The San Francisco call., 1910-01-02

- ROM Pacific Grove have come some
- two or three dozen pleasing little
sketches in oils and pastels and a
few striking larger canvases. sam
pies of the work of the last four years
done by Lester D. Boronda After a
year of study in New York. one in
Munich and one at the Julien~academy
in Paris. Boronda has returned TO Cali
fornia and opened up studio at 214
Chestnut street, Pacific Grove. Some of
his best studies are on display there,
the diversified range of subject adding
TO the interest of the collection. For
not only are there quaint bits of old
streets in Paris and Munich and many
of the fascinating French and German
interior towns. but the landscapes that
have appealed to his genius in all of
the places he has roamed are different
in tone and treatment and so add a
distinctive touch.
a number of his works are at present
exhibited at the Del Monte galleries
and there are also several on view at
Paul Elders and at the Rabjohn &
Morcom galleries in Post street. Most
of those at the latter place are clever
little scenes, representative for the
most part of the countryside around
Carmel and Monterey. There are also
among then 10 or II French and Vene-
tian studies worked up in a quiet tone
with the touch that renders all of
Boronda's work unique His choice Of
scene is different TO the general run
and his method of carrying out his
ideas is quite his own. His ''Serenade"
is sample of this. 1t is a moonlight
scene in Monterey. painted in a very
high key. The tone of the picture is
a gray brown with gleam OF silver.
The gray adobe house, built in the
early Spanish style, the weather beaten
olive green trees and the distant view
of the gray sea are all softened and
subdued by the flood of moonlight
musicians in cavalier costume are play
ing their serenade beneath the upstairs
porch, their figures brightly silhouetted
against the glow of the moonlight on
the picturesque old home.
1t is an odd, interesting study that
does not fully appeal at the first glance,
but Is none the less strong and good.
1t has won much favorable criticism
for its, author. especially for the way
the effect of the high night lights are
brought out. although he really shows
to even better advantage in some of
his smaller canvases, which are ex-
quisitely handled.
Boronda is at present engaged on
two large panels for the interior deco
ration of the Carnegie library at Sa-
linas. While these are not yet COM
pleted, they promise TO be most eff
fective, the ideas chosen by the artist
being beautiful and most appropriate
for the subject. While Boronda is work
ing steadily at Pacific Grove and ex-
hibiting for the most part in his own
county, there is some hope and talk
of his holding a large exhibit here in
the spring. AS this will cover the best
of his works during the last FIVE years.
it promises to be unusually interesting
to artistic circles.
The new. gallery attached to the Vir-
ginia hotel at Long Beach near Los An
geles promises to take foremost place
with the picture galleries of the coun-
try. 1t opened most auspiciously last
week with one of the most interesting
exhibitions of the year This view.
which continues for two or three weeks
longer, is particularly interesting to
Californians because 1t includes not
only a goodly showing OF the works
of many of our. local celebrities. but
also shows some of the strongest work
being done by artists all over the
United States. Twenty-three of these