Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-07-16
ART NOTES.

fdleness, Mr.. E. H. Miller has been busily
working in his N street studio and has pro-
duced number Of very notable convasses.
One Is a picture of hill top meadow the
sky line of which is broken here and there
by sturdy young tree Mingled with the
grass In the foreground are quantity OF
wild flowers, and obscuring the horizon line
Is an irridescent mist rising from the val
ley. 1t Is quiet, restful theme, not I'M
usual. but far from commonplace, and it
has been rendered with more than a little
sympathy and poetic feeling. Another sets
forth a view in the Catskill mountains-a
field in which has grown a splendid collec-
ton Of purple asters. On these the inter-
est of the picture is focused, but passing
beyond, the eye rests successfully upon
rich, dark masses of foliage, a grassy hill
side stepped in afternoon sunlight and a
blue distant mountain. The foreground is
in shadow and the whole suggests by its
unEept grace spot secure from intruders.
In treatment 1t Is very realistic. A third,
and possibly of all the most important. is
a mcclure. In a half-clouded sky the full
moon is shining; below on the right, is a
group of tall trees: the left, a clump
of thick bushes. There is no broad view or
vista and, in the immediate foreground,
only bit of rough pasture land to give in
terest to the composition. 1t is all moon
light and mystery. The air is full of 1t,
the leaves are silvered by it, and even the
dew, which lies heavy on the grass, is frost
ed by it. 1t is everywhere and nowhere;
positive any fact yet elusive both In
quality and color. Mysterious, awesome,
yet enchanting. And this is moonlight. Mr..
Miller and his daughters are going the last
of this month to the northern part of YER
mont, purposing to spend August and Sep
TENDER in the Green mountains.
1ar hoe
we're loss In the death of George Frederick
Watts the eminent English artist. To the
American people he was known through re-
productions of his works and by his allie
gorical painting of Love and Life which,
until quite recently, hung in a conspicuous
place in the Corcoran Gallery of Art. He
was a portrait painter and a sculptor, but
he was first and foremost a symbolist. He
had a message and he delivered 1t in a way
which was entirely his own. Acknowledge
ing no master seeking truth alone he ar
rived at height which 1t is given to few
to attain His attitude toward art was al
ways reverent and inspiring; he was not
hampered by the necessity of bread win
ming, nor was he stimulated by the greed
for gain. 1t is said that he never accepted
remuneration for his work. Like many
geniuseS he was almost entirely self
taught. but he was hard student. His first
picture was exhibited in the Royal Acad-
envy in 1887 and one of his most virile
sculptures in 1904 This last is group call
ed Energy" and represents nude man
refining in a vigorous horse on the crest of
a hilltop, beyond which he looks with
searching gaze 1t is now being cast in
bronze and will ultimately be placed in
Rhosdesia. South Africa, over the grave of
Cecil Rhodes. He gave many years Of his
life to the painting of portraits and among
his sitters were some of the most distin-
guished men of his time, but in all proba
bility it will be through such paintings as
Love and Life" Love and Death and
'Sir Galahad' that his name as great
artist will be handed down to succeeding
generations.
Much interest has been aroused by the re-
cent sale in London of the famous Peacock
room painted by Whistler for the late F. r.
Leyland. esq. 1t was rumored that the pur-
chaser was an American and now 1t Is an
nounced that 1t is none other than Mr..
Charles l.. Freer of Detroit whose Whistler
collection is already notable. This pea
cock room is said to have been the talk
of the town when thirty years ago Mr.
Whistler decorated 1t to set off his own pic
ture, THE Princess of Porcelain Land"
The ceiling painted in imitation of the
breast feathers of the bird, the lower half
of the walls was covered with the "eyes"
and on dark blue panel at one end of the
room two gorgeous golden peacocks were
portrayed. one with tail spread. the other
sweeping 1t majestically 1t was called
harmony in blue and gold" but If we are
to believe tradition 1t lead to most inhar-
monious relations between the artist and
the owner, the latter objectng to the cost
AID the former taking revenge by depict
ing his patron a peacock holding vicious
Iy fast to the gold in his claw.
fha
tary of the Boston Society of Arts and
Crafts and superintendent Of the division Of
applied arts at ST. Louis, is reported to
have said upon his return to Massachusetts
last week, that the delay in opening the fine
arts building has been almost entirely due
to the strikes of the local. western labor
unions, but that the condition of affairs
has been somewhat exaggerated by eastern
papers. The American applied arts ex-
hibit, consisting of about one thousand OBJ
jects. is now installed and, according to
Mr.. Whiting, 1t has been said by experience
ed critics to excel in yigor and promise
that of any of the European countries This
is the first time that the applied arts have
been given place with the fine arts, and 1t
is also the first time that they have been
arranged in cases rather than shown az
bric-a-brac.
minnesota Is wen III ADVANCE OF some or
her older sister states in the possession of
an art commission authorized by the state
Legislature whose laudable object is ito ad-
vance the interest Of the fine arts to de-
velop the influence of art in education and
to foster the introduction of art in manu-
factures." Toward these ends this COM
mission not only supervises exhibition and
acts as an advisory board for public works
but arranges and directs course Of lee
lures on art and kindred subjects for the
state university, normal school and teach
ers' institute, and offers prizes for special
ly meritorious work produced by Mime
sofa artists and artisans This, even al
lowing for some mismanagement, is in
the direct line Of progress.
One Of the last pieces Of sculpture INSTALL
ed at the exposition IL q group. depicting
Hercules stempeding the mares Of d.
emedes. by 0utson Borsium. who win b