Evening Star Newspaper, April 21, 1940, Page 77

ART NOTES. Great Modern Drawings Exhibited Here Are By Distinguished Masters Phillips Gallery Collection Covers Period of 150 Years, And Shows Taste in Choice By Leila Mechlin. * No more Important or delightful exhibition has been held in Wash- ington during the current season—or, for that matter, for many seasons— than that of “Great Modern Drawings” which opened April 7 in the prints room of the Phillips Memorial Gallery and will be continuously on view until May 1. In his drawings, an artist gives fullest expression to his emotions. closely; his genius and his skill best: measured and comprehended. What Albert Sterner once said about a “pregnant brush” is doubly true of & pencil, or a stick of charcoal, with which the artist fixes on paper a vibrant impression while the spell of its beauty or significance is still unbroken—it is a perfect instrument in the hands of one who is inspired. Precisely what this means can best be understood by seeing and subjecting one’s self to the drawings which Mrs. Phillips has collected from various sources and brought together in the two print rooms and on the stairway by which they are approached in the Phillips Gallery. Fifty-three or fifty-four in all, they cover a period of something over 150 vears—that is, from the last of the 18th century to the present. Four of the artists represented—Ingres, Gericault, Delacroix and Corot— were born before 1800; quite a num- ber of the other distinguished mas- ters whose drawings are shown worked well into the 19th century, end several of the others are still producing. This fully justifies the use of the word “modern,” and it goes to show, also, that the art of “Where the Saguenay and the St. Lawrence Rivers Meet,” water-color painting by Eugen Weisz, presented to Dr. John Wellington Finch, recently retired chief of the Bureau of Mines, by a group of mining engineers. drawing belongs to our time, as well as to that of the “golden age” when painting reached perhaps its great- est height. Exquisite Examples. In numerous instances the draw- ings now on view were evidently made as studies for paintings, but not always. Not infrequently they must have been made first and last for their own sake and as the chosen medium of expression. No one who has never drawn can com- prehend the joy of drawing, but more than a glimmer of this delight can be had from the works of these masters which speak for themselves. Take, for example, the exquisite portrait drawings by Ingres, by Chasseriau and by Degas, utterly different, but equally fine, the lines sensitive in the extreme, the touch delicate but firm, the emphasis in- variably rightly placed, the treat- ment free but restrained. What could be more lovely or significant? Nothing, it would seem. We are apt to think of music in terms of color, but here we find it expressed in line and tone, the former like notes brought forth by the master from the strings of a violin; the latter through the use of perfect thading. Again, one is reminded that all the arts are most closely akin. Gallery 1 in this exhibition is given over exclusively to 27 drawings from the Paul J. Sachs Collection, lent by the Fogg Museum, Cam- bridge, Mass. This includes two drawings by Ingres (1780-1867), one & “Portrait of Mme. d’'Haussenville,” in preparation for the well known painting, the other a “Portrait of Mme. Suzanne Hayard,” no less beautifully drawn, each fully char- acteristic and indicative of little things—as, for example, the weight of a shawl hanging over Mme. Hayard's arm—no less than of those big, vital things of the spirit. In this group, too, are seven drawings by Degas (1834-1917), which show him to have been no less a drafts- man than a painter—one who ap- preciated the value of line, as well as a lover of color His sketch for *“La Femme aux Chrysanthememes” {s an amazing rendition in line, the essential, and only the essential, given—all else dismissed. Especially is the hand on which the face rests brilliantly delineated, agreeing in character with facial features and expression, telling more than half the story of the personality of the sitter. Delightful also is the draw- ing, in utterly different manner, in charcoal on pink paper, of the young “Ballet Dancer,” probably a study for a larger composition carefully considered. Sensitive and convinc- ing are his portraits of Manet, all spirit; of Diego Martelli and Mme. Julie Burtin, each reflecting, through the genius of the artist, marked in- dividuality, with reticence. From the Sachs Coliection have come two other drawings by Degas, “Woman with Bustle” and “Nude” both