The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-02-24
shows what possibilities lie in the water

color sketch
Mr.. Zagbaum presents I remarkable
picture of the storytelling type. It's sue
cess as a painting with its great historical
value should have won it more promi-
nent place, but it seems any excellence
beyond tine .E3re art in picture degrades
it in the eyes of jury. The pendulum
has swung TO this extreme. In the old
days art was put in the background. Time
will bring these excellent things to their
own and then the good figure picture may
tell an interesting story without being ia
booed. Mr. Saterlee has several figure
pictures in the exhibition. One OF a girl
at an old Colonial door is the best thing
| ever saw him do and / congratulate him
upon it. but there is one illustrated in the
catalogue which my pupils make all man
ner of fun OF. They, not having seen the
show, judge the exhibition by the cata-
iogue. | wish he were here to defend it.
| confess to being helpless.
Some one has said flowers are the
most beautiful things God ever made and
forgot to put souls into"-and while the
public interest in flowers has grown
amazingly in the past twenty years, pic
lures of lowers cannot be said TO have
kept pace in general interest. This mis-
fortune-and it is misfortune, for more
attractive and worthy subjects for the
in the higher artistic circles. for in flower
subjects are found opportunities for the
highest expression of artistic quality and
feeling. Now and then men like Abbott
Thayer and j. Alden Wier. famous for
figure and landscape, send flower picture
to the great exhibition, and there is at
once a furore over them.
Mrs. E. NJ Scott and Mrs. Nichols are
professional painters of flowers whose
oh MI in
uet OF America but the public are slow
to appreciate them at their true value,
so there is little encouragement for 9TH
ers to attempt TO win fame in this di-
rection The public, on whom the ar ISIS
so much depend, readily accepts land
scapes and figure subjects of less artistic
value. Notwithstanding this discour-
aging outlook, one meets occasionally
specialist in flowers who bravely faces
the situation and pursues her high and
lofty mission of preserving the evanes-
cent beauty of flowers and teaching peo-
pie to see the deeper artistic charm
which is the painters business to re, cal.
Such a painter of flowers though. is the
newly arrived artist. Mrs. Louise Quincy
Rauch, who is come to Washington to re-
side and is exhibiting at the VeerhOn Gal
lery collection of her work. pupil OF
Mrs Scott. Mrs. RaUch has still besides
ter much individuality as shown in her
interpretations in this very interesting ex-
hibition. The NEST painter-like of these is
a blue jar of roses with dark background
These possess i mystery and charm which
brings out best the paintable beauty Of the
flowers and approach most closely the
master, Mrs. Scott, with whom Mrs. Rauch
studied.
There are interesting qualities OF tone
and color in all the pictures shown-but
it is to be regretted that the drawing is
not always as carefully considered as one
expects to see in pictures publicly shown.
However, there is evidence Of decided tai
ent here, and Mrs. Louise Quincy Rauch
will add to the reputation of the little
band of painters here who are making
Washington art known away from home.
Mr.. Richard " Brooke. President Of the
Society of Washington Artists. and Mr.. E.
s. Morse. chairman Of the executive Gem
mittee. were in New York last week look
ing after the interests of the coming show
of the society to be held at the Corcorln
in March and April.
There will be an interesting exhibit next
week at the Cosmos Club closing March l,
of pictures by Mr. G. c. Cox, the eminent
artist photographer The Importance and
high-class character of the Cosmos Club
exhibitions in recent years not only re-
fleets great credit on the art committee,
hut credit must also be given TO these *
hjbitions for the great advance made in
art taste here in Washington. No more
valuable or helpful support has been given
to the Society of Washington Artists in its
efIcrt to promote sound art here ut home
than it has received from its sjanch
friend. the Cosmos Club.
JOHN HENRY MOSER.