Evening star., 1907-08-24
s. Ix*xa2l6noWORLDor rrEpATURE>~ARE<

| in Washington restrict height and insurs
| stability, but do not require artistic merit in
| design. Perhaps 10 do would be I'M
| possible, but the csthetic might be Eiven
| some consideration. a person. some ono
| mas said, may read book or not as he
| pleases, but he cannot avoid observing
| the house OF his opposite neiehbor WASH
| ington has spread over large territory
| and left gaps here and there In It's best
| quarters. These must be filed IN appro-
| priateiy If Its picturesqueness is TO be pre-
| served. And. furthermore. the city Is
| growing rapiGly-so lar II has escaped TO a
great extent the plague of long rows of
| uniform dwellings, but at present II is
| threatened with the disease and in a par-
! ucularly malicious form-the kind which
tops on with an overgrown candle extin-
| gulsher In the vacation days IL may not
| be n bad plan to look around-to obsorye
| the good as well as the bad Cthere is plen-
| " or both) and see for ones self what kind
OF city picture is being created
ihere is a good deal worth noting in the
| architectural world which, popularity
! speaking. is not architectural group
! OF artists in New York for instance. have
| adNentured into apartment house building
wlih such success that to quote one OF
Holhams dealers, their professional
careers are threatened is they may
! not nave TO paint pictures any longer for
| bread and butter There was no scarcity
OF apartment houses in New York but
OF well planned ones, and when the ar
tlsts built one or two to suit themselves
they suited other people so well that more
were wanted. The plan OF these apart
ments is peculiarly attractive There is
commonly, large studio which is Il gem
eral reception and living room and is two
stories In height From this, on the first
floor level, open a dining room and kitchen
and on the second the bedrooms. Some
times the plan is varied. There may be
more rooms or there may be less but there
Is always the one commodious studio which
anords ample breathing space and excel
lent opportunity for social entertainments.
Perhaps If there were more such accom-
modations to be had here more artists OF
7 note might make this city their place OF
winter residence.
The director of the Albright Gallery Of
Buffalo has lately compiled and published
in Academy Notes" a LIST of 2I2 Amerl-
can painters whose works In his estma-
ton, should be looked for In every Ameri-
can art museum of importance This list
contains the names of George Inness,
Homer Martin, Whistler, Twachtman and
rev others who are no longer living, but
1t confines itself to contemporary painters
and does not include any of the earlier
men. Undoubtedly there are some whom
DR. kurtz names who might not invariably
be relied upon and others who have still
scarcely arrived at distinction, but he does
not say that they are equally meritorous
and there is little fault to be found with
the compilation What array II is, and
who. roughly estimating. would have
placed the number so high? And the list
is not MISUNDERSTANDING over II even
hurriedle one will note the omission of
one and another American artist already
creditably represented In some public
museum or gallery. If then there are few
good pictures in the current exhibitions It
must be because the painters have been
idle-and If indeed in public collections
American art is poorly represented IL must
be through lack of desire the part of
those In authority rather than want of
material.
-
Mrs. Hitchcock tells Of how an English
woman once asked her IL there were any
American artists of note, and being
minded OF Sargent and Shannon. ex-
claimed: why you grasping Americans
will soon be claiming Whistler. suppose"
And It is true. rs she has said that in
England our painters are being not only
appreciated. but adopted In the exhibitions
of the Royal Academy and New Gallery
which called forth chief attention and re-
ceived the highest praise; and In the in
:ernational exhibition at Dublin It was
E. A. Abbey's work which was given first
place. An English critic has said of the
former: "Other painters have qualities
which Mr.. Sargent has not. but one has
to forget his matchless craft and all the
thousand subtleties upon which 1t depends
before one can turn responsvely to styles
OF painting engendered by other habits OF
thought and vision" while of the latter
has no finer exponent in the present Gay
than Abbey-his play scene in the great
tragedy of Hamlet is alone In its profound
impressiveness and meaning"
~
Turning again to our own land II is 'n-
teresting to hear of the work being done
In the vacation schools in our largest cities.
The experiment of teaching the children OF
the poor to use their hands during the
period of idle days has been tried and with
great success. In one Bast-side school In
New York 1000 children have been In
structed In the arts OF basket weaving, car
pentry, metal work. millinery. dressmaking
and embroidery. since the regular school
work has ceased and they have not only
found 1t good fun but excellent employ
ment. Art principles have been taught and
followed. but chiefly they applied to,
articles of utility and everyday life. This
is In a line with our local public schooli
training. and it will prove a strong factor
in the upbuilding of art appreciation.
Later than almost any others Mr.. MoserI
and Mr.. Max Weyl kept their studios open,
but both now have left town. Mr. Moser
has gone to West Cornwall. Conn, and
Mr.. Weyl to Gaithersburg, Md.
LEILA MECHLIN.