card obtain- able at the office of G. H. Myers, 730 Fijteenth street morthwest. PUBLIC LIBRARY, Ceniral Building, Ninth and K streets. Facsimile re- productions of paintings of Western Wild Flowers, by Mrs. Charles D. Wal- cott. ART LEAGUE OF WASHINGTON, 2111 Bancroft place. Works by artists of the Delaware Valley regiom, Philadelphia and New York. SEARS, ROEBUCK & CO. ART GAL- LERIES, 1106 Connecticut avenue. Rugs from Finland, Chinese ancestor por- traits, paintings by Lilian Giffen, Wil- liam C. Palmer and others, 125 twen- tieth century etchings from the Rosen- wald collection. April 7 to May 1. HEKIMIAN GALLERIES, 1214 Connecti- cut avenue. Eczxhibition of Persian art assembled for Century of Progress Ex- position, Chicego. March 16 to April 29. TEN O'CLOCK CLUB, 1603 K street northwest. Ezhibition of paintings by Adelaide de Groot, April 16 to April 29. HOWARD UNIVERSITY ART GAL- LERY. Ezhibition of works by Negro artists, circulated by the Harmon Foun- dation, April 26 to May 15. Sculpture by Ernest Durig, April 7 to May 15. GORDON DUNTHORNE GALLERY, 1005 Connecticut avemue. Decorative maps and views of sixteenth and seven- teenth centuries. Rare flower prints, 1740 to 1840. To April 30. HILL SCHOOL OF ART, 6 Dupont Circle. Spring erhibition, sculplures and etch- ings. April 26 to 29. UNITED STATES NATIONAL MU- SEUM, Arts and Industries Building. Pictorial photographs by Leonard Misonne of Gilly, Belgium, and Minya Duhrkoop of Hamburg, Germany. To April 30. ART LEAGUE OF WASHINGTON, 2111 Bancrojt place northwest. Paintings by John Folinsbee, Ben Badura. Mod- ern abstractions. Third quarterly Washington Art Show from April 18 to May 1 PELICAN CLUB, 423 Eleventh street northwest. Modern paintings by Rob- ert Hogue, Robert Miller, Peter Keenan, Lloyd Ney. Loaned by the Art League of Washington. To April 30. NORTHEASTERN BRANCH, PUBLIC LIBRARY, Seventh and Maryland avenue nmortheast. Selected groups of oils by Pennsylvania artists. Ezxhibition of water colors by Fred Harer, loaned by the Art League of Washington. ARTISTS’ BENEFIT SALE, 725-727 Seventeenth street morthwest. Paint- ings, prints, crafts, pottery in a bene- fit sale, at prices from 50 cents to $20, sponsored by the Art League of Wash- ington. N The Star of May 9, 1929, appeared the following notice: “The Senate passed a resolution yesterday afternoon acknowl- edging the offer of John Gellatly to turn over to the Government his art collection for eventual exhibition in the National Gallery of Art, under the Smith- sonian Institution. The resolution directs the Bmitshonian officials to convey & suitable ac- knowledgment to the donor.” The House con- gurred in this action just a week later. At the time that announcement was made of Mr. Gellatly’s gift and its acceptance it was stated that it would be at least four >wars be- fore these works were removed to Washingg.n. The four years are gone, the donor has pasved away and at the present time the collection is being packed in New York for shipment to ‘Washington. It will arrive here before the end of the month and be placed on exhibition in the Natienal Museum as soon as suitable ar- rangements can be made—probably early in Pune. When the gift was made the late Garl Melchers was chairman of the National Gal- jery of Art Commission and was quoted a3 «ay- THE SUNDAY STAR, = WASHINGTON, D. C, APRIL 28, 113 A Al AND EllA MECHLIN Great Art Collection, Given to the Nation FourYears Ago, Will Come to the National Gallery infJune—Other Local Art Notes. ~ Portrait of John Gellatly, a gift of the artist, Irving R. Wiles, 1o the Smith- sonian Institution. ing that the collection was comparable in value to the collection given by Charles L. Freer of Detroit, now housed in the Freer Gallery. This collection, which, it is said, took 50 years to assemble and cost the donor several million dollars, comprises about 100 paintings, repre- senting some of our leading American paint- ers, such as Whistler, Sargent, Abbott Thayer, Ryder, Dewing, Melchers, Hassam, Twachtman and others. In addition to these works, which are in oil, there are approximately 25 water colors and pastels by distinguished artists. Besides the paintings there is, however, & unique and valuable collection of jewelry—ex- amples of the finest, wrought in gold, silver and _ precious stones. Among the last are said to be some crown jewels from European countries. Especially -fine are the examples of sixteenth century jewelry, which rival in importance the collection of this period in the Louvre. Mr. Gellatly also collected jewelry in the Near and It was his particular enthusiasm. did art. last of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. It is essentially & one-man collection, and that one man a connoisseur. Mr. Gellatly was a close friend of the paint- ers whose works are represented in this collec- tion, especially of the Dewings. Despite his wealth, he lived in exceptional retirement and was especially individualistic. - His portrait, full length, painted by Irving R. Wiles, has been added comparatively lately to the National Gal- lery collection and is a valuable acquisition. Significant of his interest in jewelry is a large, handsome ring on the forefinger of his right hand. Indicative of his keen appreciation of beauty are his sensitive features, most sym- pathetically interpreted by the painter. Mr. Gellatly died a poor man, having spent the greater part of his fortune