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

Mr. Redfield was born at
Rrfdgeville Del. in December. 1868. and
studied first at the Pennsylvania Acad-
envy of the Fine Arts, in Philadelphia, and
then under Bouguereau and Robert
Fleury in Paris. In 1909 he received the
Temple medal from the Pennsylvania
Academy. it's highest award, and in l"4
the Hallgarten ard Shaw Fund prizes at
exhibitions in New York of the National
Academy of Design and the Society OF
American Artists.
1t will be remembered that the first
Clark prize was awarded at the Corcorah
Gallery's great exhibition last winter TO
a painting by Mr.. Redfield entitled, THE
Island" and that from the previous eX-
hibition of contemporary American paint
ings the trustees of the Corcoran Gallery
purchased one of Mr.. Redfield's pictures
deeming it worthy of place In their
permanent collection.
Mr. Redfield makes his home at Center
Bridge. Pa, on the Delaware river. ana
the majority of his canvases have plctur-
ed scenes in that vicinity. or winter
landscapes he has made a specially, but
his work has a style and virility which
sets it quite apart. He is an impress
sionist and at the same time ''plein ar
painter That Is, lie concerns hlmseI
primarily with the problem OF light, YET
discards the system of color spots ana
lays on his pigment with crispness ana
decision He has given brilliant impress
sons Of winter sunshine and of the illu-
sion of frost laden air; he has avoided
subtleties and dealt with big facts frank
ly: he has manifested tho beauty In the
commonplace
For a number of years. when Mr. Red
field was winning awards and through
the distinguished merit of his work push
3pf-~ he
LAYING his pigment on in broad, firm
touches, piling it up in fact. so that the
effect was, of necessity only 10 be Cd
served at distance, and the tendency
Of the picture was, as an eminent crltF
has said, to lie OIL the surface OF the
canvas as a decorative pattern. Even
80, however, Mr.. Redfield's pictures were
apt to serve as ''holes'' in the wall of an
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. through which one
looked directly upon nature, vital. un-
compromising and aluring.
Just as every one got used TO this par
ticular style from this painter Mr. Red-
field surprised his colleagues and the
public by sending to an exhibition In
New York two can'-"ses in quite differ
ent strain-pictures PARTED during sum
mer abroad, no less studied than the
native winter landscapes, but painted
moro in the manner of the tonalists- with
surface finish and apparent regard for
the amenities of charm. Some welcomed
the change as a developments forward
step, as it doubtless was. but not accord
ing to the common superstition. Mr
Rcdfield is not committed to any orc
style, but suits his manner to his subject.
He has mastered the language OF his
art in order to give himself free express
sion and he has acquainted himself VIII.
traditions and theories in order to build
his own structure surely and with expe-
dition He is essentially an American
painter; the energy the frankness, the
optinlism 50 characteristic of our ma
tional life today find expression in no
small measure i'll his work.
Among the Younger landscape painters
there is none more likely to exert
potent influence than he. TWenty-eiehl
If the pictures included in this exhibition
have lust been shown in the City Museum
of st. Louis. but the rest have come
direct from the artists studio and have
not heretofore been exhibited.