Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-03-05

special ulSuHcIOn III TIC ONE
field have attained unusual success in the
other. Mr. John Elliott is one of these.
At the National Museum is now to be
seen a great mural decoration entitled
DIANA of the Tides which he has paint
ed as panel for the rotunda of the new
museum building now nearing completion,
and at the V. G. Fischer Galleries are
at present being shown twenty-four draw
ings in pastel made by him as illustrations
for The Great Sea Horse a book of
fairy tales written by Mrs. Larz Ander-
son and recently published.
The mural painting. which by the way,
is the gift of Mr. and Mrs. Larz Ander-
son. is over twenty feet i'm length and ten
in height, and represents Diana as the
Moon-Goddess. the controller of the tides
an original and essentially modern con-
ception. The time is the close of day,
when the pale light of the moon mingles
with the fading light of the sun-the hour
of true enchantment. Diana is pictured
silhouetted against the great disc which
has but just risen from the sea. stand
ing erect in her chariot. rainbowtinted
seashell which is drawn by four white
horses through the waves to the shore,
themselves IMPLYING by relative position
and action the great breakers that SO
ma jesticaily rise and fall. The scheme
OF color is high-keyed and opaleScent, the
treatment. however. is simple and rather
scupturesque. Appeal is made to the
ina eination, but not through vague sug-
gestion. Each element explains itself
and the allegory thereby becomes frankly
significant. That this is as it should be
none will deny, for the ability to make
imaginative things seem real is perhaps
the rareSt.
A little over year ago this painting
was exhibited in the artists studio in
Rome and attracted wide attention. In
fact, it created no small sensation, not only
among the painters. but those prominent
in official and social circles. That the
painting was to be placed in the National
Museum of the United States gave
certain prestige and aroused an interest
which it's merit sustained. In the visitors
book Of the exhibition. kept by the ar
fist, the names of many notable persons
are inscribed, among which. indeed. is
that Of the King of Italy, who went to
the studio early one morning. informally.
to view the painting. and in democratic
fashion refused to have a page of the
visitors book to himslf, declaring that
his writing was not good enough for
that. It was at the request of the Dow
ager Queen Margherita that the visit of
the king was paid, she having seen the
painting during the first days of the ex-
hibition and finding in it much to praise.
Under the date of February 2 the cor
respondent In Rome of the London Times
wrote: The exhibition of Mr.. John Ell
liott's painting Diana of the Tides has
attracted most of the notable people in
Rome. The subject has met with
very beautiful treatment at the hands
of the painter, who has been singularly
successful in carrying out his poetic
conception and realizing a rare and ex-
quisite effect of light But the great
beauty of the picture lies in its scheme
of color, which is as lovely as it is origi-
nal"
This artistic triumph was in February.
Then came the great earthquake that
wrecked Messina and there was humani-
tartan work to be done. Immediately Mr..
Elliott volunteered assistance and hurried
rendered not only valiant service in res
cue work, but as architect and designer
under Commander Belknap, L. S. N, in
upbuildng the American village which
church for the sufferers In his report
to the Secretary OF State Commander
Belknap said Thanks are due in a
measure / cannot express to Mr.. John
Elliott, who shared every hardship with
unfailing good humor and left his beauti-
He was the first volunteer and the most
devoted worker rendering service that
can be appreciated only by one who en-
toyed his close companionship and dis
of pressing occupation" For his serv-
ices at Messina Mr.. Elliott was decorat-
ed by King Victor Emmanuel, being
given the title of the Chevalier of the
Corona d'Italia, the insignia Of which is
the iron crown of Lombardy and the
arms of Savoy within the Maltese cross;
besides which he was awarded a medal
by the Red Cross Society and granted
by the mayor of Messina the freedom of
that city.
work last June Mr.. Elliott turned
directly to the production Of the
book Of fairy tales and com