Evening star., 1905-11-04
A R T N O T ES.

A painting by William H. PickneIl ent1-
tied En- Province was bequeathed re-
Gently to the Corcoran Gallery of Art by
the artists widow, and has now been
placed on exhibition in the middle east
room, which is exclusively devoted to mod
ern American works. 1t is a large and ex-
ceedngly loosely painted canvas. picturing
a stretch of tawny. marshland meadow and
a range of fairly distant mountains between
a broad expanse of dull blue sky and strip
of clear blue water. In spite Of the abun-
dant use of color, 1t Is rather a dreary
scene; the mountains are repellant in their
suggestion Of aloofness, the land uninviting
and apparently uninhabitable. The grass
wanders irresolutely into the water and
terminates in ragged tufts scattered some
distance apart. These. in contrast to the
rest, are green, and have been carefully
studied. The sky, the water and the field
have been broadly brushed in, but among
the reeds, reflected in the water, is a heron
or stork, mnutely painted 1t is a canvas
full of Contradictions painting merting
much praise, and yet falling short OF its
evident purpose. The painter intended not
to perpetuate a mere set of facts, but to
read into his theme a definite meaning to
interpret the significance of an effect, and
in this he failed. 1t is undoubtedly the
WOTh Oh a trained ndUU, Dut II lacks con-
tinuity and significance. At present 1t suf-
fers by its position, being hung next to an
earlier work by the same artist, the we'll
known Road to Concarneau." which is
more vigorously set forth and more explicit
In statement. The crisp, unerring brush
work of the one accentuates the indefinite,
uncertain rendering of the other, as the
color of one does violence and puts to
shame that Of the other. Both are ex-
tremely difficult pictures to place, and
though they themselves may lose by tux-
Imposition, 1t Is interesting and opportune
to be able to study them together. William
Lamb Picknell. by whom they were pro-
duced, was born In Vermont in 1852 and
died at Marblehead. Mass. in 1897, when II
was thought that he was attaining the full
ness of his power. He studied for two
years IN Rome under George Inness and
for a short time In Paris under Gerome.
Later he went to England. became an ex-
hibitor at the Royal Academy and attained
considerable note. His works today are
not numerous and are much priced.
Some interesting new exhibits have been
added lately to the collection of paintings
in the v. G. Fischer gallery Among the
recent arrivals is a pastel by L'Hermitte,
who is unquestionably one of the greatest
Of the living French painters. It repre-
sents the interior of Roman Catholic
church and pictures a confirmation service
In the chancei the young girl candidates
in their white gowns and wells, are rever-
emily kneeling with their faces to the al
tar. while In the rude news in the nave Of
the chapel the humble congregation is
standing in personal participation. Every
figure. and there are many. is a character
study: all Of the architectural details OF
the elaborate edihce are carefully ex-
planned. and yet the whole is singularly
simple. the treatment peculiarly direct. Il
might almost be called an etching In coi-
ored chalks, so fine are the lines, SO ex-
plicit their meaning. Technically II Is q
remarkable work. and artistically It is
none the less charming. There Is also with
the newcomers a large and rather unusual
canvas by Cazin. picture of a gray
garbed peasant woman. kneeiing by bench
outside the door OF her hut reading, with
devotional mien, printed volume An
other book and crown Of laurel lie on
the ground beside her, and to the right
through the trees, the mellow light OF a
golden sunset is to be noted. There is an
odd combination of realism and fancy In
this painting. Of human interpretation and
religious symb0lism. The Agure, the hut
and its Immediate surroundings are finely
related. the values will found and sustained;
therefore one can afford to overlook and