Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-05-22
AND ARTISTS

Bladen Snyder who returned to this city
about a month ago, after quite a long so
journ abroad is so thoroughly individual
both in the way in which he sees nature
and in his manner of execution, that his
work will strike an entirely new note in the
art of Washington. His pictures are fairly
filled with light and air. and in order to
get these qualities he follows the methods
of the impressionists in their use of pure
color. His coloring is never dull muddy,
and his tendency to the opposite extreme
sometimes leads HIM into the use of hucs
which in their untempered briiiiancy verge
on crudity. However. the boldness and
strength of the effects that he obtains
ample compensation for the occasional
Earring note, and his work never mas the
characterless insipdity of smooth, faultless
perfection, but is always broad and indica
tive of dash and Verve. In a large canvas
showing a shepherd driving his flock along
a hot. dusty road. the effect of sunlight is
excellent. and the luminous airy quality of
the sky is rendered in an unusually truth
full manner. The. sense of distance is also
excellent the foreground is brought out
strongly by powerful impaSto. The guar
dian of flock of sheep vending his way
hcmeward with his charge is the principal
element of interest in another canvas, one
which Mr.. Snyder has now upon his easel.
1t is twilight scene, and the luminous
ulSh VI tile luil moon Is seen rising just be-
mind several scattered trees. which still
tipped with the faint suffused glow of the
setting sun. Mr.. Snyder is equally success
tnl in marines and Venetian scenes. and no
matter what tie subject for his brush he
expresses himself with originality and
force and with the thorough technical
mastery which a French training has given
him.
Mr.. Robert Hinckley has recently fin
ished a portrait of Mrs. William Lay,
which is exceedingly delicate In the flesh
tintS and Is a specimen of the artists
best work in portraiture. The same may
be said Of the three-quarter length view
of Mrs. Hinckley, which is now receiving
the finishing touches. The figure is natural
and lifelike in its pose, and is thoroughly
well handled in every part, and in the cos
tune the eye rests with pleasure on the
crisply treated folds of the left sleeve The
gown, which Is of pale blue satin trimmed
with lace, makes, in connection with the
background, very nice color effect A
quick little sketch which Mr.. Hinckley re-
Gently made. giving profile view of him.
self, is a striking likeness and a very
soundly painted head. The portrait of Col
Ernst of West Point, which he finished a
short time ago, has now been sent to its
destination.
Miss Sara Bartle returned last Saturday
from New York after a successful stay
there and Is now enjoying short rest
here before going north for the summer.
While in New York she was kept busy all
the time, and among the miniatures which
she painted are the likenesses of Mrs
Chichester, Mrs. Alexander Morgan and
Mrs. Otto Reimer. While Miss Bartle
sometimes does work in other branches of
ont hA H., ,l.r
to minia lures. and handles these dainty lit
tie portraits with a delicacy of touch which
shows quite clearly that her forte lies I'm
this work. She plans to start for East
Gloucester about the LIST of July, and will
probably remain there all summer giving
most of her time to work in portraiture :.
Spencer Nichols has just finished the
portrait of DR.. Muncaster. which he COM
menced some time ago. and has created
quite strong likeness. He has now be-
gun work upon head of Daniel Cronin,
which he is blocking in in the broad eff
fective way which gives his portraits SO
much force. OF late Mr.. Nichols has been
experimenting upon himself as a model
and has made a portrait of himself in his
painting costume. not a velvet coat and a
tam-o' shanter, but a sweater and alpine
hat. In another view he has placed him
self with his back toward a window, and
while the effect of light is more interest
ing, the likeness is not as good as in
the first study. The series of water colors
which he made for the bureau CT education
is now at the Nashville exposition. One of
the NEST interesting of these drawings
was the character study picturing a school
master of olden time. and a water color
showing the interior of an old log school
house was also effective
-
Mr.. Henry Floyd. who has just come to
Washington, is now installed in a pleas
antly fitted studio in the Art League build