Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-07-17
A RI AN D ARTISTS


many friends here. that news OF her sue
cesses in the world OF art is always well
como. The most recent honor that has fall
len to her is the medal awarded at the
Nashville exposition for her genre subject
ms is the branch OF art that she has
chosen and followed continually, whether
working In her studio In Paris or travelling
in Holland. Italy or Tunis. A notable ex-
ample of her work in genre painting a
canvas entitled Mother and Children
was presented a few days ago to the Art
Institute in Chicago. The picture is de-
scribed as being iawless in composition
and subtle in its effect of light and shade
a thoroughly representative work from the
artist whom a great critic has called the
strongest woman painter living. IL
would be hard to count the number of
| times that she has painted this subject in
oi1erent ways one of the private galleries
here possessing unusually good exam
pie, and she always approaches the theme
with a sympathy that invests IL with a
peculiar charm. She at least has a full I'M
Outstanding of what Milet meant when he
SAID that ali beauty lay in expression. and
that III he wished TO make a woman beau
tiful. it would be by the look with which
she bends over her child.
=
Mr.. Dunbar is comfortably fixed In his
| new studio. which is located on G street
near the corner of 18th, only a few steps
from the old work room that he occupied
so long. He has recently finished the
| small bust OF the late Maj. Crawford. which
/ he commenced many months ago IL Is n
| characteristic likeness. and the head Is
modeled In a sharp. decisive way. The
sculptor plans to do mainly relief work
| this summer, but he has in prospect fig
| ures of his two sons that he expects to
| execute in the round.
Mr.. w. w. Christmas has finished an ex-
tremely effective marine from some of the
studies he made at Ocean City. No land
| is anywhere I'm sight: II is a study of a
wide expanse of sea, alone. and to catch
| the color and movement of the waves has
been the artists chief care. The canvas
| shows the eastern horizon In the late af-
ternoon, when the sky has taken on n
| faint rosy tinge from the reddish glow OF
| the sinking sun. The water has a lively
opalescent coioring. and Mr. Christmas
has given this effect by the introduction OF
all manner Of hues. Taken altogether, the
marine is subject which is thoroughly
| pleasing and at the same time impresso
one with its fidelity to nature.
MI George Gibbs is at present principally
| occupied with the important series OF
drawings that he has been doing for the
Illustrated American of sights and scenes
| in Washington. His strong gouache draw
| ing entitled The Supreme Courts Stately
| Procession from the Robing Room TO the
Bench appears in this weeks issue and
| he is now at work upon an illustration
| showing a gathering the south porch
| of the White House. About one-half OF
| the series of drawings still remains to be
done. and while finishing these from time
| to time Mr.. Gibbs will also carry forward
a set OF marine illustrations. He handles
gouache with great skin, the grouping ana
arrangement of the figures in his compost
tons making them very telling. With all
the black and white work that he has on
hand he does not neglect his color work
ard he has now upon his easel a large pas
| tel called 'Om the Banks" showing a fish
| ing schooner pitching in q heavy sea The
| sun is just rising above the horizon behind
| the boat, and the simmer of light upon
| the water and the radiance in the sky are
| problems well dealt with.
The most recent of the miniatures that
Mrs. 8. N. Fasset has done IL a likeness OF
| Mr.. N. p. Fasset, a notably good speci-
men Of her work in this direction. The
strong Whittier-like head, the benevolent
brown eyes. the lips with their gentle yet
| resolute lines and the silvered hair and
| beard, all tend to make the subject an ex-
! uemely int 'esting one. and Mrs. Fasset
has handled 1t very successfully. A life
size oil portrait that she plans TO resume
| before very loUg is the likeness of Dr.
Swormstedt. Though yet hardly more
than blocked in, Il is a good likeness a fact
which promises well for the result when
| the refining touches have been placed upon
II. The artist expects to remain in the
city for the greater part Of the summer.
and has laid out for herself quite number
OF things to accomplish, che of these being
the painting of the portrait of Lincoln
which Is to be as companion piece to her
likeness of Grant.
X
Miss Mary Berri Chapman has succeeded
In doing quite a good deal of work during
the past few months, in spite of unfavor-
able circumstances. but she has been es-
pecially handicapped for week or so
on account of Illness. She divides her
time about equally between literary and
artistic work, being one Of those fortunate
people who find equal ease Of expression
with the pen or with the pencil. Her lat
est story, entitled "A Fashionable Hero"
, will appear in Harper's Magazine for Au-
gust. As soon her health permits she
expects to leave the city for the summer.
Mr.. William Haskell Coffin has just re-
turned from the west where he was busy
making sketches for the setting for his
large Indian picture. 1t commentaries the
treaty with the Pawnees, and. is 10 be
placed in the library at Nebraska City. He
has studied the landscape from the actual
scene, and plans by the use of Indian
models to execute the picture with all pos
sible fidelity. Mr.. Coffin is now at work
upon a half-length portrait of Miss Daw-
son. which promises to rank with the best
things he has done IN that line. In the
first place, by catching a thoroughly char
acteristic pose he has male the likeness
more than usually telling and :he figure
has none of the stiffness that Is SO COM
mon in portraiture. 1t is well placed on
the canvas. and the lines of the figure, the
curve of the neck and shoulders. the sweep
Of the dress. give the composition a sin
uous grace. The hair Is very simply and
effectively managed, and the flesh .ints are
as true as anything he has ever done.
Today the last opportunity OF the sum-
mer was given to those who wished to
make a final tour around the Corcoran Art
Gallery before it closed for the season. 1t
xx-sn of hn naft.