Evening star., 1901-11-09
A RT N o T E S .

During the past week number of no
table paintings, purchased by Mr.. V. q.
Fischer while abroad last summer, have
been received at his gallery, and though
they have not been placed on public eX-
hbition, one has already created consider
able interest in art circles. 1t Is modern
Dutch genre picture, by Kever, called THE
Sewing School" On long bench, outside
a low-roofed cottage, are seated five little
peasant maids, industriously plying their
needles. Opposite, In true school mistress
fashion, their instructress, young woman
of the same class, has her chair, while by
the door the old granny sits, lending dig
nifty and LONELINESS to the composition
To the right, bit of lane and clump of
foliage make the background; to the left,
the facade of the plain little dwelling. 1t is
broadly painted with little attention to min
utiae or detail but with great simplicity,
strength and directness, and 1t possesses
that which alone lifts a picture above the
plane of technical accomplishments and
puts it among the creations of genius-the
expression of the feeling which inspired the
painter. With that this little picture VI
brates. Simple as is the composition, plain
the people, sketchy the style, this appealing
quality is strongly felt and markedly pre-
dominant 1t is a bit of real life fastened
to canvas so artfully that the art is forgot
ten, so truthfully that it's commonplaceness
is lost in it's beauty and sweetness.
In somewhat the same spirit, though in
quite a different style, is another Of these
pictures,-a painting by Blommers of two
children and a cat in curtained window.
This, too, is done in the Dutch free man
ner, is pleasant in color, strongly modelled
and charming in composition. 1t is, in fact
seldom that one sees children so well paint
ed.
Quite in contrast are two others Of the
collection-paintings by Nicholas Lancret,
picturing the frivolous gayety of court life
at the time of Louis XIV. Lancret, it will
| be remembered, was friend and follower
of Vatican, and his work was thought by
some to even surpass that of his master
| 1t was, indeed, the popularity of one of
these very paintings when exhibited in the
| Place Dauphine >about his which is ac-
credited with having broken their friend
| ship. Be that as it may, these canvases
| are both dainty in color, Frenchy and
quaint and uncommonly good examples of
| that unique school which gave itself I'm
| and ladies and the making of pretty Dic-
| lures. Besides these there is an admifa Bile
marine by Clays and = painting of two
sheep and ram by Morland one of the
! earliest English reahsts.
.s{Kae
X
| Mr.. Carl Gutherz has just completed
| the last section Of his frieze for the Fort
| Wayne court roorn-that portion for the
! long side wall, which represents Justice,
| virtue, Crime, Tie Apprehension or the
Guilty and the First Jury. The subject is OF
necessity old. but the artists treatment OF
| it is altogether new. On either side of the
figure of Justice stand tyo angels of the
Apollo type, clad in garments of indescrib-
able splendor. One is in the act of bless
ing and welcoming, the other repulsine
| with sword and Scorn Far to the right is
pictured Peace, Love and Tranquility and
to the left the conflict and horror of the
<,f Twill OF 10 c1,<
striking Peace is represented by the figure
of an aged yeoman surrounded by his flock:
and herds, by a young mother with hei
children and by two lovers returning al
eyentide from the harvest feIds-all ele
ments in single picture brought together
| with great naturainesss and ease. The SKY
and the landscape. both rich in color ant
vibrant in tone partake of the spirit of tn.
whole, and the hamlet with the smoke ris
ing from its chimneys. and the little chape
sllhouetted against the clouds. lend q teucl
of poetry to the picture. Offsetting this il
the -exempliication OF Vice and Crime. Al
Is disorder, chaos; mighty WhirlWina