Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-06-04

Imposing proportions hsf Tie hall and in
close proximity with futures Utmost colossal
In size, they appear almost 5iminutive. Of
true. Indeed, IL mightlbe SAID almost pain !
fully true, for in spite of the vigorous as
pect of his head and Che spirited pose of
his body, his form Is that Of frail youth
or a maiden masqueradingt AS a whole,
however. the statue mas been well COM
posed, and the nobility portrayed in the 4
face and bearing overcome the unpleasant
impression OF physicaI weakness. All that
may be said in praise OF these statues cam
not however, atone for the pedestals upon
which they have been placed, which are in
artistic and unsightly to a surprising de-
polished, which in itself may be attractive,
but it does not harmonic with any of the
finishings furnishings of the Statuary
Hall. In form they are, also, most unat-
tractive suggesting by their curving sides
the act of upholding ponderous weight,
which in turn accentuates the impression
of the statues being undersize Both in
color and form the pedestals seriously de-
tract from the merits of the works which
they are supposed to Supremacy set forth,
and will always likewise be found antago-
nistic to their surroundings. When the
statues which they uphold are of SO chaste
fortunate, and inclines one to hope that
they may in the future be replaced by 9TH
ers more appropriate in color and design.
The Corcoran Gallery of Art made this
week a valuable addition to it's permanent
collection, acquiring by purchase water
color by Mr.. James Henry Moser. 1t is
called September Rain in the Mountains"
and pictures a road on the crest Of hill
from which one looks off and even. down
upon a sea of mist-shrouded mountain
peaks and ridges. The sky is covered with
a veil of gray, rent here and there by
passing shower, and below the hill a cou-
pie of tiny white truant clouds are seen
drifting down the valley On the top of
the hill to the lefe clump of dwarf cedars
and leafless tree are silhouetted against
the lowering sky, and in the foreground
coarse mountain grass borders the road
way. Under less skillful handling such
would have produced a merely
pretty picture, but Mr. Moser in his inter
probation has raised it above conventional
ity He has represented the scene liter
aIly and vet he has transcribed its subtle
charm, which in all probability would have
in nature escaped the majority OF opserV-
this is art. Technically 100 the
work has been cever1y done 1t was, ac-
cording to the painters own statement,
zone of those things which went well from
the start" and it shows fresh, vigorous
Mr.. Moser, who for many years
has been prominent among our local art
lists, has within the last hVe seasons come
to be numbered with the leading American
water colorists. His work is not only wei
coined but sought, by those who nave the
management of the important out-of-town
exhibitions and it has found ready mar
ket in Boston, New York and Philadelphia
There is no one VINO renders WIN tilier
feeling and skill cloud effects in the noun
tains and there are few who in the rem
dering of other subjects show such aDso-
lutte mastery of their medium. The artist
and the gallery are both to be congratu-
lated.
The Corcoran School exhibition has been
attracting considerable attention during
the past week. On free days the atrlum,
the hemicycle and the opposite school foom'
in which the drawings and paintings were
shown, came in for a, large share OIL the
visitors attention, and many commenda-
tory remarks were overheard. Some OF the
students are now engaged in making stud
les from the pictures in the gallery, avail
ing themselves of the copyists privilege,
but the majority have already scattered
hither and thither on their summer hoiody.
in town for some few weeks. but MI.
Brooke has already left for his home IN
Warrenton, and on the 21st Miss Mueden
will sail for Hollard.
Mr.. Moser received this week a very
testimonial Of the regard and
appreciation of his pupils in the form OF
handsome brass student lamp and small
ma jolica teapot for his summer camp: The
lamp is simple but very artistic in design,
and was accompanied with such sincere eX-
pressions of gratitude that it could but De
a welcome gift.
X
Notwithstanding her teaching and the
several commissions she has had on hand,
Miss Mueden has found time during the
past month to make several very interest
ing portrait studies in pencil and chalk.
One is of an old Irishman, another pictures
a plantation negro, a third is the portrait
of a pretty mulatto girl, and fourth
sketchily sets forth the same model which
Mr.. Neuhuys was tempted to paint al the
Corcoran School during his recent WISH 10
Wa shington ALI are small. but are care
fully finished and strongly modelled. Ihey
are full of character and Individuality, anu
in their rendering display not only unusual
knowledge but much artistic feellng. AS
lkenesses they are altogether pleasing, ana
WHY this type of little portrait should not
he more in vogue is hard to understand.
But speaking Of little portraits, MISS
Bertha Perrie has recently finished very
attractive and interesting miniature on