on this col- lection which he deeded to the Nation. But he was rich in_experience and in pleasurable memories. The collection which will now so shortly be shown here was a great gift and should lend, even in these times, impetus to the development of a national gallery of art which would be commensurate in importance with the size and standing of our Nation—an honor and & perennial benefit. A' A HE National Gallery of Art came into exist~ ence with the establishment of the Smith- sonian Institution. It made little progress until 1906, when Harriet Lane Johnston be- queathed to it her vollection of paintings, in- cluding works by Romney, Reynolds, Lawrence, Hoppner, Luini and others. In the same year Charles L. Preer deeded his collection of paint- ings by Whistler and other Americans and of Oriental art objects to the Natfan. About the same time came the William T. Evans collection of 151 paintings by 106 American artists, and later still the Ralph Cross Johnson collection and the collection of portraits of persons prominently connected with the World War, given by a self-organized committee as the nucelus for a national portrait gallery. Theodore Roosevelt was President of the United States at the time the Freer collection was offered and but for his appreciation of the importance of the collection and the great generosity of the gift, it would probably have been declined by the regents of the Smith- sonian Institution because of lack of space and appropriations, as well as appreciation of its significance. The Evans collection has been augmented by paintings purchased under the Ranger fund, a process which will continue perpetually, assuring the National Gallery of Art a full representation of the best works of American artists. But still the National Gallery of Art has no home, nor has it from Congress adequate sup- port. To a great extent it is a mendicant. A site has been set aside in the great triangle building plan for a national gallery building, but as yet no money has been appropriated for such a building and no steps taken to provide adequate organization for the development and care of a national collection, much less a pur- chase fund. The majority of the art museums of this country have been built up through private gifts, and it is said on good authority that most of the great works of art brought to this coun- try by individuals as private possessions eventu- ally find their way into public collections. How- ever, there is a limit to masterpieces. If some steps are not taken to erect a national gallery of art and provide adequate organization com- paratively soon, many of the great works of art which under ordinary circumstances would be given to a national collection will find place- ment elsewhere. The National Gallery of Art of Canada has a purchase fund from government sources of over $100,000 a year. There is certainly no other enlightened nation than our own that does not set aside money for the upbuilding of a national art collection, recognizing the im- portance of art as a factor in civilization. In the present day, when leisure hours are in- creasing, and the use of leisure hours a prob- lem of vital significance, this question of art and its recreative valves is of more importance than ever before. T is not gencraily known outside of New Haven that on March 4 the Yale Gallery of Fine Arts opened in honor of the thirty- second President of the United States an ex- hibition of Roosevelt silver, selected from the Mabel Brady Garvan collections. This silver, which was placed on view in the American Gallery, falls into two catagories, pieces made by Nicholas Roosevelt (1715-1769) and his nephew, Peter De Reimer (1739-1814), and others made by early New York silver- smiths in the eighteenth century for members of the Roosevelt family. The craftsmanship of Nicholas Roosevelt is well represented by a very fine tankard. the lid and handle of which are decorated with French coins of 1727 and 1745; a pear-shaped teapot of the Chippen- dale period, aanhrt-e-legged cream jug, and a porringer spodn. Nicholas, an official silver- smith for the City of New York, was the nephew of Jacobus (1692-1776), and Johannes Roosevelt (1689-1733) the respective direct ancestors of the President and Mrs. Roosevelt. Nicholas’ nephew, Peter De Reimer (1739- 1814), also a Silversmith, was the maker of the sauce boat which is a rare article in early New York silver. Earliest in the date among the family plate is an exceptionally fine tankard, made by Ben- jamin Wynkoop, bearing the initials of Jo- hannes and Helytje Roosevelt, who ‘were mar- ried in 1708. The lid is engraved with Jo- hannes Roosevelt's cypher, or entwined initials, a characteristic feature of early New York sil- ver. Johannes, who served as assistant alder- man of New York City 1717-1727, and as alcer- man from 1730 until his death, was conmected by marriage with Wynkoop, maker of the tank- ard. Mrs. Roosevelt is seventh in descent from Alderman Johannes. POWELL MINNIGERODZ, director of the e Corcoran Gallery of Art, has been ine vited to serve as a member of the_jury of award for the Carnegie Institute’s International Exhi. bition this year. As s rule, the jurors for this Continued on Thirteenth Pajc THE CORCORAN SCHOOL OF ART Taition FREE Aanual Entrance Fee, $25.00 “ F elix National Art School 1747 R. I Ave. NAT. 2656 Abbott Art School Summer Classes 1624 H St. N.W., Corner 17th