Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-02-25
ART NOTES.

Thera is now on exhibition in the Assem-
blv Hall of the Cosmos Club an extraor-
diuariiy interesting collection OF portralts
by Miss Ellen Emmett of New York. MISS
Emmett is Californian by birth and a pu-
nil of the sculptor-painte MacMonnles'
She studied for four years exclusively IN
his Paris studio but in both strength ana
temper her work far surpasses that OF her
master. It is surprisingly virile-dehght-
fully simple and vigorous. There Is ABOUT
it an air of self-confidence which gives rea-
son for the conviction that 1t was ap-
preached without fear and accomplished
with ease In passages it is still crude or
abrupt, but the painter has less than ten
years of experience to her credit, ana IN
the long run those are good faults. There
are sixteen canvases in all, three of when
were prominently placed in the notable
Portrait Show held in New York the
early part of last winter. These are like
nesses of Mr. j. .-ennedy Tod, Miss Met
calf, the singer, and Mr. MacMonnies Mr.
Tod is pictured with his three dogs, Miss
Metcalf is seen standing in fire-lit studio
singing, and Mr.. MacMonnies is shown
1ounging in a plain, upright chair The
first of these is probably the most popular
and least commendable of Miss Emmet S
paintings; the last is SO wildly personal
that it approaches the border of caricature.
None is her best. =. Indeed in strong con-
trast is her more recently painted portrait
of Prof. James and her still unfinished
sketch of Augustus Saint Gaudeps. These
-sare achievements of which any one might
be justly, proud. The portrait of Prof
James is a Quarter length and shows
him seated ina deep arm chair, thought
fully resting his face on his'hand. It is ad-
hi ~ hut
it goes a step farther than this and liter
ally presents the personality of the man.
1t is both likeness ana a. characterization.
lSuch, also. is the Saint Gaudens portrait
Not an effigy, but an in terpretation.; He is
apparently listening td some ones, spoken
works-giving them his full attention,
weighing their import with deliberate, re-
spectful, candor as is his won't. The brush
work is very Simple-the technique unob-
trusive. Less can be said in favor Of her
portrait of Mrs. w. S. Cowles. whom she
has pictured seated upon a low divan.
against dull blue curtain. Technically
this is brilliant achievement, but in the
larger qualities of personality it is wanting
1t is a likeness, but nothing more. The
gown and accessories are painted with
consummate skill, but in the molding of eX-
preston and in the modelling of the face
the spontaneity is lost. On the other hand
in a portrait of DR.. Walter James of New
York and in less studied presentation Of
Mr.. Laurie White (Mr. Stanford Whites
SOM the strength Is sustained throughout
and the individuality of the sitter is SO set
forth that it subordinates that of the paint
er. There are besides these admira BILE por-
traits Of Mr.. Douglas Robinson, the Pres
ldents brother-in-law;; of Mr.. Won Glenn,
Sargents friend and colleague; of Mr.. Car
rtere, the well-known architect; of Mrs
Montgomery and others. To speak of all
would be impossible and yet to pass any
would seem injustice, each possesses I'M
usual merit and interest. Taken collec-
lively they give more than promise and
considered separately each one is far above
the average. The exhibition will continue
until March l and admission, which is by
card, can be obtained by application to club
members.
X
In the V. G. Fischer galleries next Mon
day an exhibition of paintings by Gedney
Buhce VIII be opened. This, following the
Hopkinson-Smith Venetian water colors
and the Marcius-Simons "tone paintings"
Is OF particular interest inasmuch as Mr.
Bunces works are in a measure combf-
nation of the two. He paints, if not ex-
clus1Vely, largely Venetian pictures, and
he runs the gamut of the color scale with
little heed to realism. His paintings are
Impressions in the truest sense-the i'm
preston that the combination of light and
color has made upon him-and he deals
Will SAcCtS rather tlan faCtS. TllS seems
a little extraordinary when it Is known that
his training was got in schools of ultra
realism His first instruction In art was
received at Cooper Institute; he was later
pupil OF William Hart, and finally, going
abroad, studied at Dusseldorf and in Rrus-
sells. A picture by Ziem induced him first
10 go TO Venice, but once there the blue
haze and golden sails captivated him, and
Tor many years he made it his home. 1t
was through his subscriptions of Venice
Inat he won not O0lV rpc b,Jf 70
and 1t is chiefly by them that he will be
remembered. Venfee Ito him was not a
place of noble buildings and imposing
waterways, of grateful sailing craft and
azure skies, but fnstead a place Of color
freighted air and sehanging lights. One
may search his sycanvases in vain for a
FAMILIAR bit of architecture and strive with
, oul success TO nentify given locality.
Ihese things he deemed superficial In
many of his paintihgs5the detail is barely
indicated, as with eharcoaf, etched in as it
were, beneath theispigment, whereas the
nroad stretches OF skySan water are care
!uiiy painted. AT Times he reaches so far
into the realm of dreams that he loses his
footing and becomes, iacoherent; sometimes
ne Is SO prodigal on color that he becomes
dlscordant, but more often he attafns an
erect which is both harmonious and ap-'
pealing. He has BEEN compared to Turner
and to Whistler, and at times there is a
note In his works reminiscent of these mas,
tiers. but he is at his best, as Is, almost in
canvases have provoked much discussion
and been very adversely esteemed. They
have. however found their way into the
farls Salons for many successive seasons,
into the foremost American exhibitions
and into some of the best collections. One
was painted for Queen Victoria by her
majesty's order and is now at Osborne Cas-
tie. and another was honored by a medal
recently at the st. Louis exposition. The
collection to be shown at Fischers is COM
prehensive and representative. 1t contains
some OF his best and some of his less-pleas-
ing works. There are In the collection
some meaningless sunsets and unexplain-
able color schemes. but there are in larger
numbers richly toneful canvases which are
truly poetic. suggestive and significant. It
liz an exhibition which few can afford to
miss. r
" y
The art in little things was conclusiveIy
demonstrated this week in the arts and
crafts exhibition held nv Miss Bartlett In