Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-02-13
ART NOTES.

A RI NOTES..
The Corcoran Gallery Of Art has received
this week from Mr. William Church Osborn
Of New York two interesting paintings by
Thomas Doughty, the earliest American
landscape painter of note These have
been hung on the south wall of the north
west sallery-a room given over exclusively
to works by American artists. One pic
lures bit of Welsh scenery and the other
distant view of Tintern Abbey. Both
show broad stretches of conventional coun-
try and are distinctly classical in style.
In the Welsh picture the full moon is seen
rising over a distant range of mountains
reiilumining the twilight sky and casting
silver CLEAN on the surface of the placid
lake which lies in the lap of the hills.
Away into the foreground these miniature
mountains intrude themselves shutting OIL
the light and the view and suggesting the
unreality of geographical models. Through
a cleft in the chain. however, the beautiful
lake is seen, and through this same gap
in the opposite direction, little stream
has sauntered forth. Here, in the imme-
date foreground a single figure has been
placed to give life to the composition,
which, instead, unfortunately increases the
u,1reality of the scene. This was charac-
teristic of paintings of that and an Garner
period and is interesting as demonstrating
the lack of appreciation even in that gay
for pure landscape as we now interpret
that term. But as to the painting ITSELF
1t is rich in color and excellent in tone the
sky is luminous and atmospheric and IN
the whole there 10 a unity which signifies
well-sustained values. The picture of TIN
tern Abbey is perhaps less notable PANT
in
the lake, the nearby promontory, on which
the abbey is perched and the darkened
foreground but the whole lacks the spirit
and harmony Of the former palnlins
Neither are masterpieces as measured Sy
the greatest of the worlds paintings out
both are more than fair examples OF the
early American school and each carries
with it the conviction that the painter, self
taught in land barren of demonstration
of art, had a message
In connection with these pictures by the
earliest American landscape painter 1t Is
interesting to note the recent acquisition
by Mr. Charles Schlaar of this city of
picture by Lucas van Uden, who was one
of the first Dutch landscape painters. About
the same time that the Corcoran Gallery
was made aware of Mr.. Osborn's generous
intentions Mr. schlaar received, through
from his sister in Germany, this old, valua
BILE painting, which in 1893 his grandfather,
Francis Schlaar. had purchased from Cardi-
nal Louis de Rohan. who had emigrated to
Frieberg the previous year on account of
apprehensive fear of the French revolution
1t represents a scene in the ArdenneS, and
was doubtless painted at least two hundred
and fifty years ago, Lucas van Uden, the
artist being contemporary Of Rembrandt
a n het
and 1872. Like Mr.. Schlaars other inter-
esting painting of the same period, it is on
wood and in an excellent state of preser-
walton. At first it is not impressive, but
upon short acquaintance the peculiarities
of its composition are forgotten and its ad-
mirable qualities take entire possession of
the beholder. 1t is a small panel, not more
than twenty-five by fifteen inches, yet it
presents a composition SO complex that 1t
might well be divided into four or five COM
plete pictures. In the center Of the panel
measuring off the middle distance is a high.
gTa SS-grOwn hill on which a steepled
church and low roof convent are seen prom
irently. From behind, and at the foot Of
this, runs little river. falling. in the fore
ground, over a series of rocky cascades. In
the foreground to the left is forest tinged
by the autumn frosts, while to the right on
a projection Of earth q great tree stretches
its length across the entire landscape and
shakes out Its branches against the sky
Away off in the distance is range upon
range Of bIue-gray mountains, and in the
Immediate foreground is a woman, child
and three cows. 1t is of course an impossi-
Bile picture but 1t Is for this reason none
the less interesting. The attention Is pur-
posely and cieverly focused upon the
church In the center Of the painting. Here
is the highest light and from here to the
foreground the values ARE lowered, from
here TO the horizon the outline is less and
less sharp. Thus with all the complexity Of
the composition its effect is simple. 1t is,
too. an interesting study in greens. In the
foreground they are olive, in the middle dis
lance blue, and in the far distance gray, so
While 1t Is essentially a green picture it is
neither monotonous or nfeless. When it is
remembered that at the time this picture
was executed landscape painting was in its
infancy, and that almost none had been
PARTED except as backgrounds for por-
traits and figure studies it becomes. indeed,
remarkable; but aside from all association
with its time it is work which must COM
mand respect and admiration.
r
Art lovers all over the country are re-
joicing now over the fact that among the
terrible losses which Baltimore sustained
the Walters gallery was spared from the
ravages of the devastating fire, but there
are few who know by what a narrow
margin the Garrett collection of etchings,
mezzotints and engravings escaped destruc-
ton. This collection, which is one Of the
finest in this country, being considered sec
ond only to that owned by the Boston
Museum Of Fine Arts, was sent but a few
days before the great conhagration from
the Mercantile Trust Company building
where it had been stored, and which was
almost entirely destroyed later, to the
Library of Congress, in which a portion of
the collection had previously been de-
posted. Had this collection been in the
vaults of the trust company it is possible
that it would have still been safe. but even
then It is doubtful if it would have escaped
all damage. 1t is the purpose of those in
authority at the library to place a portion
of this interesting collection on exhibition
in the print division as soon as it is prac-
ticable.
The circulars for the approaching four
teenth annual exhibition of the Society of
Washington Artists. which is to be held in
the Hemicycle Of the Corcoran Gallery from
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