10 THE NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART 



The cultivation of art, even in directions promising practical 

 benefits to the people, has never received encouragement from 

 the national Government except in the privilege of copyright 

 and patent. The erection of public buildings and monuments, 

 the decoration of interiors, the portraiture of prominent officials, 

 and the designing of medals, coins, currency, and stamps have 

 furnished essentially the only opportunities for the recognition 

 of artistic talent, while on the other hand, the active part taken 

 by the Government in developing the material resources of the 

 country has caused its collections in natural history and eth- 

 nology to grow rapidly. There has, therefore, been very little 

 of art in the ownership of the Government to which the In- 

 stitution could claim right of possession, and the interests of 

 the private benefactor have been directed elsewhere. Fortu- 

 nately, popular sentiment is now developing a broader national 

 spirit whose efiFect has already been manifested in such a manner 

 and to such an extent as practically to insure the assembling 

 at Washington at a time not far distant of a public collection 

 of the fine arts worthy of the country. 



To the professional and connoisseur in art many of the matters 

 referred to in this article may appear to have too trivial or imma- 

 terial a relationship to the main subject, but as the paper has been 

 prepared almost wholly for a historical purpose, it would scarcely 

 be complete or satisfying if some mention were not made of the 

 lesser things which have figured in the prolonged effort to carry 

 out the law of Congress. Other galleries of art, now of the great- 

 est prominence, have had as humble beginnings, even if their pre- 

 liminary history does not show so many years of almost unen- 

 couraged existence. The Regents and officers of the Institution 

 have been fully cognizant of the relative art value of the objects 

 which have at any time been classed in the art department, and 

 have recognized their shortcomings from the point of view of the 

 fine arts. The department of the arts and crafts has been built 

 up without reference to the gallery and to subserve another pur- 

 pose, though containing many choice examples of esthetic work- 

 manship. The limits of the National Gallery of Art, under its 

 present status of organization, have not been established, and 

 they probably never can be with definiteness. It is the present 

 intention to confine the gallery within the boundaries of the 



