The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-12-02

these skillful and individual interpreta
lions Of nature. Mrs. E. NJ. Scott, thu
clubs vice president and one of the olde
New York flower painters, led with som,
pink tipped roses and some small yellow
roses, which were exquisite in color ant
delicate in rendering to the point of seem
ing flowers from some Garden o.
Dreams" while in Herter's picture bear
/ ing that title flowers and other objective
matter had an almost over-real quality
SO strongly was that picture marked with
n certain conventional decorative quality
| The flowers seemed almost artificial.
More forceful were the fine tone studies
/ of Mrs. Dillon and Miss Hardenberg Mrs.
| Nichols paints roses in the manner of
/ our Mr.. Holmes. and in this particular
technique I know of TO one so near to
! possessing his genius for direct work.
| Not within my memory has Mrs. Nichols
quite struck the high note sounded in
Roses With the Mandolin" 1t is not
possible in this capricious method to
| command the material-ma3ters in 1T
make many pictures which they are fore
| ed to abandon because alterations are
=; impossible and the charm lies in the mi
raculous simplicity of their execution.
Notwithstanding the almost brutal treat
ment OF the mandolin and accessories,
this picture should have had a place Of
honor in the large gallery and not been
hidden away as it was in an inner ROOM
A friend whose attention l called to this
picture said, very clever Clever!
man." / replied. that is stroke Of gen.
ius in which Providence took large
hand The result is not finer than that
attained with great labor by Mrs. Scott
with her Dutch method, but there is
something commanding about a result so
consummate, obtained with few skill
full strokes of the brush on white paper
which must forever make that method
the highest and most individual known
to water color. / must not be misunder-
stood in this estimate.
Regarded as art wherein the medium
may not be considered, the Dutch method
holds higher possibilities than any other,
and that is one reason why one has to
look twice in the great exhibitions to
discover whether the picture is made
with oil, water color. or pastel. That
picture is water color carries no longer
the recommendation 1t once had. The
question is not now what medium is the
picture painted in, but rather how much
art and nature is there in it.
At the reception given last week in the
new studios of the Ali Bahia Club, 1920 New
York Avenue, the walls were covered with
recent work by club members. 1t is pleas
ant to aote that, collectively, the work
shows very definite and substantial prog
ress on the part of these younger artists
and students. The standard is plainly
much higher than it was last year.
Mr.. Esterly. whose pencil drawings have
always been leading attraction at corner
exhibitions, is notably stronger in draw
ing and artistic sensitiveuess.
Miss Hawlev, who won the Corcoran
gold medal last year, is conspicuous here
by some drawings, of which an old mans
head stands out from the wall by the
force and accuracy with which 1t is done.
Too much cannot be said of such work,
for it is the foundation. however much
concealed. that must support all color
work. in whatever medium that asplres to
permanent artistic value. The club should
concern itself with this sort of thing and
less with picture making.
Mr.. Farce is inclined to be a picture
maker rather than maker of studies, but
still his "old Pine Trees" comes near
to the real thing. 1t is a we'll handled
picture. A close study of nature, how
ever, he must have II he reaches higher
things. He has the insight: study on the
right lines will do the rest. Mrs. Salmson
shows an excellent head of a little girl
and some poppies in a jar that are very
good.
The pastels of Miss Shoenborn and Miss
Lowenstein reflect great credit on the
club. The method of the latter is rather
the more artistic. Miss Weide and Miss
Clement. in flowers and still life. have
made a great step forward in work that
was excellent last year.
That the Rev. Stanley Bellheimer the |
clubs chaplain, is an amateur of fine |
taste and appreciation of the charm of |
twilight was evident in tiny water color |
of some spires against an evening sky. |
This little thing was so unambitiOus that |
it might easily have been overlooked, but |
it takes very small piece of paper to |
yields the brush.
If anyone doubts the wisdom of art stu |
dents working independently and by them |
selves they should have seen this Ali |
Baba Club exhibition last week. There |
was a breezy charm as well as earnest
ness In it all, and a very high artistic |
quality observable in many of the ex-
hibits, which reflect great credit upon the |
Corcoran school, where they are studying |
or have studied. and also upon themselves |
1t is evident that they are having a good |
time. This is right. That was the spirit |
Of the great William Morris Hunts teach
ing. l never tire of repeating his golden
firm and be jolly This the
Ali Babas are wisely doing. Success and
long life attend them!
JAMES HENRY MOSER.