meaning. One could dwell at greater length upon this most representative
of all national displays, but I fear that it would have to be done at
the expense of the American section, which hospitality has already
placed under a disadvantage.



Holland

The Netherlands representation is conspicuous for its conservative note,
together with the absence of any single picture which might unduly
excite one by its merit. I do not wish to prejudice the art lover who
strolls into this well appointed section, but coming from Sweden, as we
do, so to speak, since it is Sweden's next door neighbor, it gives one
rather a shock. Most of the Dutch pictures are good, almost too good, in
their academic conventional repetition of the timeworn subjects we have
been in the habit of seeing for the last twenty years. The Swedish
section is full of real thrills, but the complacency of the Netherlands
section can hardly be explained by their national temperament alone.
While the Swedish people seem to be blessed just now with an unusual
number of men of great gifts in the field of art, the Netherlands have
entered into what I hope will be only an interregnum of not overly
original painters. The last quarter of the last century saw their glory
in the careers of men like the elder Israels, the Mesdags, the Maris,
Jacob and Willem, Bosbom, Mauve, Weissenbruch, Poggenbeck, and many
others who have departed during the last ten years, or who, if still
living, have scarcely maintained their high standards of earlier days.
The most illustrious name among the older men is Willem Mesdag, who can
hardly be expected at his age to be doing his best. Speaking of Mesdag,
one of their best marine painters of the older days, one is forcibly