Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-06-03
A R T N 0 T E s.

a II ! IN Y l u b.
There Is much both to interest and COM
mend In the Coreoran Schools annual ex-
| hibtion. which opened with private view
and reception in the gallery on Thursday
| evening. 1t is made up. of course, of stu
dent work-work which is purely academic
| but 1t possesses unusual variety and sets
| forth the product of good teaching and
| earnest endeavor. In certain directions
distinct progress is shown, and IN every
particular 1t is we'll up to the standard
Following with but short interval the
exhibition of the Pennsylvania academy
| students work. there will be an inclination
to institute comparison. but it must be-
remembered that the character and compo-
| sition Of the two shows are not the same.
| The work from the Philadelphia school was
by advanced students and was selected from
the best which bad been produced within
eight or ten years; whereas the Corcoran
| Schools exhibition Is chiefly elementary is
| thoroughly comprehensive and represents
the output of single season. With such
| diversity any comparison, save of the most
general nature would be manifestly unfair
| II not impossible.
1t is true that passing through the pres
ent exhibition one finds few works which
bear Enthusiastically the stamp of genius--a
| potent and predomnating PERSONAL---VERY.
| geniuses are far from numerous, and there
| Is. moreover, leveling influence In the
study of fundamentals. The object of the
| school is not to turn out finished artists,
| but rather to equip beginners and start
them on their way, to give them a firm
footing and fair AIM to lay the founda-
ton upon which all art Is built
Xxx
Taken as a whole the exhibition is larger
this year than formerly, and at the same
time shows greater promise. The antique
| class which is made up chiefly of first
year students, is stronger than it has ever
| been and shows work of better character.
| There are, indeed, in the section given over
| to the work of this class some extraordina-
rily interesting rawings-drawngs which
are accurate, clear cut, forceful and finish
ed; serious efforts. which are not, however,
| labored: clever technical renderings, and
| what is even more-artistic interpretations.
These, with the life class drawings. are
hung IN the upper atrium and deserve the
highest commentator. They assure the
schools future and demonstrate its present
| worth.
The life class drawings are likewise in
| teresting. They are perhaps a little less
conventional but they also tritie less
vigorous In some instances they show
timidity of touch and an uncertainty In con-
| struction which is disappointing, but which
| is not in the end serious fault. Some
| few, indeed, both among those entered In
competition for the gold medal and those
not competing, are admirably executed,
well constructed, cleverly handled and good
| in tone
| *
There were fifteen competitors for the
gold and bronze medals this year. each of
| whom submitted three drawings from the
antique and three from life These are
hung in groups the east wall, and con-
| stitute one of the noteworthy features of
the exhibition. They are not collectively
strong. but show individually excellent
work. There is no group which in point of
merit far outstrips the Others and none
| which, on the other hand, is undeserving of
! attention. Passing critically from groun IN
group remarkably fine single drawing will
| be noted from time to time-now a life
drawing, then transcription of a cast
but in no instance is that standard con-
siStently sustained. In this very fact how
ever. progress is indicated, and in the
| whole section an advance over past years
is evinced. The studies from the antique
are more interpretative. and the drawings
| from life less labored.
| The color work, as in past seasons, Is
relegated to the hemicycle and therein
makes brave showing. The main por-
| ton of the fiat wall is given over to the
| work of the water color class, which is
| so charmingly arranged that it forms a sin
| gle colorful composition, collectively de-
| lighting the eye of the observer, while the
remainder of this and the entire semi-cir-
| GUAR wall set forth the work of the still
| life. portrait and draped life classes.
The water color class is admirably repre-
| scented. Its work is, of all that shown, the
most nearly professional. Indeed. several
| of It's members have already exbihital
| studies in leading out-of-toWn shows and
| DOUBTLESS many of the present exhibits
would be passed by the most astute il,ries
| There is, perhaps. a tendency toward loose
| ness OF execution, an eXaggeraton of ar
| tiSt1c effect, which Is dangerous and de-
! plorable, but this is more than outweighed
IN most instances by good drawing and
crisp. Intelligent handling. There is moth
| ing immature, crude or elementary here
! Each student has depth, quality of tone
and richness of color. The flowers pic
| tured have the essence Of perishablity the
| spirit as we'll as the form, and the still
| life groups are more truly interpretations
| than academic reproductions. They are ac-
| curate, but they go a step beyond accu-
| racy, and take to themselves pictorial at
| tributes This year for the first time some
| figure studies are toB be found with the
work of this class. and that they are on
| par with the other work goes far toward
| proving the correctness of the methods.
|
| In every art school the portrait class is
proverbially the weakest. but a surprising
| number of good canvases stand to the
credit Of the Corcoran portrait class this
season. The draped life class, too, has
| made amazing progress and shows work
| far beyond any previously produced in the
| school. The still life class in oils also
| stands admirably and contributes some ex-
| ceedingly satisfactory and important can
vases among which to be noted as
| peculiarly pleasing a study of a copper tea
| kettle, a brown jar III which have been
| placed branches of ripe persimmons a fruit
| study and a daintily rendered bowl of mas
| turtiunas.
X
The composition class is the youngest In
! the school in period of existence and yet
probably of the most interesting. It's
work and that of the auxiliary sketch ola &C