Evening star., 1899-04-08

ton OF etchings has been hung. and one
must look in the portfolio for some of the
best things. There the connoisseur will find
delight In many new specimens, as well as
in old favofites.
Ross Turner, who commenced his artistic
career in Washington, and who is still
pleasantly remembered by many Washing
tonians interested In art, has been for q
long time and still is established in Salem.
but he maintains studio in Boston, where
he also has classes of pupils. Although he
does not wholly eschew the of oils, he
continues to prefer water -colors as
medium of expression, and he has recently
had on exhibition in Boston a series Of
Mexican views from studies made during a
late visit to that country, which have been
highly praised by the papers of that city.
The Transcript, always rather chary of
praise. says of the series that they give
the best all-around idea of Mexico that it
is possible to derive from pictures, and they
are. besides, perhaps the most beautiful
and most individual pictures that Mr.. Tur-
ner has ever exhibited"
Mr.. Walter Paris has placed on view at
Veerhoff's a large water color of the bliz-
zard as it appeared from his studio win
perhaps it is not too much to say that he
has never painted anything that will eX-
cite so much interest among Washington
ians. Another painting that has been placed
on temporary exhibition at Neerhoff's is
well-studied portrait by Miss Alice Read
ing.
The Boston Museum of Fine Arts has
finally become the owner of Turner's IA
hos
been several times exhibited in that insti-
tuition. The purchase price has not been
made public, but it is most likely consider
ably less than was paid for 1t when brought
to this country. Ruskin's rhetorical and
almost ridiculous praise of this painting
gave it a great boom, but the public, alike
in England and here has never been able
to accept it at Ruskin's extravagant esti-
mate, which, 1t was alleged, was based
somewhat his own financial interest in
1t and others of Turner's works. 1t was
said, 1T will be remembered that when il
was first exhibited in New York the can
vas was placed upside down In the frame,
and was shown In that way for some time
before the mistake was discovered. 1t is
likely that this is an eXaggeration, but to
those who have seen the painting the state
ment does not appear to be as absurdly
improbable as might at first be supposed.
A head of Washington, which is attrib-
uted to James Peale, and which has re-
Gently come to light in an accidental man
ner, has been placed on view at Veerhoff's
for a few days During the late war the
Both Volunteer Infantry was stationed near
st. Augustine, and Lieut.. E. Arnett Smith
of Company E, in looking through one of
the curio shops with which the old place
abounds, came across g. dust-covered pic
ture 1t was portrait of Washington, and
bore the signature of James Peale. The
dealer knew nothing of the history Of the
portrait, and evidently appreciated it but
little. A trade was soon made. and the
young officer carefully protected his pur-
chase until he was mustered out. With a
desire to have the authenticity of the pic
tUre established, he has recently sent il to
Mr.. Guy Underwood of the library of the
House of Representatives, who has SUBJ
mitted it to several judges of Peale's works
in this city. Miss Elizabeth Bryant John
ston, the author Of Original Portraits of
Washington is confident that it is the
work of James Peale and from certain
marked points of similarity Is convinced
that 1t is copy made by Peale Of John
TrumbuiIs portrait, painted from life in
1I9O. The portrait is not pastel. as some
of the experts who have examined It have
hastily concluded, but is an example OF
pure wash work in water color. the high
lights having been left or scratched out
with knife. 1t is framed in an old-fash-
ioned oval frame. and the back is covered
with leaves from book, apparently of the
colonial period. An almost iilegible label
on the back asserts that it is portrait of
George Washington, painted by James
Peale in 1776 But one cannot place very
much dependence such a label