Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-04-23
ART NOTES.

There is now on exhibition at Fischers
an exceeding interesting collection of etch-
irgs by Seymour Haden, the brother-in-
| law of Whistler, and, next to Whistler,
the greatest modern etcher 1t was during
a period of ill-health that the then promi-
nent physician turned to etching as pas
time; but strength and seriousness are
above all things the predominant charac-
teristics of his work. Examining an etch-
ing by Whistler is inclined to think
that the sum total of this mediums charm
lies in subtle high-keyed, elusive express
sion, but turning to any Of these by
Mr.. Haden the conviction is instantly
forced home that it is something more than
either mode manner which makes Il
work art defines the limitations of
medium. Hadens style, as set forth by
this little collection, is virile and pro-
nounced. He etches somewhat as Rous-
seau painted He used very few lines at
times, and sometimes many, but with his
etcher's needle he knew how to tell enough
and not too much. There is strength, and
force, and vigor in every stroke, but it is
never aggressive. In his treatment of TO-
liage he is peculiarly fortunate, and one of
the most charming of his etchings is that
which pictures grove of oak trees in
tervening between the observer and an old
English castle. This is small and almost
minutely finished, whereas others are OF
| considerable size and broadly handled. In
| is given for the belief that the great etcher
accepted those themes which came to him,
| rather than personally seeking them out.
| 1t was Haden who first combined mezzo-
| tint and etching, and three very interesting
and rare examples of this method of pro-
| duction are included among the prints in
| this collection There is also with them a
single little water color, which was paint
| ed many years ago, and presented by Mr..
| Whistler to a fellow artist when he was
| living in this city as "a nice little thing my
| brother-in-law did" which later found its
way into a dealers hands and thence final
| ly back to Washington. At any time these
works would be interesting, but at present
| they are peculiarly So
l. * x
On Monday of this week the AouarelIa
| Club, a recently formed organization of
| the advanced students of the Corcora n
| water color class, opened, in one of Wood
ward & Lothrop's galleries, its initial pub
| lie exhibition. If environment has any
| significance paintings have rarely been
| shown to greater disadvantage, but that
| in the midst of bargain prints and SNOWY
| frames these student efforts reserve a
| quiet dignity and Importance is evidence
! of their genuineness and merit There is
undoubtedly danger of undue eagerness to
exhibit immature work, of rushing into
csommerciaiism, but when work reaches
/ this standard and is presented in this man
| ner there can be none to cavl So long
as picture or sketch has been done pri,
marily for the love of the work, or the
desire to learn, money-value cannot COM
arcialize 1t; and that these water colors
We been done in this way is more than
/ manifest. At least half of the exhibition
| is made up of paintings by Miss Helen Cas-
| tie, which. though in certain unimportant
| particulars lacking the professional touch
| are in every sense most charming and
clever. Indeed, it is doubtful If flowers have
| OF recent years been presented by any one
| in more pleasing and satisfactory fash
| ion, for Miss Castle In her water colors
| has set forth not only the beauty of their
color and lines, but at the same time their
| spiritual loneliness. 1t is the lmprc ssion of
! imperishability which usually makes paint
4 ed flowers seem unreal and unappeaIng
| but this In some way Miss Castle has
| avoided. She has surrounded her flowers
/ with atmosphere and she has made them
| live: Her roses are remarkably good nat
ural and charming, but her sweet peas
dog wood, chrysanthemums and violets are
| no less notable. Miss Clara r. Saunders
| the secretary of the club, exhibits four
/ flower stuties which possess extremely
/ painterlike qualities, but lack a little in
definition. Miss Maggie j. Morgan sends
an interesting study of clover and two good