Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-02-08

! or much cOmpleXlty. 1t Is almost q nope
less task to get the average lay mind to
grasp the difference between a good por-
| trait and a bad one. If. perchance, the for
mer is to any degree likeness. Indeed
| 1t would seem that this art has not only
| its deadly sins, but its deadly virtues, and
| that of the two the latter are the more
| harmful. If some one who does not know
| how attempts to paint a portrait, draws
| II badly and cOlors 1t less we'll, 1t Is
| frankly a failure. and so declared: but II
one who has learned the tricks of the
trade produces such in reasonably cor
rect manner though with no show of art.
ten chances to one 1t will be admired and
| cherished. There is undoubtedly some
painted both by Mr.. Benziger of Paris and
Mr.. Muller-Ury of New York, which are
| now on exhibition in the Cosmos Club and
the Corcoran Gallery respectively. but
1t is from the standpoint of academic
| training not Interpretation of art Mr..
| Benziger has painted, it would seem. in
Vulnerable people of note. and' received
| from the press fair commendatfon His
paintings are hard. artificial and thor
oughly inarttistic. He shows in his exhibit
ton at the Cosmos Club among others
portraits of President Roosevelt and of the
late President Mckinley. which are I'M
mist taxable likenesSeS. but unpleasant pic
lures. Little fault is to be found with the
coloring or the drawing. but they are alb
solutely without atmosphere. and are hard
and panty
Mr.. Muler-Ury, as brushman. shows
himself less accomplished though in the
arrangement of his composition he may be
somewhat more successful. He. too, gets
what is called good likeness. but his
portraits are poorly modelled and unpleas-
ant in color. The one of his mother has
some claim to consideration. but the rest
are. while more professional. less attrac-
tive than student work. Both of these
exhibitions will continue for week or
more.
X
Another painting has been added this
! week by Mr.. Evans to the National Gal
lery collection. picture of the sea break
ing on a rocky coast. painted by Paul
Dougherty. and entitled Sun and Storm -
1t is large canvas and strongly painted
with a broad. free brush. In its force
1t suggests the work OF Winslow Homer,
and yet. oddly enough, in it's subtlety,
those of the late John Twachtman also.
1t is as though one We're standing high
on the shore looking down upon the sea
and the rocks. One great point jutS out
toward the ocean, and far beyond, treach-
erous reefs lay half hidden in spray.
Where the water ends and the sky begins
is hard to tell, for the air is full of mist.
though the sun has broken through the
clouds and is warming the wet rocks up
on which the waves are tossing their
names. This picture is painted in very
different vein from the one by the same
| artist which the Corcoran Gallery bought
last year: it's technique is loosen. its man.
ner less positive, but 1t is equally as Wig
orous and convincing This is the fourth
picture Mr.. Evans has purchased and
sent to Washington since he was here
in November. when he promised to in
crease his collection of 100 pictures. Ger
tainly in no way could he better demon
strate a lively interest in national art.
The Society of Washington Artists has
just issued circular announcing its
seventeenth annual exhibition to be held
in the hemicycle hall of the Corcoran
Gallery of Arts. from Saturday, March
Z, to Wednesday, March Is. The pri-
vate view will be held on Friday, March
g. from TO II o'clock pm. Original
works in Oil and pastel, pictorial decora-
tions, burnt wood and sculpture will be
eligible and must be delivered at the New
York avenue entrance to the gallery.
February % and %. unpacked and at
the cost of the exhibitor. In all PROBABLE
ity, the work shown will be mainly local,
though it will not be restricted to that of
members. The committee in charge of
the exhibition consists Of Mr.. f. c. Mes
ser. Miss Ellen Day Hale. Miss Bertha E.
Perrie, Mr.. Lucien Powell and Mr.. Carl
Weller. but applications for entry blanks
and general inquiries should be addressed
to Mr.. William B. Chiffon, secretary, 2O15
I street northwest.
The honor of membership in the New
York Water Color Club has recently
been accorded Mr.. James Henry Moser
of this city, who by common consent of
reckoned among the foremost workers of
this medium. AS the New York club is
noted for its conservatism and has few
nonresident members. this is a distinc-
tion-an acknowledgment of attainment
from the painters colleagues. Mr.. Moser
has been for number Of years the presi-
Club as well as director of the water
color class at the Corcoran school, and
is represented by a group of six paint
ings In the current exhibition.
An exhibition of photographs of Rem
brandt's paintings will be held at the
Public Library next week, and Tuesday
evening at 8 o'clock Miss Florence n.
Levy of New York will deliver an illustrat-
ed lecture on Rembrandt in the library 8
lecture hall. Miss Levy is the editor OF
the American Art Annual and we'll
known lecturer on art. This is the second
of course of public lectures which is
| being given under the auspices of the
National Society Of the Fine Arts.
LEILA MECHLIN.