Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-01-08


of the Corcoran Gallery of Art
Mond y. cannot fail to at
tract attention Mr.. Rediield is one of the
foremost of our American painters anC
has been accorded. il would seem. almos,
every honor in the gift Of his confreres
The biographical sketch which is printed
on the last page Of the folder catalogue
enumerates no less than fifteen medals
and prizes which he has received, ano
gives list of. by coincidence, the same
number of public galleries which have
purchased his works for their permanent
collections
Among the former are the Fisher prize
and Corcoran bronze medal Of 1907 ano
the first Clark prize and Corcoran GOLD
medal in 1905, as we'll as second Harris
prize, Chicago, and third medal. Paris
in 1909; while among the latter are tho
Corcoran Gallery. the Telfair Academy
Savannah: the Chicago. Detroit. st. Louis
and Cincinnati museums. and the Luxem
bourg. Such Endorsement makes Mr.. Red
fields position practically secure. Or
the other hand, however 1t awakenS rea
sonable expectation and lays the painter
peculiarly under responsibility to main
tain the standard he has attained
1nlrty-SeVen canvaSeS compose the
present exhibition. Xteen of which are
snow scenes. To pass directly from real.
1ty to representation. from the actually
of snow to its pictorial presentation. is
perhaps hard test of veracity. but one
which these paintings can stand. Mr.
Redfleld knows how to paint snow and
also how to give the illusion of frosty
air and wintry sunshine. He is realist
His painting is done out of doors. nc
matter what the temperature. and, as II
We're, in the face of nature. He Is. more
over, it appears. content with the outdoor
world as he finds it, painting that which
is at hand and attempting no rearrange-
ment. His work is virile, sincere and con-
vincing. With but little added it would
be great.
The strength of Mr.. Redfield's work IS
demonstrated in single eXamples-its
weakness In the aggregation of canvases
This is rather unusual. 1t is partially
explained by the fact that he Is an extra
ordinarily even painter and that all OF
his work is in either of two styles
AS he is frank and positive in expression,
so temperamentally his work is equita BILE
He is neither poet nor romancer, but his
toran.
Art is essentially a matter of elimina-
ton and seIect.on, but Mr.. Redneld
chooses to disregard his perogatives His
pictures, therefore, In numerous instances
show poor composition. The photograph
er is obliged to make the most of stub
born facts, but the painter is perm tied
to perfect the intention of nature-to
lilONc d Tree Oh even q mountain II neoO
be. 1t is the pictorial element that Amer
lean art lacks and which, specifically.
Mr.. Redf1eld's paintings are without. He
has a way, moreover, of presenting one
ob1ect-a tree. a bush or the like-in the
immediate foreground, SO that it be-
comes G1sprG pOrtionate to the other OBJ
jects represented and displays an inclina-
tion to come out of the frame. And he
so distributes his light and shade that
his pictures sometimes lack emphasis-tf1e
schemes unity.
There are, it may be claimed not great
faults, especially when they are offset by
so much virtue. but for this very reason
they are the more significant and lament
able. And what Is most disturbing Is the
fact that no evidence Of progress Is CIV
en-. Rather the opposite The majority
of canvases included in this exhibition
are recent works. yet no one exceeds in
merit those in the permanent collections
of the Corcoran Gallery of Art and the
Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts In
earlier days Mr.. Redfields work had a
force. brilliancy. a certain distinction
which 1t now seems to lack. To be sure,
1t was cruder, more abrupt, less finished,
but 1t was vital. spontaneous, inspiriting,
personal to a degree which 1t does not
now attain. Were Mr.. Redfield an older
man he might be thought to have reached
his greatest height, but as it is this can
not be credited.
Turning to specific examples: Measur-
ing up almost. 1t not quite, to the best
he has done is the canvass entitled Hill
tops" which hangs at the end of the
semi-circular wall directly opposite the
entrance. broad expanse of unspotted
snow is represented in the foreground.
with a row of trees in the middle distance,
black as against the white, while beyond
lies the river, the hills and the winter
sky. There Is decision in every touch.
and the mantle of white which is spread
over the ground is rendered with con-
summate knowledge. Cedar HILL" to
which the position of honor has been
given. is a picture of somewhat the same
character, and but scarcely less merit
the dark cedars against the snow serving
decorative purpose, and the brilliant
outdoor light being rendered with daz-
cling realism. Center Bridge" view
of street piled high with snow, in the
Pennsylvania town where the artist
makes his home. is also uncommonly in
teresting. as are THE Road to Center
Bridge" acquired by Washington col
lector: THE White House. to which
the Harris prize was recently awarded in
poetic of all is. without doubt, THE Foot
hills of the Blue Ridge''-a canvas no
less deliberately composed than the
others, but infinitely more subtle and sug-
gestive. Every object in this compost
ton takes its place, each plane is correct
ly indicated. each value justly related.
Direct and terse in treatment. 1t is con-
sentative and restrained. so, while giving
FlNlu impression, IL yet nOlQS It's charm
i'm reserve.
Neither 1.-THE Old Barn. nor THE Red
Barn" are as interesting, the structures
possessing no beauty in themselves and
lending none to the landscapes. The ma
rines are by no means compa rable with
the snow pictures, and the summer land
scapes also are more OF the usual type.
One of the latter is, however. very worthy
of remark, though it has been allotted a
poor position and therefore cannot be seen
to the best advantage. This Is Near the
English Channel, and has a certain big
ness, breadth and significance which will
be found appealing. If only the perspect-
i've had not gone awry and caused the
little houses in the hollow to pitch up
ward uncomfortably. But one does not
wish to he hypercritical. Whatever short
comings Mr. Redtield's work may possess,
it has this to commend 1t. that it is
optimistic. healthy, unpretentious. Ameri-
cannot initiative, weak, sentimental or
aggressive. And this IS indeed a great
deal-more than many can boast. The
exhibition will remain open until Jan
pleasurable. but worthy Of thoughtful
consideration.
an Monday an exhibition will open In
- the Veerhoff Galleries which prom
ises to be of note-an exhibition Of water
colors by Alexander Robinson OF New
York. 1T was comparatively early In
Alexander Robinsons career says
Gustav Noble In a most readable article
on this painters art I'm the current num-
Der of the International Studio. that the
Paris Herald. in reviewing a water-color
exhibition, spoke of his work as alto
different Of