The San Francisco call., 1903-12-08
CLUB OPENS
ART EXHIBIT
BOhemians Say Display Sur
passes Any Previous Effort
in It's Artistic Presentation
TEST AMONG SCULPTORs
Walls of Jinksroom Flash With
Brilliant Works and Some
Splendid Statuary Is Shown

All the knowing ones at the Bohe-
mian Club are positive that never be-
fore the seventh annual exhibition Of
the Painters and Sculptors' Club,
which will open for public view from
to-day until December %, inclusive, has
such a meritorious showing been made
in the annals Of the swell organization
Members Of the club only were pres
ent at the private opening of the ex-
hibition yesterday. The spread is made
in the jinksroom. The real interest
of the exhibition rests mostly in the
award the governors of the club shall
make for the proposed Bret Harte mon
ument to be erected in some public
place in this city.
Three contestants are entered for the
race. One of them is Robert 1. Aitken,
who originally designed a sketch rep
resenting ''Tennessee's Pardner" weep
ing over the grave of his late associate.
1t was beautifully smybolic of the Cali
fornia miner, whom Harte had made
historic in song and story. Aside from
the tale. IT represented the miner of
40 bewailing his harpist. Even the
most ill-read person, to whom had come
the joyous tragic notes of Harte
through the medium of a Fifth School
Reader, would have recognized the
"Tennessee's Pardner" to complete the
tale. 1t was a statue of the California
miner grieving over Bret Harte.
MAKES NEW DESIGN.
Under advice from fellow members of
the club, the versatile sculptor has
made a new design. He thought that
his previous effort might seem too fu-
nereal. so he designed a scene from
the Luck of Roaring Camp" where
Old Kentuck dies with the baby in his
arms. The situation is not nearly so
universal or compelling as his original
work, though it is life size and decid-
edly impressive. Unfortunately, it was
done hurriedly and the figure of Old
Kentuck is out of proportion. The same
claim cannot be made against Ten
nessee's Pardner," which is fashioned
perfectly to life.
Against Mr.. Aitken are two sketches
for a Bret Harte monument, offered
by NJ. Earl Cummings, typifying
a scene from the Luck of Roaring
Camp" when ''he wrastled with me
thumb" Both are sketches and are
weaker artistically than either Of Mr.
Aitken's offerings.
A. Putnam has two offerings for the
Harte monument. which lack original
ity or strength, but are full of compost
ton. They both show the figure of the
author against cold stone and beyond
the pose and execution suggest moth
ing. His sculpturing is purely subjec-
tive without the least inkling of ro-
nance to it.
In addition to these Mr. Aitken has
a wonderful figure entitled Clutch Of
Destiny" representing two massive
hands dragging down the struggling
body of man. 1t is a striking idea
both in conception and execution and |
when produced beyond sketch will |
be bound to attract attention. Three |
busts of his will attract serious atten-
ton. NJ. Earl Cummings has three busts
A. Putnam offered an excellent collec-
ton of his wonderful animal produc-
tions in plaster.
DIFFICULT OF CHOICE.
Among the paintings the choice was
difficult. Charles Rollo PEERS has five
of his wonderful moonlight scenes on
exhibition. From two of them espe-
cially. Finch House and Casa La
guna" are kept out the hair pulling
histrionics of art and they are master
pieces. The others verge ON the melo-
dramatic and lose their art through an
excess Of art. c. D. Robinson had two
marines representing surf, but neither
of them were surfy, and only the light
in the foreground saved them from be-
ing mediocre. More attention to COM
position, added to the color the artist
has already, will place him in the front
rank.
j. Frank McComas has a notable col
lection Of water colors, principally of
Monterey expresses, which pail the
spirit of the viewer in the subtility of
their rendering. They are Japanesque
in their truth and universal in their
meaning. Their boughs echo the sound
of hopeless wave beats on sorrowful,
rock-bound coast. Arthur F. Mathews
has an exquisite bit in light and shade
entitled "The Mirror" He has three
other striking pictures on the same
lines as McComas' productions.
Orrin Peck has exhibited three port
rats, the best of which-and that
means something excellent-is of Mrs.
Phoebe Hearst 1t is peculiarly life
like and full Of delicious detail, ranking
him as an artist of unexpected merit.
SOME STRONG OFFERINGS.
Charles ]. Carlson has an excellent
study of an "Old Man. which will at
tract great attention. John r. Dick
erson has four studies of Chinese life
that are full of life and color. L. May
nard Dickson has some wonderful pas
teIs from the southwest that are more
than worthy of further mention. He
has found the desert moonlight and
fixed it for all ages. Harry Stuart
Fonda has four meritorious offerings
that will attract attention John NJ
Gamble has showed three canvasses of