Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-12-16

acteriAes his work. Several Gainsboroughs
also claim attention. Two little landscapes
peal is not made to the geherai lay public,
hut only to those whip loye art for arts
sake. They are the mpre remarkable from
the fact that Gainsborough almost always
played with landscape and; simply expert,
mented-"made them .ap oat Of his head"
as the boys would say There are two
Other a Excellent ellen p snd
young in color the offer a large compost
ton of a shepherdess aha pigs, which,
though rather an unintsresting subject. con-
tans sufficient good painting to make 1t
worthy Of its signature An unusually fine
example of Pourbus. q decorative portrait
OF the Elizabethan period, marks the tran
sition between the tentatiTe early and the
fuller later Flemish art, and "a Crome seems
to bring together and center In one canvas
all the best clements Of the old English
school.
On Tuesday evening, chroulcled in this
paper at the time, most interesting ex-
hibition Of architectural drawings, colonial
furniture and arts and crafts was held at
the old Octagon House, the erstwhile home
of Col. Tayloe. Passing over the beautiful
furniture and tapestries, the clever posters
and the architectural drawings, one must
mention with all praise the first-rate pro-
fessional work in the arts and crafts room.
MISS Una Clarke showed the greatest NUM-
Der of pieces and they were all so good
that 1t is hard to particularze, notwith
standing the wide differences in subject,
material and treatment. She has an origi-s
nal and very effective way of combining
burnt wood, water color tints and enamel.
which adds greatly to the beauty of her
wooden bowls and swan table. One of the
best things in her display IS an EEK libus,''
which is the most successful example of
that kind of design while a sketch design
for an iron grill, combining in the best form
both beauty and utility, proves how well
she can manage an intractabe material.
Mr. William Fuller Curtis is represented by
two burnt wood panels one of a singing
angel. the other of a graceful wood spirit
coming between slender tree stems, that
surely surpass even that strict criterion
which he sets for himself. A small box
presumably jewel casket decorated pyro--
graphically and in colors, also bears his sig
nature. A large hollywood panel, burnt with
a drawing illustrating the story of Jeanne
Dare. is the work of Mr. J. Kerfoot
Souther. The faces are peculiarly beauti-
full, and that of the maid seems to shine
with the divine light of religious inspira-
ton. The whole composition abounds in
wealth of delicately wrought detail, which,
however, suggests the criticism that the
full possibilities of burnt wood, its bold
contrasts and special adaptability to broad
decoration have not been realized. Mr.
Strauss who is the holder of the Art
League sch )arship in design. exhibits sew
eral book covers. of which refined sugges-
ton for Ships That Pass In the Night
is the most pleasing.
The severe illness of Mr.. Messer at Paxon
this summer threw him back 50 much with
his work that he has been unable to send
anything to the fall exhibitions Now
however, he is hard at work again and is
carrying along toward completion several
large canyaSeS.
For some time lately Mr. Glenn Madison
Brown has been busily at work preparing
a portfolio Of Illustrative drawings. They
are done in body color some Of them in full
color. ana are for the most part, notwith-
standing their decorative treatment, elabo-
rate and realistic studies Of colonial times
their costumes, manners and customs and
the elusive spirit of their local atmosphere
Last Thursday morning he started north
on a short business trip III which he will
probably make the Acquaintance of the New
York and Philadelphia publishing houses
for he had this labor Of many months. fig
urdtIVe!y speaking, clasped under his arm.
/ Another member of the Washington art
circles who is preparing to leave the home
city Is Mr. Earnest Nelson, who will go to
New York and the wider fields of illustra-
ton in the latter part Of this month. He is
finishing number Of guache drawings in
black and white. which. like Mr. Browns,
are decorative, but In an entirely different
way. being allegOricai Interpretations of the
modern poets, especially the pre- Raphae elite
school
Mr. Fitzpatrick of the Art Students
l,aapnA * IN
ness concerning matters artistic
That veteran institution, the National
Academy of Design, is slowly rolling up a
century Of the strongest exhibitions held In
this country, and this season it Will hold
its seventy-fifth annual display from Jan
uary L to p, inclusive, which will COM
prise works in oil, pastel and sculpture The
Academy is erecting a magnificent new
building at 10th street and Amsterdam
avenue in the neighborhood of Columbia
University, and those other fine edifices
that mark the locality as of the most
beautiful sections of the city, but it will
not be ready for occupancy for some time;
so the exhibition viii be held at the gal
leries of the American Fine Arts Society,
20 W est 3Ith street. 1t is now too late for
Out-of-town exhibitors to send anything,
the last consignments having been Received
tiliS cN tiliI5.
Mr. Moser Is collaborating with Mr. VIII
II. Chandlee for the forthcoming board of
trade dinner one of the most elaborate sets
of menus that have ever been done in this
city. Each one is individual, and decorated
with charming water color drawings. Mr.
Moser has several water coors well under
way, which he intends for the exhibition
of the American Water Color Society to
which last year he had the honor of being
elected a member.
This week there has been on exhibition in
Brentanos window the original of an Illus
tration of the Homes of Washington"
which appeared in Harpers Magazine. 1t
is of more than passing interest not only
because of the recent solemn anniversary
of the hero's death, but because of its high
degree Of artistic merit, and shows the
noble figure of Washington rising at
banquet table, while around sit the guests
some smiling, others weeping. The artist
A. j. Kellar, who, by the way was elected
10 the Water Color Society at the same
time as Mr.. Moser, is considered one of the
most promising of New York'S youppar