Evening star., 1905-11-04

| to attract favorable notice. It Is q tram
o aeross eas a n0
leads from the door to the right; q curtain
| of cloud half wells the sky. 1t Is simple
| and homeiy. but spiendidly rendered and
| intensely appealing. The kind Of picture
which IL good not only to see. but to live
| With the kind which grows more worthy
| a. II becomes more familiar.
kk
At the Library OF Congress the division
| Of prints has recently acquired a collection
OF Japanese magazines, the ''Shin- Bijutsu-
kai." which contains various designs for
decorative purposes by the famous artists
Of Nippon. For the student Of decorative
| design and for the practical decorator these
| are full OF Invaluable suggestions. The
| Japanese. since the earliest time have been
masters Of the art Of decoration. and
| whether or not the volumes in question
| were published for the benefit of the east
| ern artisan or enlightenment of the west
| ern public. they are equally OF worth.
There are ffty-two Of these magazines,
| each containing twenty designs. Some were
| undoubtedly intended for silks and other
printed fabrics, while others were for porce-
| lain decoration, lacquer ware embroidery
| and the like. Some are exceedingly simple,
others very complicated. In all natural
| forms are used as the unit Of design. but
| even where naturalistic order Is preserved
4
| There Is never diffusion of interest: each
| line is direct and to the point. each color
| measured by the unit OF the scheme. The
| space in every case seems to be filed, but
acutely artistic. Oftentimes there Is a
| whole story In the design, and yet so cum
ningly is 1t hid that It only discloses itself
upon thoughtful examina ton, and never,
| like our story prints. clamors for attention.
1t is custom in Japan for the emperor
| to write New Years poem and to place
| 1t in the hands of the designers as a basis
Of the New Year patterns The traditions
| of the east demand symbolism, and there
| fore such application is both natural and
feasible. How it is done can better be seen
| than explained and for all who would
| fathom the mystery-which, by the way. at
| first hand finds simple solution-the vol
| umes themselves are available
So long as an artists last work is his best
| work he has nothing to fear It is not often,
| though, that one is able to continue this
| progression through long period as
! has Mr.. e. H. Miller of this city, who has
| not only accomplished much in the past.
| but has brought back with him this fall
| from a vacation trip to West Virginia some
| Of the most notable water colors that he
| has vet produced He was staying not far
from Luray, and one is a view of the Mas
| sanutton mountains and the valley at their
! feet. The sun has set. leaving the SKY
| luminous and family coiorful a few Vapor-
| Gus clouds float across it as shadows of the
| night and on the valley twilight has fallen.
| The mountains are clothed in lavender mist,
| the greens of the foreground foliage SUD
| dued to neutral tints. Crossing the valley
| and dividing the distance is line of WOODS
| beyond which a glimpse of more brightly
| lighted fields is given. 1t is the pause be-
| tween daylight and dark, and only line
| of smoke from a hidden habitation breaks
% fIa 10 moi q
| excellent; not line could be altered to i'm
| prove the effect. The color is peculiarly
| pleasing. 1t is carefully painted, and at the
same time broadly. There is sufficient de-
| tail to satisfy the eye and enough mystery
| to appeal to the imagination. 1t Is full OF
| charming significance and, in its way. truly
| mastery. Another. which contrasts with
| this and yet in measure offsets 1t. Is
| nocturne, scene by moonlight, in which
| the moon itself does not appear. 1t Is an
| extremely simple composition broad.
| sloptng hillside, seen at a distance. divided
| and apportioned by transversal hedges and
| lines of trees For this Mr.. Miller used
gray paper and thin washes Of gouache. He
| conventionalized his theme and set it down
| with almost posterlike directness, and this,
| in the result, is delightful. One can feel the
simmer of the moonlight and the possibil-
| ity of darkness in the painting, and yet can
| see with amazing clearness varied color and
| definite forms. This Is in entirely diff
| ferent vein from anything Mr.. Miller has
| done before, but for that very reason, per-
haps. the more remarkable and interesting.
|
Mr.. James Henry Moser returned to
| Washington the early part of this week and
| will meet and reorganize his water-color
class at the Corcoran school next Monday.
| He has had, it would seem, not merely a
| restful, but a profitable summer. and has
| brought back with him a large portfolio of
| water colors, as well fresh supply of
| energy and enthusiasm. There are mid
| summer pictures and autumn studies. real
| istic transcriptions and subtle interpreta-
| tions among the paintings, and each, though
| 1t may vary in merit and charm, has been
| given its full need of thoughtful consdera-
| ton. Particularly charming are some eve
| ming pictures, low-toned luminous sunsets,
| seen beyond quiet fields and low hillsides
| Undramatic, they are profoundly impress
| sive, restful, veracious and gently appeal
| ing. There Is one which pictures what
| might be called "Whistlerian impression
| ism." a moonlight night at Lake Cornwall.
| The full moon shines clear in the blue-gray
| sky and Is reflected back by limpid water
| The world is, however. wrapt in mist, and
| the only indication that is given Of the
| shore Is a line of pine trees whose tops
have emerged and the clear-cut profile Of
| distant mountain. 1t Is ridiculously sim
| pie and yet entirely satisfactory. Another
shows. in posterlike fashion. with a touch
| Of individual refinement, the approach of
! picturesque summer Wnll6 a thlru
| represents the progress of a July shower.
| Among the autumn scenes there is much
| richness of coloring, but none is more lovely
| than the pictured presentation of a row of
| sumach bushes. turned by the frosts to liv-
| ing flame, set against background of un-
| changing cedars; or more accomplished
| than a treeless hillside. warm In the
| browns of early fall, seen against tiny
| strip of twilight sky. These. after ALL seem
| to touch the top notch, to lose their cley-
erness in their result and to partake in
| large measure of the spirit of nature.
| n
The students exhibition of summer work
| which was to have been held at the Cor
| coran School this week has been postponed
| until next week In order that 1t may en-
\ brace the work of the water-color class and
others who had not been notified In time
| All contributions must be in by Monday
| November g. as the exhibition will be held
| on the 7th, Sth and 9th.
On Monday afternoon at 4:15 o'clock the
! first of this seasons course of monthly
Art Talks" will be given in the lower
| hemicycle of the Corcoran Gallery by the