The times., 1900-12-23

| while his wonderful achievements with
| the brush have been the subject of much
discussion in the drawing rooms and at
afternoon teas. The success of this ex-
| hibition is very marked, and with a view
| to getting some professional opinions
| which would interest admirers of Mr.. JEFF
| ferson. Mr.. Brooke, Mr.. Weyl, and Mr..
Messer's observations on the jefferson
paintings are here given. These three
| local leaders In the profession, enjoy
alone the very great distinction of hav-
| ing pictorial composition in the per-
manent collection of the Corcoran Gal
! lery of Art. the trustees having pur-
| chased examples of their work from the
artists themselves.
Mr.. Richard N. Brooke. the President
of the Society of Washington Artists, is
a painter OF distinguished ability. After
! a years absence at his old home in War
renton, Va, Mr. Brooke has taken a
! studio in the Demonet Building, which he
will open about January l. In reply to
note asking for an opinion of Mr.. JEFF
| ferson's art, Mr.. Brooke, who Is warm
friend of Mr. Jefferson, sends the follow
| ing interesting comments:
IF there be anything in analogy, an
actor endowed with Mr.. Jeffersons skill
in selection, his just sense of value and
| proportion. his gift of suggesting the un-
| said and unseen and withal one pos
sessed of that power 10 stir the emotions
| which Is the color sense of his art, should
not, in taking up the palette, have far to
| go to find himself at home-and well up
| at that-in the community of the paint
| ers. But where then, one may ask,
| comes in that academic training which
| is special TO pictorial art? The answer
is that the principles above referred to
as his by nature and practice form the
bulk Of such training; the rest is
mere matter of paint. AS to this, Mr..
Jefferson has demonstrated that the ar
tist born, who has something vital to
say, may be trusted to find adequate
means of expression, though not brought
up on-possibly not hampered blythe
time-honOred formulas OF the schools.
Like all who have taken up the brush in
the prime of life, and seen and digested
much good art meanwhile, he has doubtlt IS
had his gods, whose ways were law to him,
as far as anything could bind his own
free spirit; but these manifestly have not
been gods of convention; least OF 6ll let
US be thankful, have they been the gods
of the Philistines. sl
From them no doubt he has learned
much, but he has brought into the com
bination too much of his own to become
to any degree an imitator. II. indeed,
there is occasional inequality in his, as
in all artists work. it is due in great
measure to that spirit Of liberty which
makes him an explorer in new methods
and mediums. Within the limits of the
acquired he has developed manner OF
his own, having an intrinsic charm which
makes him at his easel, as on the stage,
a school unto himself.
Il still recall with undiminished de-
light a canvas of his seen years ago,
which would honor any collection; the
subject a Catskill torrent emerging thun-
derously toward the spectator from be-
hind a shoulder of the ravine. 1t was the
old, discredited story of the Hudson River
school, but told so newly and so lovingly,
with such fresh swaying of the mosses.
and such CLINT of froth and pebble, as
only the poet could interpret. Were this
his only great achievement he might to
my thinking rest secure in the conscious
ness that he had done something which
an appreciative posterity could not afford
to overlook"
Mr. Max Weyl and Mr. Clarence Messer
are the foremost landscapists here in
Washington. Both are prominent and ac-
tive members of the Society OF Washing
ton Artists, and with Mr. Brooke, are
well and fayorably known in New York,
where they are occasional exhibitors Mr.
Weyl is, through his pictures, probably
known to wider circle of Washington
people than any oIher local artist His
work is marked by richness of color and
sensitiveness TO the beauty of tone. He,
like the other two artists is devoted to
the Barbizon school. Mr. Weyl paints in
a very attractive studio in the Barbizon
studio building named after that famous
school of painters.
Meeting Mr.. Weyl recently at the JEFF
ferson exhibition. / found him enthusias-
tic over the pictures of the actor painter.
1T is grand" said Mr. Weyl. Mr. JEFF
ferson is poet. There is no cold -blooded
realism here that makes your flesh creep
only the beauty and mystery of nature.
He knows what TO paint and how 10 paint
1t. His technique is that of all the great
painters-any way will do. il one only
gets the effect he is after. You can easily
see that all this work was done for the
love Of doing il. Look at that Forest and
Stream, No. Is. think that among the
best. Are not the green's in it delicious %
l agreed fully with Mr.. Weyl on that
point, for the picture in question is also
a fayoTite of mine.
Mr.. Weyl relates how MIR. Taylor an
actor in Mr.. Jefferson's company and a
warm friend of Mr. Weyl some ten or
fifteen years ago in New York, took him
to the Lotus Club, where he saw picture
by Mr.. Jefferson. The subject was a
bayou in Louisiana where the silver-grey
moss hung from the branches. 1t was a
mysterious and mournful picture, very
dramatic and impressive. "That was the
first picture of Jefrerso1's | ever saw"
said Mr.. Weyl, ''and he showed at that
time fine ability as a landscape painter.
He has visited my studio several times
and enjoy his talks on Grt immensely
He is a wonderful man"
Mr.. Clarence Messer has taken a tenn
porary downtown studio in the Corcoran
Building-his permanent studio being at
his residence In Anacostia-where he is
working this winter and receiving his
friends Tuesday. Thursday, and Saturday
afternoons.
Mr.. Messer is a scholarly, an able. and
sensitive artist, widely informed on mat
ters OF art His thoughtful observations
on the Jefferson pictures are therefore
especially interesting.
Mr.. Messer, when asked for his opinion
regarding this exhibition, said: '1t is
most interesting collection of pictures.
have watched the development of this fine
amateur and can but feel that great
actor, he would have made quite as dis
tinguished reputation as a painter had
he made painting his life work and de-
voted the same careful, painstaking study
to the latter profession that he has be-
slowed upon the former.
'As to his method, thai is simple and
dlrect-the natural expression of his idea
and quite responsive TO his will. Mr.. JEFF
ferson's subjects are remarkably well Sc
lected and their sense of unity Is con-
spicuous. That he should carry single
impression with such skill and force re-
veals the influence of his deep knowledge
of the stage, where nothing is put in or