of need was given back to him mightier tive work, sufficient in number to make a than ever. THE FINE ARTS TO THE FORE IT T is beginning to be perceived that within the last year or two American Art in its relation to the Government, or perhaps we should say the Government in relation to American Art, has turned a corner. Heretofore the official patronage of painting, sculpture, and architecture has been that of one who gives a commission to an artist, as in the matter of the building of a Custom House, and its adornment with statuary, or the wall decoration of the Library of Congress, with the "far-off event" of the purchase by Congress of some painting of American scenery or of a subject in American history. But with the rediscovery of the long-forgotten existence of a National Gallery of Art and the acceptance by law of the Freer and Evans collections and of the bequest of Harriet Lane Johnston the Government is committed logically, it seems to us, not only to the housing, care, and guardianship of these pictures and the others in its possession, but to a policy of expenditure, with the view of adding to the contents of the National Gallery, as well as of keeping those it has from dust and mildew. However slowly we may advance and against what protests of opposition or even errors of judgment, it looks as though the United States would ultimately reach the theory and policy of European countries, competing with them in the open market for masterpieces of all ages and schools. The Government will, probably, not be content merely to be the custodian of the collections which will accrue to it through the patriotic generosity of connoisseurs: as the public taste and pride in art increase, the ambition will follow to make a braver showing of exhibits so that, with what it receives and what it may purchase, the time may come when the National Gallery at Washington will take no mean rank in the great artistic collections of the world. And why not? For outside of the national archives there are in private hands in Europe or America, changing ownership with almost every generation, pictures of the first order as representa dozen superb galleries. We know of a single library in New York in which hang seven beautiful Rembrandts, an excellent Holbein, an admirable de Hoogh, a Bronzino, and two examples of Franz Hals, and the riches of other American houses in the English and Continental schools is proverbial. If we are to be put in the way of such a consummation two things are necessary: First, the Government must cease to look upon Art as a luxury of the rich and come to regard it as an educator and refiner, a solace and an inspiration, and the elevating recreation and luxury of the poor. We must abandon our senseless taxation of it, remove our stupid obstacles to loan collections of foreign pictures and learn, to put it crassly, the money value of the ideal. This handicap upon our artists, upon our designers in the field of fabrics, and upon the public taste cannot be removed too soon. Free Art ought not to be made to wait upon the indefinite general revision of the tariff: let us have it at the present session. Again, the widening interest in Art admonishes us that now is the time to provide for an adequate system of artistic supervision of the government expenditures in the whole range of these activities. New York has derived untold advantage, positively and negatively, from its Municipal Art Commission. What is needed is a national counterpart of that body, an authoritative group of artists, selected by a concensus of the best professional opinion, who shall have the power to veto inartistic works and projects, and who, commanding general respect, shall aid in the formation and direction of public taste. The Government could then refuse to accept collections of mixed value offered to it on the condition that they shall be "kept together," and the tone of the national possessions of art would be immeasurably higher. A new spirit is upon the country. Large fortunes and civic spirit are combining to establish galleries in many cities and the people are eager to follow good models and wise leadership. It behooves Congress to conserve the future of the national art by removing the handicaps of ignorance, interestedness, and graft. OPEN LETTERS Jean-Honoré Fragonard, 1732-1806 TIMOTHY COLE'S ENGRAVINGS OF FRENCH MASTERS The charm of his manner is seen in the engraved example (page 239), which is known under the various titles of "L'Etude," "La FRAGONARD-called familiarly Frago in his Chanteuse," and "La Lecture," and is to be time-was born in 1732 at Grasse, a little town in the south of France near Nice, and died at Paris in 1806. He was the son of a dry-goods merchant, and his parents, recognizing his predilection for art, yielded to his desire to become a painter, and, removing to Paris in 1748, sought to place him under Boucher, then the most noted artist of that period. Boucher, however, took no beginners, but recommended the youth to Chardin, under