Page:Education and Art in Soviet Russia (1919).djvu/65

 The picture arrangements on the Gallery's walls does not meet the most elementary museum requirements. Without any system the paintings have been permanently set into the walls and are separated from each other by only a narrow framework, which arrangement makes an intelligent examination of the Gallery impossible. Besides, many pictures, owing to differences in atmospheric conditions, have suffered considerably: they have shown cracks and in many places paints have deteriorated—all this threatening to ruin the pictures. The system of cataloguing the artists was arbitrary; for instance, paintings of the Netherlands school were ascribed to Italian masters; first-class works were left unclassified, while second-rate things were ascribed to first-class masters.

The Collegium has decided to remove from the Palace's Gallery paintings interesting from the point of view of scientific examination, and transfer them to the gallery of the Rumiantzev Museum where the paintings, after restoration and investigation, might be exhibited for popular examination.

Special mention is made of a few pictures of the Rembrandt School, two Netherlands primitives, one Florentine portrait of the 16th century, a sketch by Rubens, and finally a number of paintings by Italian masters of the 17th century.

Whereas, the Moscow Municipal Art Gallery—foundation of P. & S. M. Tretiakovs—in the domain or art and culture has risen to the level of an institution carrying out State-wide educational functions; and that the interests of the working-class demand that the Tretiakov's Gallery become one of the State museums whose activities have been under the direction of the People's Commissariat of Education—the Soviet of People's Commissaires decrees:

1. The Moscow Municipal Art Gallery, founded of P. & S. M. Tretiakovs, be declared State property of the Soviet Republic and placed under jurisdiction of the People's Commissariat of Education, subject to same regulations governing the rest of State Museums.

2. The Collegium in charge of the museums and preservations of art objects and relics of the past attached to the People's Commissariat of Education is to speedily draw up and put in operation the new regulation concerning the management of the Gallery and its activity in accordance with present day museum requirements and