Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-04-08

| twelve" and 1t L. fact that ali the paint
/ ings In this exhibition are not equally good,
but the average Is high and the work UNI
commonly even. The snow scenes and the
| architectural studies are perhaps the most
| individual and attractive. OF the former
| there are four or five examples. One pictur-
| ing the great blizzard of 1899. two painted
| in the two following winters from the
artists studio window setting forth driving
storms swirling around the old C0rcoran
Art Gallery. and fourth done more re-
Gently. from the Library of Congress tran
scribing the effect of wind and flying fakes
on the library balcony and in the street
below. All of these are wildly real and
fascinatingly veracious, but even more mas
terly from the art standpoint is little
winter street scene, Pennsylvania avenue
near 18th street, which may be accounted
one of the gems of the collection. Some
F'renchmen of note have attempted to do
this same thing, but few have done 1t SO
well. To any exhibition, great small,
this would be welcome addition. Next to
the snow picture. the English cottages with
their quaint kitchen gardens, are indeed
most charming. To the left of the entrance
to the gallery will be seen delightful lit
tie group of them, with matched roofs, set
in the midst of Devonshire cabbage patch,
and farther on one will come across pictures
of two Surrey farm houses built, respective
ly, in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries,
which are still occupied, and more than
pleasant to look upon. There is a delight
full little WEIGH Landscape (number egh-
teen), and a low-toned, picturesque view in
Alkmar, Holland, to say nothing of
glimpse of High street, Henley n-Thames
and broad view of one of the famous
boat races. Nearer home will be found
views on the New England coast-Gloucester
boats and haymaking at Ipswich-and with
in the confines of the District transcript
lions of places along Rock creek and
roadside view of the old Jefferson Davis
house, now fast falling into ruin. Besides
these, special attention should be directed
to a study of plums, which centers the
west wall IL Is characteristics M
pie of the many fbwer and fruit studies
which Mr.. Paris has made from time to
time, and gradually added to his now
large and valuable collection. 1t is purely
study, not a picture made from nature, as
a suggestion and guide for subsequent dec
orative treatment. 1t is data gathered at
first hand which will for all time be avail
able. The exhibition consists of over sixty
paintings, and will continue until the fif-
teenth of this month.
In the same gallery, prominently placed,
is a portrait of Chief Justice Fuller's grand
sons, recently painted in this city by Mr..
Walter Florian of New York 1t is a full
length and pictures the two lads standing
side by SIDE facing the observer. They
wear black blouse suits, and have as
background and setting a bare, dark red
wall and polished hardwood floor The lat
ter rises from the foreground at an angle
VI IiOl 1858 llldH lIleeIl degrees, anu not
only suggests a perlous footing. but Gre
ates the impression that the boys are in the
act of springing out of the frame. This is
unfortunate and painful, but it is more
easily overlooked than the faulty manner
in which the heads are painted. The color
is bad, the construction and drawing worse,
and the brush work, to say the least, is
careless. The painting has, of course, good
points 1t is atmospheric, it carries well
and in places it manifests bold, vigorous
handling. 1t has been said that the like
nesses are more than fair, and likeness in
portrait covers a multitude of SINS but
nothing will entirely counterbalance the
academic shortcomings make more agree
able the unlovely color scheme. Mr.. Flori-
ans portrait of Josef Israels was one of the
most mastery works in the PENNSYLVANIA
should have produced SO inferior a paint
ing as this seems, therefore, doubly incom-
phehenSlble.
Mr.. E. H. Miller, for many years president
of the Society of Washington Artists, has
accomplished large amount of work the
latter part of this winter, repainting
number of his old canvases to good eff
feet and executing several notable new
ones. Among the more important of these
are portrait of the poet and critic, Mr.
st John Byers, and charming moon
light landscape. The portrait Is life size
but shows only head and shoulders IT
was done primarily a study and has the
picturesque accessories of fur cap and
military cape. These, with a strong de-
narration of light and shade and pur-
poSely intense retrospective expression on
the countenance, give the work an interest
and significance beyond that of an ordinary
portrait. 1t is strong representation and
it has been brushed in with much force and
freedom. The nocturne is a bit of country
on the Virginia side of the Aqueduct bridge
seen in the mysterious light of the rising
m Sl nr,i,a 81, L.
rocks and half covered with low bushy
shrubs, terminates half way across the can
vas in big, square-cut boulder In the
foreground is a grassy meadow, to the
right mass of trees and in the distance
mist and bushes. 1t is a pleasant COM
bination of the rugged and the winning
not an uncommon bit of country-nade
peculiarly alluring through the half diffused
moonlight. There is not only moisture but
mystery in the air, and though the light is
dim 1t Is very luminous. The color is sim
pie and the effect in no wise strained and
yet the illusion is perfect 1t is In all truth
a mastery work and one of the strongest
of Mr.. Miller's creations.
x x
The Society of Washington Artists an
nual exhibition In the Hemicycle of the
Corcoran Gallery, which, by the way, closes
next Thursday has attracted unusual in
terest and attention this year. Over four
hulofeo Catalogues were sold in the first
two weeks, and the attendance is esti-
mated to be in the neighborhood of three
thousand. Up to the early part of this
week no pictures had been sold, but the
object of the show is not primarily COM
mercial.
X
Next Monday the Jolly Fakirs," alias
the Corcoran students. will open their an
nual Fake Show in the school room oppo-
site the Hemicycle. There they will for
three days show collection of burlesaues
on the pictures in the Society of Washing
ton Artists. exhibition-good-na inn
personal and proverbially witty. All are in
vited and every one in need of a bit of
merrment should make good the oppor-