Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-03-04

is one in many-a picture-and yet virile
painting. There is no haunting prettiness,
no intentional sentiment, but a straightfor-
ward utterance, which carries with 1t con-
viction. and in its own strength finds
beauty. The colors rich and finely
massed, the lines clear cut and significant,
and the result one which only a masters
hand could have attained
In connection with the work of Barbizon
painters the canvases by Dupre and Troyon
will naturally be considered. Both are rep
resented by examples which are well out of
the ordinary. Oddly enough. both of these
men began their art careers as painters on
porcelain. Dupre was the close friend of
Rousseau and they together chiefly inf1u-
enced and inspired the work of Troyon. The
Dupre in this collection is a picture of cat
tie crossing low plank bridge, and Is SIM
ply called Landscape With Cattle" 1t was
shown in the recent comparative exhibition
in New York, and in the great Vanderbilt
gallery. filled with foreign and American
pieces, held its place exceptionally well. OF
Troyons work there are two examples
The Watering Place" small canvas pur-
elaborate and pretentious composition bear
ing the stamp Of the Troyon sale In Paris.
An $4,000 Purchase.
1.-THE Watering Place cost Senator Clark
5000, and is thus described in the sale cata-
logue: I'm the shadows of a broad river
farmers are watering their cart horses at
is town dominated by hill crowned with
an imposing fortress. On the left in the
middle distance, a rank of stately poplarS
rises on the grassy bank. Near the zenith
small areas of blue show beneath the clouds.
The effect is of strong sunlight, with vivid
contrasts Of light and shade" The other
canvas, which is about four times as large,
has no title. but is supposed to represent
the migration of a family. with its focks
and herd.
A great hill, on which a house is set,
occupies the center of the canvas. At the
foot of this in the immediate foreground,
along winding road, a procession is
seen approaching The wife is seated on
a donkey, the husband walks demurely
with his sheep; one lad has thrown his
arm affectionately over the back of a cow,
and another Is romping with dog. All
wear nonchalant expression as If they
had little responsibility and yet 1t is i'm
possible to suppose that they are merely
pleasure party. 1t is not, however. the
subject matter which is of chief conse-
quence. Few painters make their compo-
sitons with a purpose, and those that do
rarely get beyond the starting point. 1t
is the way the story is told and the art
that has entered into the telling which
count in the end. And in both these par
ticulars this canvas is extraordinary. Ad-
herring somewhat to the Journalism of the
early classical school it has the breadth
been swept on with a lavish brush, and
little attention has been given to detail.
The color is strong and decided and the
contrast of light and shade is portrayed in
picture Of contradictions, and yet it is in
some ways one Of the most attractive and
interesting in the entire collection.
A Mauve Picture.
OF the Dutch school there is but one rep
resentative-a little canvas by Mauve-the
fourth of the Kaufman pictures. 1t was
purchased for about one-sixth the amount
paid for the famous Mauve in the Wag-
gaman sale, but it is almost equally char
acteristic. A peasant woman is driving a
herd of spotted cows along deeply rutted
sandy roadway, which has been worn, by
long usage, below the level Of the adjoin-
ing fields. The country is gray and low
and level; away off in the distance are some
friendly roofs. and tinting the clouded sky
is the last flush of the setting sun. 1t is an
extremely simple picture, yet it has big
ness which is not matter of inches, and
1t possesses an appeal which mere senti-
ment cannot encompass.
Next the Mauve, and among the most con-
spicuous Of the exhibits, hangs genre by
Jules Breton-"La Fin du Travail" Over
the broad Brittany fields the sun has set
and In Its stead the pale, crescent moon and
the evening star are sharing the heavens.
The glow Of a brilliant sunset Is fading and
evening shadows are creeping across the
landscape; the days work is done. In the
ant women are pausing, III the realization
that their task Is accomplished, as they
wave an adieu to another little group Of
workers who have already turned home
ward. 1t is an attractive theme, cleverly
rendered. Millets virility is lacking, but
also is his woeful burden of painful toll
More in the Millet manner Is little pic
ture of a peasant girl, painted by Chardin,
who, more than a century and a half ago,
walked the same road and shared the same
ideals. In spite of the opposing spirit of his
time he chung tenaciously to the portrayal
of humble life and counted his art beliefs of
more consequence than popularity. The
present example is uncommonly good and
will find many advocates among the paint
ers.
The Portraits. a
Besides a little likeness of an old man by
Gerard Douw there are but two portraits.
A quaint, precise. but brilliantly painted
portrait Of a middle-aged Dutch woman, by
an unknown or unidentified master of the
early Flemish school. and pictorial like
ness of young English girl. by HNppner.
The latter was loaned to the portrait show
held in New York last winter, and among
the many mastery paintings was counted
with the most noteworthy OF the exhibits.
Il + broadly painted, peculiarly pleasing In
g