Evening star., 1899-02-04
ART A N D ART S T S

The Washington Architectural Club held
an extremely interesting exhibition of draw
ings this week in the historic Octag0n
House, on the corner of New York avenue
and 18th street, and the display was thrown
open to the public on Wednesday and
Thursday evenings. A few architectural
plans were hung. but the main part of the
exhibit was composed of perspective draw
ings executed in a very artistic way. The
principal contributors were d. A. Gregg of
Boston, who showed a fine series of water
color drawings of European subjects, and
Claude Fayette BragdOn of Rochester, n.
Y, who displayed a collection Of views and
architectural details from Italian palaces.
Among the local exhibitors, Jules I. Crow
showed an especially good set of pen and
ink drawings architecturally exact and yet
handled with degree of artistic freedom.
W. G. Peter exhibited a striking water
color of the new union power station, and
T ]. D. Fuller and Z. w. Donn We're
among the other local architects represent
ed.
The result of the sale of Mr.. Brooke's
paintings at Rauscher's hall last Monday
was in one sense disa appointing. few of
the canvases brought more than a third
of the amount that the artist would have
set upon them at an ordinary sale Still
Mr.. Brooke accomplished his purpose
which was to dispose of his accumulation
of pictures and sketches, and to realize
enough money to build a studio at his old
home at WarrentOn. The collection of
ninety works brought in round numbers
s. 600 but as the artist spared no cost in
framing the pictures taStefully, and in
making the best arrangements for their
exhibition and sale, he will only clear
something between 81, 200 and 81 800 when
the rather heavy expenses have been de-
Ci a n fA
is interesting to note that the Dutch mar
ines went for rather better prices than the
landscape subjects. and that the oil paint
ings brought relatively larger sums than
the pastes.
The division of the main gallery of the
Society of Washington Artists into three
smaller rooms by the partitions which Mr..
Brooke had put in for his exhibition is
generally commented on as a great i'm
provement and the partitions will doubtless
be allowed to remain as permanent fixtures.
The smaller rooms have a much cosier ap-
pearance and the formal austere effect of
the long stretches of wall space has en-
tirely disappeared. There is also a decided
gain in the space available for picture
hanging, which could be utilized in case
of very large display, and in case of
small exhibits it is now possible to use a
part of the gallery to advantage. The
spring exhibition, which is to open in the
gallery on April 3, is being discussed in
the studios, and there is a growing faction
among the artists in favor of opening it
free of charge. The platform they stand
on is Free admission and 25c. cata-
logue." The expenses of running the eN-
hibit must be met in some way, but the
close of the last display with a deficit
raised a doubt in many minds as to
whether charging admission was the best
way to do it. The greatly increased at
tendance at free exhibition would proba-
bly, make it possible to cover the expenses
by the sale of handsomely Illustrated cat
alogues.
In view of the general interest which the
local artists are taking in this question of
admission; an investigation of the customs
in other cities is not out of place. In Bos-
ton the only important annual exhibitions
are those given by the Boston Art Club,
and admission is by cards. which are widely
distributed and obtainable without much
difficulty. In Philadelphia the annual ex-
hibit of the Pennsylvania Academy of
Fine Arts is free on Tuesdays and Fridays,
and the exhibitions held in the Chicago Art