4 
THE EVENING STAR, 
With Sunday Morning Edition. 
r-.i-Ii 1 -- ‘ ' 
WASHINGTON, D. C. 
SUNDAY_November 27, 1921 
THEODORE W. NOYES-Editor 
The Freer Gallery. 
Inconspicuously placed in the Smith¬ 
sonian section of the Mall, just to the 
west and south of the old red stone 
building- that marks the gift of John 
Smithson for the development of 
science in America, stands the new 
Freer Gallery of Art, not yet open to 
the public. This addition to the capi¬ 
tals attractions, the gift of the late 
Charles L. Freer of Detroit, is per¬ 
haps but the first of a group of similar 
institutions. The Commission of Fine 
Arts, in its admirable annual report 
on the development of Washington, 
expresses this thought, saying that 
the Freer Gallery “is a type of the 
small adequately housed and well en¬ 
dowed galleries which doubtless will 
be established from time to time by 
private individuals and given to the 
nation to be administered, by the 
Smithsonian Institution for the in¬ 
struction and gratification of the 
taste of the people.” 
The location of the Freer Gallery in 
this city has been the result of the in¬ 
terest and influence of the chairman 
of the Commission of Fine Arts, : 
Charles Moore. He was first instru- ! 
mental in securing from Mr. Freer a 
bequest to the Smithsonian of the i 
famous Whistler peacock room and 
collection of Whistler paintings and | 
etchings, then established at Detroit, ; 
to be brought here after Mr. Freer’s 
death. Eventually, by successive j 
changes of plan, the entire collection : 
of paintings and objects of art was ' 
given outright for immediate estab¬ 
lishment here, $1,000,000 was given ! 
, * 
for the construction of a suitable gai-i 
lery building and an endowment fund j 
was treated to provide for enlarge- : 
ments and additions to the collection. : 
Unfortunately' Mr. Freer died before , 
the completion of the building and the 
emplacement of the collection. His \ 
example, however, serves as an in- j 
spiration to other Americans of wealth j 
to select Washington, the capital, as 
the proper place for their-art collec¬ 
tions, the place where they can be 
seen by the people of all parts of the 
country, and where, as the commis¬ 
sion's report says, they will make for 
“the instruction and gratification of 
the taste of the people.” 
It is the opinion of those versed in 
matters of art exhibition that small 
galleries are better than large ones, 
that immense collections such as those 
in the Louvre in Paris and the Na¬ 
tional Gallery in London and other 
great art assemblages do not produce 
the best effect. The Freer Gallery will 
be of the highest grade in quality. It 
will have in it's own range no superior 
in the world, and its wonders can be 
quickly appreciated by visitors, who 
will take from it lasting, distinct im¬ 
pressions that are not given by larger 
collections. 
Washington is destined to be an im¬ 
portant art center. It has now two 
excellent galleries, the Corcoran and 
the National. The Freer will soon be 
added to them. Other privately as¬ 
sembled collections will, it is under¬ 
stood, in the near future be opened to 
the public here, perhaps in specially 
provided buildings. In the develop¬ 
ment of this foundation it naturally 
follows that facilities for instruction 
will come, and that the schools of art 
now established here will be strength¬ 
ened and equipped to attract to Wash¬ 
ington large numbers of students from 
different parts of the country. Wash¬ 
ington has already the proper atmos¬ 
phere for art work. It includes a j 
large number of eminent painters and j 
sculptors, and with the galleries now j 
in existence and soon to be available 
it is probable that in a few years this 
city will, as respects creative art work, 
be the Paris of America. 
HE opening of the Freer 
lery this week overshadow 
importance all other events 
lating to art. Ever since 
late Charles L. Freer deeded his 
markable collection to the natior 
public has looked forward some 
to the privilege of seeing it. A 
tion of the collection was exhil 
for a short time some years ag 
the National Museum, giving a f 
taste of the pleasure later to 
realized when it would be show 
its own home. 
Announcement has been made 
only a portion of the collection 
ever be on public view at the d 
time, as it was the giver’s idea no 
show everything at once, but to s 
certain things beautifully. Thef 
reason to believe that in every 
ticular, so far as the matter of 
play goes, Mr. Freer's wishes 1 
been followed, out, and there is as 
ance, furthermore, that this has 1 
done through the medium of most 
pert knowledge. There is, therefo 2 
great deal to be expected in the i 
ter of display. 
Undoubtedly, curiosity has 1 
whetted and interest increased in 
opening of this gallery, because of 
fact that up to the present time it 
been so tightly shut, none being 
mitted for private views, no ms 
how great of how wise or how ij 
ential. CL 'f^AsJ- 3 4> i 
Tomorrow certain represenfat 
of the press are to be admitted in 
morning. On the seven follov 
days—that is, from the 2d to the 
inclusive—specially invited guests 
be admitted by card. There wifi 
no formal reception, no recen 
committee, floral decorations, m 
or the like turning the opening 
a festive social occasion. Prima 
and entirely this is an art event, 
those who are invited to have a 
view are merely given a week’s p 
ence over the public, for from the 
on all will be admitted. The rea 
for the setting aside of the week 
invited guests is presumably to f 
students of art and those most in 
eSted technically or profession 
the opportunity of viewing the 
lections in comparatively priv 
rather than in the midst of thro 
of interested but casual visitors. 
' The opening of this gallery is 
event of national importance and 
attract to Washington leading i 
resetatives of the art world. It i 
distinct asset to the National Capi 
and it will give additional reason 
art lovers to make this city in 
future a place of pilgrimage'. 
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