typical of different periods given over to divergent trends. To which group is added a drawing in color, made with a brush on brown paper, of little Julie Bellelli, which comes from the Dumbarton Oaks Collec- tion and is, indetd, a gem, com- bining in unique fashion the arts of both drawing and painting, fully mastered and happily employed, [} Through them, therefore, he can be approached moat TR ol v s e with, apparently, the minimum of effort. From Institutions. Gallery 2 contains about 25 other drawings lent by various institutions and collectors throughout the coun- try, supplemented in three instances by drawings from the collection of the Phillips Gallery. There are two drawings by Ingres here—one of an elederly man, whose identity is not known, which has been lent by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the other a “Portrait of Mlle. Raoul Rochette,” lent by the Kraushaar Galleries, Especially notable in con- nection with the former is the mod- eling of the bony structure of the head. There are fine drawings by Chas- seriau (1819-1856), one in each gal- lery. They are “Portrait of Mme. Mottez,” in pencil and dated 1841; lent by the Fogg Museum, and “Por- trait of Jules Monnerot,” lent by the Brooklyn Museum—both a good deal in the manner of Ingres and very fine, Corot is represented by a landscape drawing in line after the manner ot an etching, probably produced in his early period when under classi- cal influence, and also by a portrait of his father, the head only, lovingly rendered, which has been lent by M. Jacques Truelle of the French Embassy. Gericault, whose dates are 1791-1624, is seen in two widely different transcriptions, one of “Le Soldat Negre,” the other “Paysage d' Italie”; the former strongly is modeled, the latter chiefly in line and romantic in treatment. Dela- croix (1798-1863), who exerted so strong an influence on French art during his lifetime, is seen in a drawing entitled “Combat,” and in a portratt of Frederic Villot, the lat- ter heavily framed in accordance with the taste of the period. French art was flourishing and well patron- ized at the time of Delacroix, but already changes were taking place in thought and conception. As soon as the spirit became stified by the academic letter-of-the-law, the slant was downward. But this did not mean the discarding of tradition or the blotting out of individuality, The artists already mentioned were a law unto themselves, were endowed with genius and willing to submit to discipline, sought the truth—and triumphed. Likewise also, it is seen, did Renoir, Daumier, Guys and others. Daumier Masterpiece. Daumier’s drawing in line, “Mal- ade Imaginaire,” lent to this exhibi~ tion anonymously, is comparable to one by Rembrandt in treatment of line and characterization, a master- piece; and his wash drawing, “Plea for the Defense,” from the Phillips Gallery collection, is no less superb from the standpoint of art and execution. Even the extremists here appear to good advantage—Lautrec espec- ially in his caricature of Yvette Guilbert, Seurat in his studies for “La Grane Jatte” and “La Parade,” Picasso in his drawing of “Mother and Child,” tenderly felt and set forth. Obviously, one niay observe, these modernists know how to draw and are acquainted with convention —so well acquainted, in fact, that they may dare to disregard it. This is not the product of chance or slip- shod indolence. Interest attaches to a wash draw- ing by Guys (1805-1892) of the Em- press Eugenie on horseback, dis- guised under the title, “L’Amazone,” &s was customary when royal per- sonages were portrayed; a lively composition, effective in treatment, but a bit casual when it comes to the drawing of the horse’s legs. Van Gogh is twice represented, and typi- cally, by drawings in line. His “Village of Ste. Marie” has been lent by Mrs. John D. Rockefeller, jr., “Boats Anchored” anonymously, and “Cypresses” by the Brooklyn Mu- seum. The last shows Van Gogh's formula for creating the illusion of motion or unrest, his lines being swirled in cyclonic fashion, just as, with paint, he whipped up the sur- face of his canvas with his brush. Never can one see a Van Gogh painting or drawing without being conscious, however, of the agony he went through in production; the fury of despair with which he in- variably attacked nis task. To an extent, all of these draw- ings are self-revealing on the part of the artists, and for this reason put the observer in close touch with ¥ 4 “The Cosmos Club,” headquarters, ¢+ —Star Staff Photo. them. The revelations may not al- ways be equally pleasant, but among them all there is much evidence