Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-05-07
ART NOTES.

The Capital Camera Clubs thirteenth an
nual exhibition of pictorial photographs.
which opened to the public in the hemi-
cycle of the Corcoran Gallery on Monday,
has been the chief event of interest this
week. 1t is unquestionably the best exhibi-
ton the club has yet put forth, and it con-
tains one of the most notable collections of
pictorial photographs ever shown in Wash
ington. The private view, last Saturday
evening, was interesting and pleasant
affair, the hemicycle hall being comfortably
filled for over two hours with the friends of
the club members, who, contrary to GUS
tom, were apparently more interested in
the exhibits than in each other. Social
greetings and congratulations were heard
OCCASIONALLY, but the pictures occupied the
first and largest share of attention This
is as it should be, and 1t testified to the
serious way in which the photograph
regard their work. This same seriousness
pervades the exhibition, and lifts it to
plane far above that occupied by the usual
amateur photography. Each exhibitor is
evidently an artist by intent studying and
striving through the medium of the camera
TO find the highest or the truest mode of
expression. They are conservative yet not
fadists, but alive to progressive methods
and their work ranks with the best 1t is
not, however, as scientific demonstration
bition is interesting Aside from all aues-
tons of art and photography, 1t Is as at
tractive collection of pictures as one may
often see. The portraits are all exceeding
~ picturesque in treatment; the genre SUBJ
jectS are admirably selected and the land
scapes are true transcripts of nature A
large and somewhat unwieldy catalogue ha a
taken the place of the former compact lit
tie volume, but its good arrangement and
twelve excellent half-tone reproductions Of
fer Precipitation for its size The exhibition
Will continue free to the public every dav
and evening, as well as Sunday afternoon
until May IL, and none who are interes ted
In photography or art should fail to see it.
quite opposite In spirit and merit is a
collection of water colors now on exhibit
ton at Veerhoff's. Whereas the photo
graphs are true and artistic these are
forced and fiagrantly commercial Because
| picture is painted for a price or is COM
posed IN the artists studio, 1t does not
| necessarily follow that it is commercial.
or without merit; but it is true that few
artists can do much of this thing without
| their work degene, ating. Just this is ap-
| parently what has happened to the paint
| ers of these water colors. for they were
each at one time more or less promising
| artists. Take, for example, Mr. Lamasure.
who Is most largely represented and whose
| former work is best known here His
paintings have always inclined to pretti-
ness, but they nave heretofore displayed
a keen serse of the picturesque in nature
| and much technical skill. In this exhi-
bition, however, his pictures are almost
| without merit. With the single exception
| OF a marine, they are discordant in color
| Incorrect in values, and unnatural in eff
| rect. They bid for popularity by catering
TO the ignorant taste of a certain class of
| picture buyers, who mistake bright colors
| and fanciful compositions for art as they
| do gold and plush furniture for elegance,
| and they make no pretense of truth nor
sincerity. But Mr.. Lamasure's work is
| not alone open to this criticism 1t is
| equally applicable to most of that by F. f.
| English and Thomas Craig, who are nu-
| Eaerically well represented in the exhibit
| ton. 'Pot-boilers" is the term frequently
| applied to just such pictures as these, and
| its pathos has been made to cover a multi
| tude of sins; but, sitting the matter to
| the bottom, there is little reason or ex-
cuse for any man doing less we'll than his
! best. Had these artists been unframed,
and had they put forth their best efforts,
feeble they might have been, they
would have deserved kindly consideration,
but as it is they merit none.
X X
/ Six pictures belonging to Senator AIger
| have be en- placed this week In the loan
collection at the Corcoran Gallery. Two.
| characteristic Schreyer and a somewhat
similar Fromentin. have been hung in the
| upper atrium, facing the staircase, and the
remaining four have been given place
| in the upper loan room. These are a
nude figure of a little girl, painted by Bol-
| guereau; cardinal examining work of
| art, by Vibert; a sylvan wood scene. by
j Diaz, and a tiny canvas by the great
soldier-painter, DeNeuville. All are of gem
/ uine value and interest.
X
| AT Fischer's the latest notable acquisi-
ton is a still life painting by william NJ.
/ Chase. This is a comparatively small can
i vas. picuring copper coffee urn. blue
and white ginger jar and group Of fruit,