Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-02-08

| toward vigor, directness and individuality
| 1t is not strange that the great surgeon,
| resting from the nerve strain of his I'M
| mense practice, should have been suddenly
| brought into fame by his first playtime
| etchings, but that they were this is evident
from their character and composition; and
| herein can be explained the change re-
| corded by the recurrence of years, Tor Wnen
| it ceased, by virtue of knowledge and pur-
pose to be a recreation and became Sc
| rious undertaking. the etcher grew more
! ambitious as well as more expert; so that
| simple subjects We're laid aside and more
| complicated compositions took their place,
! and where formerly he used ten lines he
| then employed one. And yet, between them
| it is hard to choose. for each has Its charm
The Whistler collection is much smaller,
| but scarcely less comprehensive. The great
| versatility of this gifted artist Is In 1t
! strongly attested, for whether it be bit
| of ornate architecture. glimpse Of Venice,
| an interior a portrait, he seems to have
| handled it with equal and skill. The
| most notable feature of his etchings, how
! ever, is their subtlety-that elusive some
| thing which in some way he always gets into
| his work. His portrait of de Becquet, better
| known as 1.-The Fiddler" in which the head
| is exquistely modelled, whereas few appar-
| emily careless but knowing scratches indi-
| cate the figures and cello, is to be seen in
! one of the cases, with near to 1t the familiar
| Wrapping" print and his Lime Burners
| both exceptionally fine prints. There are
| also number of impressions of the series
! of sixteen scenes on the Thames and the
/ Venice set, besides others that are famous.
! OF special interest and peculiar appropri-
| ateness is one called 1.-The Music Room" in
| which are pictured Sir Seymour Haden and
| his wife, who is Mr.. WhiStler's sister. For
! these two men, who stand almost alone in
the front rank of the later-day etchers, are
intimately connected by family ties IS
| well as by the fraternity of art Near
by this are a number of delightful
little studies in children's heads, tiny in
dimensions, but wonderful in drawing and
technique. An etching, geographical in
character, of Anacapa Island, Santa Bar
bara, Is reminiscent of the time when Mr..
| Whistler was employed on the United
| States coast survey and resident Of this
| city.
| The value of such an exhibition as this,
| Of which these etchings constitute but q
| single section, cannot be too strongly en-
phasized, especially as there are doubtless
many who are still unaware of the high
standard and real Importance to which the
art department of the Congressional Libra
ry has within the past few years attained.
Mr.. A ]. Parsons, its able director, Is to
be sincerely congratulated upon this dis
play as. well as upon his election lately to
fill the vacancy on the board of trustees Of
the Corcoran Gallery occasioned by the
death of Mr.. Clark, the late architect Of the
Capitol.
A collection Of Mr.. Karl Rakemann's
sketches was exhibited last Wednesday aft
ernoon at Mrs. Andrews. These were land
scapes, portraits and genre studies, made
mostly during his four years abroad, and
were monotints done in oils on water color
paper. This combination of opposite me-
dunn and material produced a novel and
somewhat pleasing effect, and has the virtue
Of enforcing accuracy and direotness.
Mr.. Rakemann's work Is strong, and
| quite a number Of these studies were also
| decidedly artistic. He was formerly a stu
| dent of the Corcoran Scohol. whence
| he went to the schools Of Dusseldorf Paris
| and Munich. returning to his Washington
home only last spring. During the summer
| he painted four panels symbolizing ''Patri-
| otism." Liberty" Justice" and indus
| try for mural decorations in the lobby of
| the House Of Representatives. where they
| may now be seen.
Last Saturday evening Mr.. Lucien Powell
| gave an art talk at the Salma gundi Club,
| Of this city in which he told Of some of
his early experiences and gave much help
full advice. This was the first of a series of
like lectures which the club has arranged
to be given by prominent artists to them
and their specially invited guests on the
first Saturday OF each month, and in spite
of the inclemency Of the weather the rooms
were crowded to their utmost capacity:
An exhibition of Miss Bertha Ferries wa
ter colors was held last week in New York.
in the studio Of Mr.. Edward Mcdowell. It
was well attended, and in every way a
success. Miss Perrie Is also to be congrat-
ulated upon having one Of her miniatures
Dorothy" in the miniature painters ex-
hibition which Is now in progress at Knoed-
ler's on 9th avenue.
X
portfolio Of water colors by Charles
Morris Young Of Philadelphia has been
exhibited this week at McCreary's. They
were all keyed high, and rather impression
lsttc Some showed traces Of careless haste
put the majority were excellent, notably
one OF sprtngtime landscape, and another
OF a group of small white cottages seen In
the binding glare Of the midday sun.
At the Fischer gallery a number of ex-
ceedingly interesting pictures were also
shown. Three new and characteristic can
vases by Kever Of Dutch interiors and
happy child life: four old portraits of ladies
Of long ago. one by Peter Lely, and another
by q pupil Of Van Dyke-an pleasant In
color. simple in handling and full of indi-
vidua1ity-and landscape by George In
ness. The last ID in some ways the most
interesting. 1t was one Of his early paint
ings. and Il IN the style Of the English
school. 1t pictures not only meadows and
woodland. but also brook. a bridge and a
building. Every detail Is painted with un-
faltering fidelity. Nothing Is left TO the
imagination The sky Is clear and at
mosphertc the unity Of light and tone ex-
cepttonaa and It 10 altogether an excel
lent example OF the work Of one Of our
greatest American landscape painters.
-
A pen-and-nk class has been started at
the Corcoran School since the holidays and
already numbers upon It's roll over ilfty
membera It was organised by one Of ta,e
students who has studied at the Drexed In
stttuee. and 10 under her supervision. Al
present 1t meets on Thursday and Saturday
Afternoons and gttll-lHe studies only ~