of aspiration, and in them one finds great beauty. Here is an exhibition which has been assembled with rare insight and understanding, and one to which one will desire to return not once but many times. Water Color Club The black-and-white section of the Washington Water Color Club's 44th annual exhibition in the Cor- coran Gallery of Art is stronger than ysual and pleasantly varied. The 77 exhibits included therein are shown in the upright cases in the upper atrium, thus serving as an introduction to the major display in the gallery set aside for special exhibitions. A large number of these prints came from out-of-town printmakers, some of whom are among the most distinguished in this country. Such, for example, is John Taylor Arms, president of the Society of American Etchers and member of the Purchasing Commit- tee, under the Pennell fund, for the Library of Congress print collection; a Washingtonian, who has won in- ternational distinction and is a zealous worker in the interest of the graphic arts. In this exhibition, he is represented by four prints, all recent plates, chief among which is his etching of the porch of the cathedral at Chartres, entitled “In Memoriam.” Done a couple of years ago, it is to be counted among the great etchings of our day—a bril- liant achievement from the tech- nical standpoint and, at the same time, strongly emotional. In the matter of detail, this etching is magnificently handled, no single item being overlovked, yet with the unity of the whole completely main- tained. Here is a work which seems to arrive at perfection with apparent unconscious effort on the part of the etcher. Note the depth and trans- parency of the shadows which fall across the carvings on this porch. They are miraculous, indee” A very interesting grouo f etch- ings is contributed to ti exhibi- tion by Keith Shaw Willlams of New York, two of which are por- traits of fellow artists and print- makers—Stow Wengenroth, the dis- tinguished lithographer who is also adviser on purchases for the Art De- partment of the Library of Congress, and Chauncey F. Ryder, painter and etcher. Mr. Wengenroth is shown making a print. Mr. Williams’ other contributions are farm scenes —“Harvest” and “Pennsylvania Dutch,” both admirable. Lithography Popular. In recent years there has been steady increase not only in interest in lithography, but in the skill with which it is practiced, evidence of which is found here in the works of Willam N. Thompson, Alan Crane, Esther Brock Bird, Charles M. Capps and others. Mr. Thomp- son’s contribution is & summer idyll entitled “Idle Hour”; Mr. Crane sends two Mexican subjects, “Burros in Mazatlan” and “Taxco Road,” and Miss Bird a dramatic rendition of a storm over “Diamond Head, Waikiki,” all of which are very ac- complished. More figures are to be found in this exhibition of prints than is usual. These are single figures and als0 in compositions. Cyrus Le Roy Baldbridge's figures of Chiness, of ¢ D. C, APRIL 21, 1940—PAMRT FIVE one of a group of etchings made for the organization by Benson B. Moore and now * on ezxhibition at its —Star Staff Photo. L Bulletin of Current Exhibitions THE CORCORAN GALLERY OF ART, Seventeenth street and New York avenue N.W.—Permanent collections. Forty-fourth annual exhibition, Washington Water Color Club, to May 5. Miniatures by Rosa Hooper, to May 3. THE ARTS CLUB OF WASHINGTON, 2017 I street N.W.— ‘Water colors by Hazel Purcell Rodman and {llustrations by Robert Lawson, to May 10. PHILLIPS MEMORIAL GALLERY, 1600 Twenty-first street N.W.—“Emotional Design in Painting,” a special loan exhibition, to May 5. Great modern drawings, to May 1. PUBLIC LIBRARY, Eighth and K streets N.W.—Drawings by William H. Calfee, through April. LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, Division of Fine Arts—Recent acces- sions, lithographs by Joseph Pennell and prints by American and European contemporary etchers, engravers and lithographers. FREER GALLERY OF ART, the Mall at Twelfth street 8.W.— Permanent collections, Oriental art; paintings, drawings and prints by James A. McNeill Whistler, the Peacock Room; paintings by American artists. TEXTILE MUSKUM, 2330 S street N.W.—Rugs, tapestries and other textiles of the Near and Far East. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, 2 to 5 pm. Admission by card obtainable at office of George Hewitt Myers, 730 Fifteenth street N.W. HOWARD UNIVERSITY ART GALLERY—Contemporary Amer- ican Art. Loan collection. Anniversary exhibition. STUDIO GALLERY, George Washington University, 2131 G street N.W.—Exhibition of lithographs and water colors by Prentiss Taylor, to April 27. THE WHYTE GALLERY, 1707 H street n.w.