Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-06-03
ART AND ARTS 7 S


Mr.. Edmund Clarence Messer left on
Wednesday for Paxson. Va, the pictur-
esque locality in which he does his summer
sketching, and at the same time conducts
an outdoor class. Paxson scenery has
become quite familiar to the Washington
public during the past four or five years
through the many canvases that have APP
peared in local exhibitions. The drama tic
picture by Mr.. Messer which the Corcoran
Art Gallery purchased recently is based on
Paxson sketches. and many of the best pic
lures of Mr.. Weyl, Mr. Siebert and Mr.
Hodgkins have had their inspiration in the
same scenery. Mr. Hobart Nichols and
Mr.. Spencer Nichols have also been
casional visitors to this popular art colony,
and there has been no local exhibition for
several years in which some of Mr.. Mes
ser s more advanced students have not been
represented by credtable work The first
students who have joined Mr.. Messer this
Year to commence work in his class at the
very outset are band of talented young
men from the Art Students League.
X
The Corcoran Gallery of Art is fortunate in
the possession of a new picture-August
Shaeffer's Sunset in a Hungarian Forest
which has been presented to the institution
by Mr.. Edward Lind Morse, son of Prof
Samuel T. B. Morse, and one of the best
known local artists In speaking of this
picture, artists are very likely to say that
it is old-fashioned in treatment, because
every tiny detail has been set down with
the utmost care and nothing left for the
imagination to supply; but few who have
handled a brush will refuse to acknowl-
| edge that it is masterpiece of observation
and realistic painting, The gnarled oak
trees, crimsoned by the last rays of the
setting sun, are drawn with remarkable
precision, and there is part of the pic
| ture that does not show profound knowl-
edge and intelligent study. These are quail
tiles that have a permanent and lasting
value. in spite of the changes of taste
| which inevitably come with the passage of
years
The Corcoran School Of Art will remain
| open through the month of June, though
| for most of the students the exhibition on
Thursday evening marked the close of the
years study. There are a few industrious
| ones who stick by the. school to the very
| end but to large majority the charms of
outdoor sketching prove too great an at
| traction at this time of year. and they
| scatter to their favorite haunts in the coun-
| try or by the seashore.
| None of the local portrait painters has
| made rapid strides during the past
| season than Mr.. Henry Floyd, and it is not
given to every man to make each new por-
| trait a distinct and noticeable advance
| over its predecessor. One of the best of his
| recent productions is a striking portrait of
| Miss Marion Gallaudet. and he has now on
| his easel a half-length figure of Mr.. John w.
| Foster, which, even in it's partly finished
state, IS a convincing likeness. The strong
| ly modelled face is full of character and eX-
| preston, and is true in color Mr. Floyd
| is leaving for Europe with Mr.. Ralph Cross
| johnson. and will be obliged to leave this
! portrait in his studio unfinished until he
returns in the fall. There is a decided
| artistic charm about the figure study which
| Mr. Floyd has been painting of Miss kath-
| leen Chambers, and the easy, graceful pose
| made by this broadly handled piece of
work.
Mr.. George Gibbs, who came to Wash
| ngton to act on the jury of award for the
gold medal competition of the Corcoran
| School of Art, left town a couple of days
ago. after a weeks visit spent in renewing
acquaintance with his many friends. He is
| at present the staff of the Philadelphia
Saturday Evening Post and he is not only
| turning out some very admirable ilusfra-
| tons, but is also doing considerable writ
| ing.
| X
Mr. Mills Thompson. who Is connected
with the same periodical paid Washington
| a visit during the jubilee, and returned
| again to his work Monday last. Mr..
Gibbs, Mr.. Thompson and Mr.. John c.
| Clay, the three Neutrality-suspicious. who are
| doing illustrative work in Philadelphia,
| JOY the joint occupancy of one immense
| studio.
| The sale of pictures belonging to the late
| Edouard Remenyi was commenced about a
! week ago in Chicago, but the works
brought such low prices that when a por-
ton of the collection had been sold for
5000 the executors withdrew the re-
mainder to wait for more favorable OPP
portunity. Greuze, for which it is said
| the owner once refused $l409o brought
only s., 100.
The collection of large pastel heads by
| August Licata. which was on view for a
| short time this week at Veerhoffs, was
| extremely interesting. the same model an
old man with a much wrinkled face being
| presented in five slightly different views
| The heads are nearly twice life size, and
| though at first glance this makes a start
| ling and unpleasant impression, the good
| quantities OF tHe WoTk soon assert them
| selve> and one is compelled to admire the
excellent modelling and the strong effects
of light and shade.
| X
A large collection of photographs by Mr.
E. c. Rost, which has just been placed on
temporary exhibition in the department of
graphic arts at the Congressional Library,
will interest large number. All the pho
tographs are Of Cuban subjects, and Mr..
| Rost has shown much taste and discrtmi-
\ nation In his choice of dramatic and Mo