Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-12-28
EXHIBITION OF PAINTINGS
WORKS OF JOSEPH LYNDON
SMITH IN coRcoRAN GALLERY.
Done in Egypt, Italy and japan OF
the Works Of Art Of
Antiquity.

the Works Of Art Of
Antiquity.
An exhibition of paintings made in
Egypt, Italy and Japan by Mr.. Joseph
| Lindon Smith of Boston opened today
in the hemicycle hall of the Corcoran
| Gallery of Art. For twenty years Mr.
Smith has devoted himself to the delinea-
ton of the works of art of antiquity. and
| his paintings are not only interesting on
account of their artistic merit but valua-
BILE through the accuracy of the data
| which they furnish. Photography has
rendered splendid service to science, but
| even photography has it's limitations. and
as witness cannot be relied upon as
| confidently as the trained eye and hand
Mr.. Smith is not primarily a scientist.
explorer or antiquarian. but rather one
whose purpose is to reproduce and place
in permanent form the great works OF
art of ancient peoples. His paintings are
not intended as pictures, but as records
and so literal are they that in many in
stances they might almost be accepted
for the thing itself.
On Egyptian Subjects.
The greater number of paintings in this
| ASeS fNAe~A'
were made in Egypt within the last year.
One is representation of the chair of
Princess Sat-Amen. daughter of Ameno-
thes III and Queen Til. which was found
in the tomb of her grandparents, Iouifa
| and Touiyou in the Valley of the Kings.
near Thebes in February, 1905 Mr.. Smith
| was fortunate enough to be in Egypt
with Mr.. Theodore NJ. Davis, under
| whose concession the discovery was
| made, and the director of the great nu-
scum at Cairo. first entered and ex-
piored it. Telling the story y Yesterday vest EaE
coran school and a few others who had
gathered to hear it. Mr. Smith related
with what difficulty the entrance was
cleared and with what vigilance 1t had
to be guarded. For 1900 years 1t had
| lain buried in the sand of the hillside.
but when unearthed it's contents were in
as fair condition as though put away for
a short period of weeks. At the en-
trance was found the bowl which the
priest had evidently used to hold the
clay with which he sealed the tomb. his
finger prints still upon 1t; in the pass
ageway. plumber left by a theft who
apparently had made hurried exit-one
| who probably had entered the tomb short
| ly after the burial. and in the inner
| chamber were discovered not only the
mummies of the mother and father of
Queen Til. but beds, chairs. jewel chests.
small articles, among which may be men,
| toned some very modern-looking sofa
| pillows. 1t was the richest find which
had been made for many. many years.
and the moment of discovery was natu-
| rally fraught with great excitement.
The concession for exploration which
was granted to Mr.. Davis permitted him
to pay the cost. but not retain the dis
covered articles, SO these, in tina. were
| removed to the museum at Cairo. Be-
fore they were removed, however. many
notable persons visited the tomb, and
among them the Empress Eugene. She.
Mr.. Smith says, upon viewing the chair
of Princess Sat-Amen. exclaimed: Now
l see from where our empire style was
derived
Works in Sculpture.
Twenty-Five other paintings of Egypt
and Egyptian antiquities are included in
the collection which is now on exhibition
in the hemicycle hall. Some are in oils
and others in water colors; few depict
architectural themes. but the majority
set forth through transcription works
In sculpture. The art Of Egypt was the
art of the worlds children and in meas
ure it is related to the primitive art of
all time. 1t was chiefly a pictorial Ian
guage employed a means of record or
communication, rather than called forth
by esthetic craving. For these reasons.
however. it is peculiarly interesting and
all the more reDdTka Die.
The two carved portraits Of Thutmosis
III, one of the greatest of Egypts fight
ing men, the one in black and the other
in gray granite. which Mr.. Smith has
reproduced make fair show at por-
traiture and display no little skill in
modelling. or, more correctly, chiseling;
and the bas reliefs from the tomb of
Kha -em-het are really beautiful in work.
manship and feeling. There is bas re-
lief showing THE Sacred Boat" frag-
he uyan nf
the granite sanctuary at karnak, which
tells an interesting story; a head of Isis.
from one of the tombs of the kings. which
has been carved on mottled, red gran
lite and partially colored and a picture of
the knees of the colossal statue of Rame-
ses the Great, (which shows to especial
advantage the inscriptions on the base.
The same theme Is seldom repeated, and
the material reproduced Is varied In kind.
Mr.. Smith has certainly a genius for rem
dering textures and for initiating surface
finish. AS some one who saw these same
paintings when they were exhibited re-
Gently in Boston said, you have to con-
vince yourself that what you see is paint
ed, not carved, by close inspection, and
then moving back few steps you will
find that you need to return and convince
yourself again. so perfect is the repre-
sentation. This Is to be sure craft rather
than art. bat 1t Is craft Of the highest
order. These records could not it would
seem, have been better made.
Italian and Japanese Subjects.
The Italian paintings are more pictorial
and while pleasing are less important.
And yet such works as the Doorway of
the Salute in Venice and the ''Antecolle-
go of the Doge's Palace" go to show the
artistic instinct which has CIV the
works of less latitude significance and
charm.
The Japanese subjects also are well rem
dered, and interesting through comparison
with the Egyptian. Among these is one
| of the Gateway at Nikko,' which was so
| beautiful in every detail that Its builders
| feared the wrath of the gods and to ward
off their anger set one column upside
down that it might appear to be an error.
| The audience room of a famous monas-
| terry at Kioto in which are screens paint
| ed by Kano is also given in reproduction
as we'll as a statue of one of the Deva
kings by Unki or Tunki. celebrated carv-
ers of the twelfth century, which is the
oldest wooden statue in japan produced
under Japanese influence. In all q vast