—Recent paintings by Herman Maril, to April 30. NATIONAL MUSEUM, Natural History Building, Tenth street and Constitution avenue N.W.—North lobby, under the auspices of the Division of Graphic Art, prints by members of the Washington Society of Etchers: foyer, exhibition of paintings by members of the Landscape Club of Washington, to April 30. NATIONAL MUSEUM, Arts and Industries Building, south side of the Mall at Eighth street S.W.—Exhibition of pictorial photographs by Adolf Fassbender, through April. ALLOCATIONS GALLERY, 816 Independence avenue S.W.— Work by artists of the W. P. A. District Art Unit. Open daily from 1 to 5 pm Saturday from 10 am. to 5 p.m. CHILDREN'S GALLERY, 816 Independence avenue S.W.—Work by Greek children, through April. WOMEN'S CITY CLUB, 736 Jackson place N.W.—Works by Hugo Inden, through April. ART GALLERY, South Interior Building—Water colors by stu- dents in American colleges and professional art schools, April and May. CHALET NONPAREIL, 7103 Old Georgetown road, Bethesda, Md.—Portraits and landscapes by Margaret Hunter, to May 11. GALLERY OF MODERN MASTERS, 1367 Connecticut avenue N.W.—Reproductions of little known work of the distinguished con- temporary Dutch artist, Van Konijnenburg. WESLEY HALL, 1703 K street N.W.—Paintings by Naomi Lorne, to April 23. GALLERY, the Grafton Hotel, 1733 De Sales street N.W.—Ex- hibition of oils, water colors and prints under auspices of National League of American Pen Women, to April 25. which there are two here, are al- ‘ways good; Roselle H. Osk sends a memorable etching of a young girl out-of-doors gazing wide-eyed, into the future—“New Worlds,” from Hortense Ferne have come two etch- ings of circus themes, well rendered, and from Emily Burling Waite Manchester a tense group, reading news from abroad, “Foreign Mail.” Among the block prints in black and s white are several of special merit, such as “Night Pastures” by Regene Putnam, “Columbine” by Dorothy Claire Gleeson and “Serenade” by Ione Hirsch. There is some excel- lent work in color by Minnie L. Briggs, “Orchids,” by Florence V. Cannon, who sends “Mayflowers” and “Flying High,” and by Benson B. Moore, who contributes bird sub- Jects, not to name all. “Portrait of Julie Bellelli” a Degas work from the Dum- barton Oaks collection, included in the exhibition of “great modern drawings” in the Phillips Memorial Gallery. A ART NOTES. o, SN TN SR O TR b S SR S L o wr The Art World—Reviews of Current Exhibitions and News of Artists 1 Women’s City Club Shows. ! Paintings of Familiar Washington Scenes Works of Hugo Inden Include Studies in Water Color angd Wash; Style Is Unusual 'By Florence S. Berryman. ‘Washington buildings, monuments and parks are the =ubjects of most of the paintings by Hugo Inden now on view at thé Women's City Club. Although these water colors and wash drawings are far removed from “photographic likenesses” of the respective scenes, their recognition~ value was proved beyond doubt, as no cmalogiie was available to provide clues e Mr. Inden’s methods in his wash renderings apparently consists of & — rapid application of color, over which, when dry, he draws outlines and a few details in ink. Raoul Dufy i3 the most famous exponent of this technique, which has verve, spon- taneity and sophistication. How- ever, persons who like its color to be confined within the subject’s out- lines, may be disturbed by the fact that, in this modern wash technique, the ink outlines do not necessarily fit the color masses. A delicate little sketch of the White House (north front) and one | of the Longfellow statue are done with a minimum of cblor. Oye of the best is a pleasant view of old houses (subtly differentiated as to their brick reds) facing a park! it was done in fresh, warm-tofied washes, Another very good paper depicts the charming old house at 1821 H street N.W., wedged between gn apsrtment building and a short row of brek houses. . Architecturai History. Mr. Inden has, in fact, painted a number of “portraits” of private houses here, of the latter half of the 19th century, with such foreign of effect, which es the large number of details In’ each block unit. It will be recalled that Mr. Inden is an instructor in design at the Abbott @chool of Fine and Com- enercial Art. Children’s Gailery * How alike all races are, in child- hood, is again strikingly *demon- strated at the Children's Gallery, where work from the schools of Greece is having its initial exhibi- tion in this country, through the coumesy of the Greek Legation. More than 50 items in pencil, cray- on, wa®r color, ‘ink and linoleum block prints