Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-01-11

Turner has just painted lor
the circuit court room in the
Cuyahoga county courthouse at Cleve-
| land will be exhibited In his studio here
on Wisconsin avenue These panels are
! twentv-eight feet long by thirteen feet
| high and are purposed to fill spaces at
! opposite ends of the courtroom. They
| will be placed twenty feet from the floor
| over dark oak paneling and in JuXtaposi-
! ton with dull red wall covering. Purposely.
| therefore, they have been boldly painted
| and keyed to a strong. rich note.
! Each represents an historical Incident
| one the interview between Capt. Robert
Roger of the famous Roger Rangers
and Pontiac, and the other the trial of
Capt. John Smith by the members of
his own company-the first trial to take
place in this country. The first has in its
composition twenty-five figures, the sec
ond twenty. Each of these is more than
, life size and the majority are represented
at full length Both are outdoor scenes
and have therefore landscape setting.
In the one showing the meeting of Roger
and Pontiac a handsome group of trees
serves as background to the right for the
Indian and his followers. whereas to the
left long sweeping boughs of trees. the
picture. are seen to shelter the Roger
Rangers. In the foreground is Cuyahoga
creek. on the unseen water of which rest
two birch bark canoes.
The trial of Capt. John Smith likewise
is pictured as taking place beneath the
spreading branches of trees in summer
garb. Off to the left in this compost
ton is seen the topmast and crows
nest of the little ship in which these
venturesome voyagers made their way
from England by way of the West
Indies to the new country. 1t will be
remembered that for some reason dis
content arose on this voyage. and Capt
John Smith, either as the victim of
conspiracy or falling under suspicion
was deprived his liberty and brought
ashore bound. His enemies planned to
send him back to England in disgrace.
but he was given fair trial and not
only acquitted, but granted 200 pounds
as damages for injustice done him. In
the scene. as Mr.. Turner has pictured it,
the venturesome and intrepid explorer Is
seen standing to the left with folded
tended by the chaplain of the company
and the common seamen. Capt Newport
is pleading his cause. Wingfeld. the
president of the company. as judge,
standing opposite surrounded by the 9TH
er captains. John Smiths peers, consti-
tuting, as it were a jury.
In both instances the groups are we'll
arranged-the stage admirably set-the
gether. There is dramatic feeling in
both and yet sufficient repose to lend
dignity. 1t is not the place of mural
painting to attract attention-its first
object is to decorate. 1t should. how
ever, have significance and the more the
better. Historical painting has fallen in
recent years somewhat into disrepute.
not because it is not in every way
worthy and legitimate but because it
has been done so poorly. Almost every
great work of art showing composition
has subjective interest and some of the
greatest painters of the ages have been
painters of subject pictures-story tell
ers-but they have always subordinated
the story to their art. AS Kenyon Cox
has reminded us, story telling picture
to be acceptable must not deal with a
subject that is too trivial and must be
we'll done.
That Mr. Turner in his decorations for
the Cleveland courthouse has observed
these requirements is obvious. He has
chosen two momentuous themes, which
permitted graphic Interpretation. and he
has given them adequate and artistic ex-
preston The eye takes in the scene
at glance. interest is concentrated In
certain figures, light and shade are well
massed, the values from first to last have
been well sustained. the color scheme is
held together by a single dominant tone. |