American Section: Sculpture
Of the monumental sculpture of the American Section most of the finest examples are out-of-doors. The central hall of the gallery building contains a collection that is worth studying piece by piece, including such notable things as Daniel Chester French's "Alice Freeman Palmer Memorial," Karl Bitter's "Signing the Louisiana Purchase Treaty" and "Tappan Memorial," and Robert Aitken's "Mausoleum Door."
But by far the most notable thing about the sculpture display is the extensive collection of charming small bronzes, which is scattered through the many rooms. The visitor should especially make sure of seeing certain individual group exhibits, such as the very freely rendered figures by Paul Troubetzkoy in the International Room (108), Paul Manship's groups, with their touch of classic appeal, in gallery 93, and the cases of statuettes by Abastenia St. Leger Eberle and Bessie Potter Vonnoh, in gallery 65. Very rich in interest, too, is the collection of medals and plaques, shown in galleries 38 and 39.
Foreign Sections
The foreign sections are in two groups, at the two ends of the building. There is no system in their arrangement, and they are treated here in the order in which they happen to be placed, beginning at the far south end.
The Japanese Section occupies galleries 1 to 10. To appreciate Japanese art it is necessary to become accustomed to the conventionalization of treatment-to understand what the artist was after, and to judge from that standpoint. It is well to begin by studying works that are more like Western art-such things as "Moving Clouds" (15) and "Evening: Nawa Harbor" (12) in room 1-and then to progress to the works in which the conventions are more pronounced. Note, throughout the paintings in rooms 1, 2 and 3, the delicacy of tone, the color harmony, and the fine sense of composition and pattern.
In galleries 8 and 10 are collections of Japanese sculpture and painting, done in the Western manner. It is interesting to see what the Oriental artist can accomplish in an alien medium; but neither for the Japanese nor for the American can these works have the same genuine appeal as those in galleries 1 to 3. The other rooms contain a varied collection of porcelain, embroidery, wood and ivory carving, and prints.
The French Section is one of the most interesting, but is hardly representative of the best that country has achieved in art. The general average is such that it upholds France's traditional standing as the home of "good painting," but this is by no means a collection of masterpieces. The most noticeable tendency is that toward the decorative. The galleries of the French section have been re-numbered, beginning with 1.
Gallery 1 is a rather poor room on the whole, though it, contains two canvases on the north wall by Lucien Simon, typical of that artist's masterly breadth of treatment. On the west wall, beside the doorway, are two of Aman-Jean's portraits. The little landscape (429) under one of these, by Marcel-Clement, is notable, as are also Jean Domerque's decorative canvas on the south wall and Maury's three nude girls on the north.
Gallery 2 is most interesting for the group on the north wall, where the place of honor is given to Henri Martin's work. Here is an artist who has carried Impressionism to its limit of vibrating light and color. The large central canvas should be seen from the Japanese room. The self-portrait (433) is even more interesting. On this wall are pictures that offer a striking comparison of methods of painting.