Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-01-28
ART NOTES.

Much interest is being manifested in
collection OF water colors by Mr.. F. Hop
| kinson Smith which is now on exhibition in
! the Fischer gallery. 1t consists of forty
| nine pictures the most. il not all of which
were painted last summer during Mr.
Smiths sojourn abroad. There are new
views of Venice English landscapes, Span
| ish coast scenes and glinpses of French
country life. All are done in gouache, pre-
sumably on gray paper, and without eX-
cepton show brilliant technical handing.
They are wrought carefully and yet broad
ly and they exhibit both force and re-
straint. There is apparently no strainlng
for effect; no cropping for method. Eacn
stroke seems to have been made with deci-
sion and without conscious effort. They
go directly to the point and tell their story
in a perfectly simple manner. They are
straightforward and exact-a chronicle OF
pleasant places, and herein to large ex-
tent lies their charm Mr.. Smith knows
better than many what is good to look
upon, and he selects his subjects with rare
judgment He shows the public what they
want to see and sets it forth with such
cleverness that criticism is disarmed. rms
is his aim, and this he achieves with splen-
did success. Beyond this, however, he does
not reach. His works outside of their pic
torial quality and technical excellence have
little significance. They are literal rem
dering of facts; transcriptions rather than
interpretations. They are all painted In
single atmosphere with almost no emotion,
and they therefore frequently lack both
sentiment and appeal. 1t is the omission
of these so-called higher qualities which
gives to many of Mr.. Smiths paintings
certain sameness, and which makes room
full less pleasing than single example.
Viewed from the common standpoint, now
ever, the present collection is considerably
above the average and well worthy OF
thoughtful consideration. The CRAB Mar
ket,'' which was sold on the opening day
of the exhibition, and Sunday Morning,
another Venetian, are particularly rich IN
tonal qualities. Near Sonning LOCK,
Thames shows clear, rich color and crisp
handling and "a Breathless Lagoon eX-
hibits mastery management Oh nat tiiits.
There are two interesting scenes on the
beach at San Sebastian. the famous Span
ish watering place, which are dazzling with
white sunlight, and a more Somber but no
less realistic transcription of procession
of very wet umbrellas. There Is sunny
bit of road 'On the Way to SurenneS,
and a picture of "SurenneS on the Thames,
which are peculiarly clever and character
istic The latter has been purchased by the
Corcoran gallery for it's permanent coiec-
ton There are quite q number of English
landscapes. picturesque in their 1ormallty,
yet less pleasing and more ordinary imam
the gray, moldy walls of Venice winch M
Smith has more often painted. 1t Is, IN
deed in his architectural renderings that
Mr.. Smith makes his highest score; in his
picturing of the out-of-the-way places In
Venice that he strikes his highest note.
Such for example, as "A Side Canal,
seJdie Hours" and waiting Gondolas,
wherein his excellent color sense, me
draughtsmanship and direct manner of ham
ding are all brought into full play. For
students this exhibition should be full of
nrofitable suggestions, and to all it must
prove genuinely attractive
life-size portrait of the late President
Mckinley painted by Charles Ayre W mp
ple of New York has been exhibited this
week in the reception room to the east OF
the Senate Hobbies at the Capitol. 1t is
full length, and represents the late Presi-
dent standing beside the desk which came
to this country as the gift of Queen Vic
toria. His right hand hangs by his side,
hut his left rests upon the face of newly
SIGNED official paper. The head is turned
slightly to one side and the weight is
mostly thrown on the right foot. The por-
trait was painted in the White House in
1860 and is said to have met with Mr.. Nc
Kinley's appreciation. 1t is, however only
a fair likeness. The head is we'll modelled
and not bad in expression but the figure Is
hopelessly poor. The suit of black cloth is
SO stiff and metallic that it might as well be
n coat of mail, and the form beneath is so
badly constructed that 1t suggests saw
dust man. 1t is PANTY in the extreme and
lacking In personality, but it is good In
color and at a glance inoffensive. Exhibit
ed under the mixed light of the window and
the electric chandelier 1t is seen to the
worst advantage, hut viewed under the
most suspicious conditions 1t will not be
found to compare with the best work of the
present day.
A new statue has been added to the col
lection of those commemorative the great
men of the several states al the Capitol. 1t
is of the late Senator j. j. Ingalls, of Kan
sas. and is the work of Charles III. Niehaus
of New York. 1t is little more than life
size, and represents the Kansas statesman
in all his spareneSs of frame standing in
front OF draped rostrum. He wears
Prince Albert and a light top coat; a stand
Ing collar and conventional cravat His
head is uncovered. lie has apparently turn
ed to answer an interruption, for the fingers
of his left hand are marking place in a
volume on the rostrum and those of his
right are thrusting back his overcoat as
they rest lightly against his hip. The atti-
tude is alert, yet easy. The pose spirited
and unconventional 1t Is said to be an ex-
cellent likeness. and without doubt 1t is fine
characterization. The long parallel lines
of the coats are perhaps not altogether
pleasant, but they accentuate the height
and leanness of the man, and the manipu-
lation of the material is uncommonly clever
AS a portrait statue and memorial it is
unusual. and as work of art is may be
considered a decided acquisition.
*
s,.a.,, ~ 1x-;fr,. -,
| removed a conspicuous figure in the local
art market. Kindly of disposition and sim
cerely interested in art Mr.. veerhoff won
for himself an enviabie place in the COM
munity and became through years of in
dustry one of the leading local picture
dealers Beginning with a small picture
framing establishment he always made
that branch of artistic craft his speciality,
but in later years added to it the other
features of his well-known galleries. TO
many of the local painters he was both
helpful and generous and In all his dealings