reveal the activities of & déuntry where the normal pur- suits o peace are still engaging the populatioR. If one does not know very much about modern Greece, one will learn from these children's works that the country is predomi- nantly agricultural. There are many pastorzl subjects, plowing, tree-pruning, olive gathering, poule try farming, sheep-herding, ete. “Local color,” such as peasant dress “Burros in Mazallan,” by Alan Crane, displayed in the black and white section of the 44th annual exhibition of the Washington Water Color Club, now on view at the Corcoran Gallery of Art. Among the drawings, a portrait of Miss Margaret Bisland by Caro- line van H. Bean is especially nota- ble for subtlety and spirit. Frank M. Rines’ landscape drawings also are very engaging. Certainly, printmaking of artistic character and quality has never been practiced so widely or success- fully as it is gt the present time, and when the difficulties of the various processes—etching, dry point, aquatint, lithography and wood block—are taken into con- sideration, this fact, in itself, to- gether with the standard generally attained, is the more remarkable. Cosmos Club Etchings Benson B. Moore has made a name for himself as a painter and as a print maker, and in both capacities has contributed generously to sev- eral of the exhibitions now current in this city. In addition to which, Mr. Moore is having a special one- man show of prints and a few water colors in the Cosmos Club by invi- tation. This includes three plates, made by order of the Cosmos Club, of the exterior of the historic build- ing and two interiors, one of the lounge, the other of the reading and writing room, with the purpose of preserving their aspect for all time. As almost every one knows, the Cosmos Club property has been purchased by the Federal Govern- ment, and new quarters will have to be found. This means, in all prob- ability, the loss of. another land- mark, and although more commo- dious quarters may be built or found, the atmosphere of the old clubhouse is inherent with the pres- ent structure. Mr. Moore has got into his etch- ings, both of exterior and interior, some of this subtle quality of asso- ciation. The exterior he has etched from Madison place N.W., looking toward H street, the old Tayloe House in the foreground and the house on the corner, once the resi- dence of Dolly Madison (on the other side of the new building which Jjoins the two) concluding the vista. His detail is well defined, but not overstressed, for which reason the building seems to take its place per- fectly amid its surroundings. The interiors, which must have been equally, if not more, difficult of ren- dition; also are very true, and pos- sess & homely friendliness which only long use and association can give. To make such faithful tran- :::ikpuons could have been no easy It was in the Cosmos Club that both the Washington Water Color Club and the Society of Washing- ton Artists held their earliest exhi- bitions. It was here, moreover, that the Washington Society of the Fine Arts, as an organization, came into existence, and that plans which eventually led to the establishment of the American Federation of Arts were discussed. On the roster of the Cosmos Club have been the names of numerous artists who have at- tained national as well as local dis- tinction, among whom are the first president of the National Academy of Design, Samuel 8. F. B. Morse, and the present president, Hobart Nichols; Paul Bartlett, C. Y. Turner, Frank Millet and many others, in- cluding Willlam H. Holmes, artist and ethnologist, and at t, Charles Bittinger, u.m.f"fi- 4 “influences” as Mansard roofs, tur- rets, cupolas and other features we regard as not old enough to be quaint, yet not new enough to be picturesque. We pass them with amused contempt, perhaps; and they disappear before the onslaught of new construction, with no lam- entations from antiquarians. But Mr. Inden probably has done a real service in capturing likenesses of a few of these houses, for the time will come when they will be recognized as a'part of Washington's archi- tectural history. We may find our- selves involved in campaigns to save some of them as public property. In not a few instances recently, artists have been commissioned by the Fed- eral Art Project to wander around their cities, making water-color sketches of precisely this sort of sub- ject matter. Most of these wash drawings by Mr. Inden have been done in the past year or two. He also shows a few edrlier water colors (1935 to 1937), affording an opportunity to see changes he has made in his work. In addition to 15 paintings, the