18 ANNUAL REPOET SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 193 



NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART 



The leading event of the year was the exhibition in the gallery of 

 the 78 American paintings purchased during the last 10 years from 

 the Ranger fund, which are subject to consideration as additions to 

 the gallery's permanent collections as provided in the Ranger be- 

 quest. The paintings were lent for the exhibition by the institu- 

 tions to which they were assigned by the National Academy of De- 

 sign. The exhibition was opened on December 10, 1929, with a 

 reception by the Secretary and Regents of the Institution, the Director 

 of the National Gallery, and the members of the National Gallery 

 of Art Commission; the National Academy of Design was repre- 

 sented by six of its officials. 



Besides the exhibition of Ranger paintings, four special exhibits 

 were held during the year, namely, sculpture of Edgardo Simone, 

 portraits by Edwin B. Child, paintings, sculptures, etc., by contem- 

 porary Hungarian artists, and paintings by American Negro artists. 



FREER GALLERY OF ART * 



Additions to the collections by purchase during the year include 

 examples of early Egyptian bookbinding; Chinese bronzes; Chinese 

 jade objects; Persian and Egyptian manuscripts; Persian, Indian, 

 Chinese, and Egyptian paintings; Chinese porcelain bowls; Chinese 

 pottery; South Indian bronze sculpture; Chinese silver objects; and 

 Chinese silver-gilt objects. 



Curatorial work included the documentary study of inscriptions 

 on new purchases as well as those on objects already in the collection. 

 Expert opinion was given to other institutions and individuals re- 

 garding 834 objects and 185 photographs of objects sent in for 

 examination. With the expert aid of Dr. A. K. Coomaraswamy, 

 a large group of paintings in the Near Eastern section, purchased in 

 1907 from Col. H. B, Hanna, has undergone complete revision and 

 reclassification. 



The year's total attendance was 120,651 ; of these 1,349 visited the 

 offices for general information or for study purposes. Sixteen 

 groups were given docent service in the exhibition galleries, and 10 

 classes were given instruction in the study room. Two lectures were 

 given in the auditorium: " The Caves of the Thousand Buddhas," by 

 Sir Aurel Stein ; and " Indian Sculpture : Intention and Develop- 

 ment," by Dr. A. K. Coomaraswamy. 



The field expedition was able, in spite of disturbed conditions, to 

 make interesting investigations at the site of the Liang dynasty 

 (A. D. 502-556) tombs, near Nanking, China. 



* The Government's expense in connection with the Fi-eer Gallery of Art consists 

 mainly in the care of the building and certain other custodial matters. Other expenses 

 are paid from the Freer endowment funds. 



