Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-01-05

by Mr.. Childe Hassam, president Of the
New York Water Color Club. for which In
yitaticns have just been sent ont Mr..
Richard N. Brooke, the well-known WASH
| ington artist. will follow.
As an evidence that times are improv-
ing somewhat in New York the fact is
cited that at the fall exhibition of the
Academy Of Design some sixteen paintings
have already been sold, producing nearly
s., 500, whereas only five canvases were dis
posed Of in the same period OF last years
exhibition.
Another woman artist has received the
red ribbon Of the French Legion Of Honor
for her attachments as a painter. This
time 1t is Madame Demont-Rreton, daugh-
ter Of Jules Breton, the celebrated painter.
whose talent she. in great measure, in
herits.
1T is known that Joe Jefferson poses as
something of an artist himself, as well as
a collector Of pictures. but he evidently
desn't rank high in Boston a painter,
whatever the hub may think of him as an
actor. At recent sale in that city OF the
effects of the late William Warren, who
was Boston's favorite comedian, several
water colors painted by Jefferson. and pre-
sented by him to his brother actor. sold
for the absurdly low price OF a dollar
apiece! Boston doubtless thinks that -
shoemaker should stick to his last"
The January number Of the Art Inter-
change has an illustrated article on the
lockwood Pottery. at Cincinnati, which. 1t
will be remembered. was founded by Mrs.
Storer. wife of the representative in Con-
gress from that city. The text and illustra-
lions of the article are alike interesting,
but what makes the paper especially valu-
able to collectors is the list Ii contains OK
the principal decorators employed in the
factory, with fac-similes of the respective
monograms or ciphers with which their
works are signed.
The matter Of properly placing the
statue Of Penn which surmounts the tall
tower of the new city building in Philadel-
phia is not settled yet, and it is not likely.
that 1t will ever be satisfactorily disposed
OF. 1t is clear that the artist who executed
1t always intended that the figure should
face southwark, which is indeed the only
proper direction; but the architect who de-
signed the building made its north side the
principal front, and the city fathers main
tain that the statue should face that way,
and not to the rear Of the structure. I'm
doubtedly the best solution OF the difficulty
is to take the statue down and keep 1t
down,-and out Of sight. ks We'll. As an
example Of architecture the building is so
bad, the history OF it's construction has
been so discredltable, and the site selected
for the eftigy of the founder of the city Is
one Would think thai, instead of doing any
thing to call public attention to the mat
ter, the people of Philadelphia would use
every means at command 10 have the whole
unsavory subject kept out of thought In
the quickest and most effective manner pos
sible.
1T is rare that the people Of Washington
have such an opportunity as is just now
presented at the Veerhof galleries on F
street. to inspect collection OF paintings
by the best modern artists of Europe.
These canvases were sent here by Messrs.
Hollender & Cremetti, propr1etors OF the
famous Hanover Galleries. London. not So
much in expectation that the present ex-
hibition would prove to be a commercial
suct eSS directly, as to show the range and
quality of their holdings, with view to
tut ire visits here In the collection now
on view are characteristic examples By
such artists as Corot, Dupre, lsaDey. Vi
bert. Muller, Diaz, Jacque. Troyon, van
Marcke, and others hardly less we.l-known.
The golden age OF painting may have
been in the past, but the present is the
golden age of prices, witness the following
figures realized in late years: The Com
municants." by Jules Breton. was bought
by Mr.. Donald Smith for 1850; Corot
went up to $4,000; a Rousseau was sold
for $4,000 in April, 1885; three portraits OF
women. by Gainsborough, $3I5.OG0; a Vir-
gin, by Raphael. s35o.OOU; two portraits Of
men. by Holbein $3OO.CO0; two portraits OF
women, by Rembrandt, S2f0, 600; The Man
with the Hoe by Miliet, was bought for
$4,000; THE Angelus.' by the same, for
$4,000: and The Shepherdess," by the
same, $2OO.OOo. The two last named belong
to Mr.. Chauchard. Finally, the "lS14' of
Meissonier reached the price Of $l60,OOO.
and it would probably bring nearly double
that sum at public sale today.
1t must be matter OF regret to every
one interested in the subject of art at the
national capital that Mr.. Hovenden, the
distinguished artist, who had studio here
last winter, has been obliged to give up the
idea of permanently residing in Washing
ton on account of his inability to find
suitable accommodations anywhere in the
city. Clearly one of the things most needed
studio building, and the person syndi-
cate that supplies it will not only confer
benefit on the public. but find a profitable
investment for the capital required,
Art interest in New York Is centering
Just now about the works Of George In
ness the distinguished American landscape
painter. who it will be remembered, died
in Scotland a few months ago. At the
galleries Of the American Art Association
there are twenty of his canvases, belong
ing to one gentleman. at present on view.
prior to their sale. which takes place next
Wednesday evening, and at the galleries
of the Fine Arts Society there is an exhi-
bition Of the paintings left at his death.
some two hundred and forty in number.
These are also to be sold before long. OF y
course the latter collection includes sketch
es. studies, miner works. and some unfin-
ished pictures, of more or less Importance.
Mr.. Inness is represented by one or more
examples in pretty much every private
collection Of consequence in the country,
and when to these is added the number
above indicated, a fair idea may be gain
psf for f,,r,, spey