artist shows three block-printed textiles in single colors on natural or white linen. All have simplicity ~—Star Staff Photo. and architecture, place the work as indubitably Greek. But the view- points of the many youthful artists, as well as their methods of tran- scribing their subjects, seem to the average observer identical with the viewpoints and techniques of Ameri- can school children. The world is a lovely place, seen through the eyes of children still comparatively safe and happy. The farm and village houses appear neat and comfortable; the fields are lush with bumper crops; the sea in which fishermen try their luck is teeming with fish; the village square has a happy crowd of dancing children, women drawing water from a public well, and men passing the time of day with friends under shade trees; marriage processions wind over the mountains. Perhaps the most de- lightful scenes are those of Greek shepherds with their flocks; #n most instances. the men clad in jaunty tunics with flaring skirts, tasseled caps and slippers with large pom- poms; they play tunes on reed pipes while energetic dogs keep the flocks from wandering away. It is a re- freshing experience to visit the Children’s Gallery; one can see the Greek exhibition there through April. demician, to mention only a few of many. Much interest is being shown among the Cosmos members, not only in the etchings of the club- house, but in the color etchings by Mr. Moore of birds and wild fowl, which are included in his one-man showing. These, the scientists de- clare, are as accurate as Audubon’s, and certainly they are both artistic and charming. The group em- braces brilliantly-colorful etchings of the cardinal, pea fowls, wood ducks, pheasants, mallards and other native specimens of the winged and feathered family. Commendation should also be giv- en to an etching in line of “Ten Pound Island, Gloucester,” which shows admirable 'draftsmanship as well as composition, Weisz Work Purchased In the director’s office at the Cor- coran Gallery was to be seen, this past week, a water color by Eugen ‘Weisz, vice principal of the Corcoran School, which had been purchased by a group of mining engineers as & gift to Dr. John Wellington Finch, recently chief of the Bureau of Mines, under the Interior Depart- ment, but now retired. This paint- ing was made by Mr. Weisz on a sunny September day at Tadoussac, Quebec, where the Saguenay and the St. Lawrence Rivers meet. It shows a rocky hill rising above a typical Canadian landscape, and is boldly and strongly rendered in such wise that its inherent beauty is frankly made manifest. It is un- derstood that Dr. Finch’s colleagues in the engineering profession se- lected this painting partly because of the subject and the artist’s excel- lent rendition of the rock formation of the high land, but to even the unscientifically informed, the merit of the work is obvious and sufficient. As a water color, this is an outstand- ing work of art, and by its exécu- tion Mr. Weisz can be said to have taken his place among the fore- most water colorists of this country. A Dr. Finch is to be congratulated upon its possession. It is a picture which should give untold delight. Miniatures on View An exhibition of miniatures by Rosa Hooper, now of New York but formerly of San Francisco, opened the day before yesterday in the Corcoran Gallery and will continue through May 3. Mrs. Hooper, a native Californian, studied first at the Art League and the Mark Hop- kins Institute in San Francisco and later, specializing in miniature painting, under Otto Eckhardt in Dresden and Mme. de Billemont in Paris. She is a charter member and vice president of the California Society of Miniature Painters; a charter member of the San Fran- cisco Society of Women Painters and a member of the San Diego Art Guild and Shanghal Art Club, Shanghai, China. Her works have been exhibited widely in this coun- try, as well as in China, France and England, and have won for her sev- eral coveted awards. Among her sitters have been persons of oute standing distinction. The current exhibition consists of 16 portraits and figure paintings on ivory done in the manner of the European school of the past quarter century, daintily and very expertly. Several are family portraits. There are two of her grandparents, one of her father and one of her son, Lt. Hooper, U. 8. N,, in uniform. There are charming ones of a little girl and a small boy rendered with breadth, but finely; one of a Frenchman, very characteristic, and painted with great care and mine utiae, and two of dogs which will certainly fascinate dog lovers. e et B M AL I