Evening star., 1901-03-27
PICTURES OF MERIT
Eleventh Annual Exhibition OF So
ciety of Washington Artists.
FROM LOCAL And FOREIGN EASELS
The Prize Winners and Many
Other Creditabie Paintings
ARCHITECTS CLUB EXHIBIT

The eleventh annual exhibition of the So
ciety of Washington Artists opens tonight,
with q private view and reception in the
hemicycle of the Corcoran Gallery of Art
From tomorrow it will be free to the public
every week day from am to $50 pm,
and from to 10 o'clock in the evening
and from l to 4 pm. on Sundays until
April 13.
For the past few years these exhibitions
have been held in the Connecticut ave-
nue. gallery. and though composed almost
entirely of the work of local painters have
compared favorably with like exhibitions
held in other cities. But with the change
of gallery has also come alteration in
the general character of the exhibition for
this year a step beyond the neighborhood
limits has been taken, and at least a third
of the canvases shown bear the signatures
of prominent out-of-town artists.
The majority of these have been sent in
direct response to the invitations issued
early in the winter by the executive com
mittee of the society, to whose energetic
and untiring efforts the success of this
eleventh annual is due. That it is a thor
ough success, artistically, all who view it
will agree, and to those who feared that
the Introduction of pictures by distinguish
ed out-of-toWn painters would be detri-
mental to local work it will prove an
"
withstanding the big names. our artists
do not suffer in any comparison and stand
shoulder to shoulder with the best. In
fact. there is nothing about the exhibition
more noticeable than its extreme even
ness. The average is high and sustained
throughout, for though it may be said
that few masterpieces are shown, it will
likewise be true that there is no trash
Each canvas possesses honest unqueS-
tionabie merit and bespeaks the hand of
an experienced painter, solid, substantial
work, with only a suggestion of the ex-
treme schools and withal an earnest seri-
business which will be sincerely appre-
ciated alike by artists and connosseurs
This. indeed, might be called "a painters
exhibition" for in almost every case the
manner of execution rather than the sub
Ject or composition is the chief attraction
There is an entire absence of pretty
things with which one quickly wearies
and an abundance of commonplace scenes
which will always increase in beauty and
attraction as they become more familiar.
The Award of Prizes.
No small amount Of interest is attached
to the award of prizes four in number
three (of $500, 500 and $50, respectively
given by the trustees of the Corcoran Gal
| lery to the best three pictures shown at
the exhibition, and the Parsons prize of
500 to the best landscape by Washing
ton artist. The jury for the trustees prizes
was composed of nine members of the So
ciety, and that for the Parsons prize of
Fischer and Mr.. ]. Mcclure Hamilton
The final decisions are as follows: The
first, of $500. to Irving Wies' portrait: the
second, of 500, to Miss Laura c. Hills
miniature, THE Fire Opal and the third
of $50 to Spencer Nichols Portrait of
Mrs N"
The Parsons prize of 500 for the best
landscape by Washington artist was