Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-05-09


showing its breadth and comprehensive
ness, he gave clear exposition of its prac-
| teal and ethical relation to life, and IT'S
! right to consideration as a necessity rather
1 than a luxury He told of the development
| of our national art, of the eminent place
| American artists have earned for them
selves abroad and. briefly, of the condi-
| tons existing today in the United States
| Emphasizing the place and Importance OF
| the applied arts he spoke of the awaken
| ing which has terminated, in part, at least,
| from the seed planted by the centennial
! exposition of 76. and graphically pointed
| out to his hearers the unbounded field and
| splendid possibilities awaiting the artists
| and artisans of the future. In conclusion
| Mr.. Morse made strong and excellent
| plea for the cultivation OF reverence for
art,-for sincere appreciation OF true art
| in all It's forms,-whch would discounte-
| nance and abolish such acts of vandalism
as the destruction of valuable objects by
| the CuriO seeker.
| The sudden and tragic death of j. Wells
Champney last week came as distressing
| shock not only to his personal friends, but
| to those to whom he was known merely
| through his work. He was at the time of
| his fatal fall in perfect health, and joy
| ously planning trip to Norway. To the
| fraternity he will he real loss. as he was
| one of the foremost pastelists of America,
| and ever ready to lend a hand to less ex-
| perienced or less fortunate artists. Mr..
| Champney was born in Boston in 1S43, and
| began his artistic career as an engraver
| on wood. In 1866 he went to Paris and
| studied art under Edouard Frere, and at
the time of his death he was a member of
| the American Water Color Society and an
| associate member of the National Academy
| of Design. He had little originality but
| deep artistic feeling, which evinced itself
| in all his work He leaves a wife, daugh-
| ter and son, the last of whom has resided
in this city the greater part of the past
| winter.
x X
1t is reported that the "old Salon." COM
monty called that Of the Champs Elysees,
| which with the new Salon" is now open
in the Paris Palace of Fine Arts contains
| over five thousand exhibits, of which
| eighteen hundred are oil paintings and eight
| hundred works of sculpture. In this ex-
| hibition seventy-two Americans repre-
| sented, of whom fifteen are women.
| *
In the Berlin Royal Academy's exhibition
| an entire section has been given by the
| emperor's order to the works of American
| artists, distinction accorded to no other
| nation. Carl Melchers was asked to su-
| perintend this division, and eighty paint
| fngs by American artists have been accept
| ed and hung.
| Among the prizes offered in connection
with the fifth annual exhibition of modern
art at Venice, which is now in progress,
are three for $500, $500 and 500, respect
| lively for the three best critical articles, or
| series, of articles, written in Italian, French,
German. English or Spanish This is some
| thing of an innovation.
| X
| Inc exhibition now open, in New York,
| of recently completed sculptures by Will
| lam Ordway Partridge is attracting large
attendance of visitors. and calling out
! much favorable comment. Among the most
| important pieces shown are the large bap-
| tsmal font for the new Protestant Episco-
| pal Cathedral of SIS. Peter and Paul in this
| city; figure of Peace Breaking the Sword
| of War; made in commemoration of the
| conference at The Hague; a group repre-
| senting the Grafton of Mark Antony over
| the body of Caesar; study of E A. Soth-
| ern as Hamlet, and large composition
| entitled "Pieta,' a study of the Virgin
| Mary grieving over the body of the dead
| Christ, a work to which Mr.. Partridge has
| devoted several years.
The font for the Washington cathedral is
rara marble for next October. The scheme
| comprises an octagonal basin, thirteen feet
| in diameter lined with stones from the
Jordan. In the center, standing upon a
| rock from which the water falls, is the life
| size figure Of Christ, holding in His arms a
| child The eight panels around the font
| contain representations in high relief of
scenes from the life of the Savior-the bap-
| tism in the Jordan, the crucifxion, the
| scene at the tomb and the ascension being
| the most important. At the eight angles
of the basin stand apostles treated partly
as caryatids. The panel scenes the re-
suit of studies in Palestine, the artists aim
| having been to get as near to the actual
life of the east and far away from con-
| ventiOn as possible.
| The critic of the Evening Post says the
| effect of the whole Is dignifed and i'm
pressive, and pronounces 1t 1.-The ,most am
| bilious piece of work of the kind yet at
tempted in this country, and likely to be
| one of the most successful Mr.. Par
fridge has many friends in Washington
and Is well and favorably known to the
! general public through some pieces in the
Corcoran Gallery, and especially through
his bronze group of Loving Memory" in
| one of the private lots in Rock Creek ceme-
terry.
| Every day 1t Is becoming more evident
that art collectors would do well to confine
| their purchases to the best works of mod
ern artists, instead of squandering extrav-
agant sums doubtful antiques and I'M
| authentic "old masters The purchase by
| the Louvre for the sum of $4,000 of a so
| called antique tiara, which it turns out was
| manufactured by clever Russian gold
| smith, is one of the most conspicuous ex-
amples of recent mistakes in that direction
| 1t seems also TO be we'll settled that two or
three wealthy collectors in this country
| have been badly imposed on in the sama
| way The latest case is the reported pur-
| chase by the Metropolitan Museum in New
| York of a canvas alleged to have been
| painted by the French artist Largillere
which is pronounced spurious by the French
| critics. who, in support of their view, cite
| the fact that the name Of the artist is mis-
| spelled on the canvas. This would seem to
| be pretty conclusive evidence, and ought to
put intending purchasers Of rare works.
| on their guard.