Museum Debate

To the Editors of The Crimson:

We are pleased to note in The Crimson that our modest effort on behalf of the Peabody Museum "has caused a great deal of trouble," according to Dr. Freedberg of the Fogg Art Museum.

Dr. Freedberg, who admits to not caring for American art, is an expert in Italian "mannerist" paintings. This decadent school following the great period of rennaissance can be recognized by attenuated figures and women gazing maukishly heavenward amid swirls of skillfully painted drapery and arabesques--interesting to him perhaps, but to ordinary bread eating mortals like ourselves they are better for giving away than viewing.

Indians and cowboys have never been Dr. Freedberg's "bag". He is into "high" art. Though one painting may be worth more than $750,000 just for the art in it, Peabody's paintings are valued for other reasons.

We agree with Dr. Freedberg that Herschl Adler's Stewart Feld is competent to evaluate the Peabody collection or the commercial art market for it was none other than ourselves who first suggested that gallery for this purpose alone.

Dr. Freedberg's statement that "if Smith would be rational and keep quiet, we could move on," has a Nixonian ring. Harvard's interests and those of the greatest art and anthropological institution in America will not be jeopardized by ego trips of scholastic primadonnas.