whom he was accordingly apprenticed. But Frago, whose light and vivacious nature rippled upon the surface, revealed no sympathy with the seriousness of his master. He followed his own bent, sketching and designing in his own way, and would not be repressed. So, after six months, Chardin declared to his parents that he could neither teach him anything, nor get anything out of him. He therefore was again presented to Boucher, and this time Frago took with him some decorative designs he had made, which so delighted Boucher that he readily accepted him. Frago found himself in his proper environment, and his advance was so rapid that within a few years he won the Grand Prix de Rome, and forthwith set out on his departure for Italy. On taking leave of his master, he was admonished by him thus: "My dear Frago, you are going to see Michelangelo and Raphael, but I warn you in friendly confidence that if you take them seriously you are lost." Frago, however, was true to his genius, his temperament leading him to study such Italians as Barocchio, Pietro da Cortona, and Tiepolo. This latter artist influenced him strongly, and, with Boucher, was instrumental in forming his style. Fragonard is regarded as embodying in his fruitful and versatile career, and in the wonderful diversity of his works, the whole genius of the French art of the eighteenth century. He played and glittered upon the surface of things, and is sometimes even regarded as frivolous. His distinctive characteristics are exquisite grace, gaiety, and piquancy of style, with magic of chiaroscuro. He became so much the vogue, and his works were in such high demand, that, in the heyday of his career, he made more than two hundred thousand dollars a year. seen in the Caze collection of the Louvre of Paris. As a single bust figure, it is regarded as the master's chef d'œuvre. It is life-size, on canvas, and of a fine, warm, mellow tone. The background is singularly loose and free, and the hands are sketchy, but the face is dwelt over more seriously. This is charming in its lightness and daintiness of expression. T. Cole. A Statement from the Lick Observatory IN THE CENTURY for December, 1907, page 303, Mr. Percival Lowell published the following paragraph in support of certain theories concerning Mars: "More stars have been counted in a given region of the sky at the Lowell Observatory than at the Lick in California, a result confirmed by photography, and stars half a magnitude fainter are seen there than at the Yerkes, near Chicago, although the glasses are respectively 24, 36, and 40 inches aperture. Thus, in spite of smaller size, the first is the most efficient refractor in the world to-day.' The last sentence quoted has undoubtedly misled many readers, and duty leads me to publish certain facts bearing on the subject. Fifteen years ago a Lick astronomer who had never before used a large telescope was asked by the director to leave his special duties (with a 6 1-2-inch telescope) for a few evenings, and use the 36-inch telescope to make charts of the stars visible in certain small regions of the sky. Mr. Lowell reobserved one of these charted regions in 1905, after he had been using large telescopes for more than ten years in observing difficult objects, and reported having seen a seven-per-cent. greater number of stars than the Lick observer. This is the basis of Mr. Lowell's oft-published claim of superior power for his telescope. This summer, at my request, Messrs. Perrine and Aitken, two Lick astronomers experienced with great telescopes, devoted three hours to reobserving the western third of the region in question. In this third the early Lick observer charted fifty-one stars. In the same area Mr. Lowell also charted fiftyone. The two recent Lick observers charted Movin' Off WHAR 'm I goin'? Inter town. So tired I ken skercely crawl. Horse, cow, steer, sheep, an' heifer, An' won't be back ag'in,-no, never. Sick? No, not exactly that, Well enough in bone an' muscle, But spirit 's kinder knocked out flat, Lost the knack t' scratch and hustle. Two years ago that city feller Who bought the place that 's next t' mine Threw up his job as bankin' teller An' started in the farmin' line. 'Most ev'ry day he called eroun', Said he thought I 'd know fer sure,What was best fer shaly groun'? Was potash good ez cow manure? How many pounds uv bone t' use When land was badly choked with weeds? An' did I think the folks would lose Who used the Guv'ment's gift uv seeds? An' did I read the literatoor Uv agricult'ral experiments? An' was the nitro-culture sure T'aid a man uv common sense? His questions sort o' pestered me, An' when I thought I hed enough, I told him I hed no idee About new-fangled farmin' stuff; Hed stood the test fer twenty years. Wal, now, ye better jest believe There was sum diff'rence in our crops, It took the gimp all out o' me,- 'F thar ain't a job from whar he come. I'm goin' t' turn the tables roun' An' imitate that city slob, I'm jest a-goin' inter town George C. Orr. |