Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-01-18

HE (OTcOTdn 1dIieIy cAHIpi'i"ii
closes one week from tomor-
row Some of the pictures.
those purchased by the gal
lery, will remain in Washing
ton. but the majority will be shipped off
to other cities to be shown In other I'M
portant exhibitions until they eventually
have made the rounds or found purchas-
ers fair percentage of sales has
been made here. but in comparison to the
total number of pictures shown the re-
turns to the artists must be regarded as
small.
1t is true that in many instances the
prices of the pictures are high, Tar De-
yond the means of those of moderate In
come but there are very many people
i'm Washington who could afford to buy II
they really coveted possession. The fact
is that 1t has become rather the custom
to regard picture exhibitions merely as
shows arranged for the delight of the pub
lie. forgetful of the fact that the artists
can i'll afford to provide this enjoyment
for the public gratuitOusly. and that very
little satisfaction even is gained by the
mere knowledge that they are making
such contribution. If an artists paint
ings do not sell, he has little inspiration
for production, not because he lacks
remuneration, but rather this tangible
mark of appreciation. If no one wants
that which is produced there is naturally
little reason for continuing production. 1t
is true that many pictures which appear
to special advantage in an exhibition
would not take their places satisfactorily
on the walls of private house. and that
this initiates seriously against sales.
V.ict in IL
lection now on view at the Corcoran Cal
lerv which must commend themselves TO
private collectors and art lovers, being OF
moderate proportions and or exceptional
charm. OF course it must be understood
that until Washington becomes picture
market it can never really be regarded as
an art center but on the other hand 1t Is
impossible to force patronage. Unless
peOple want pictures they Will not buy
them. and it is better that they should
not but until they do, no great amount
of vital appreciation can be boosted of
by those who would witness to the intel
ligence and culture of this community.
X
THERE are in the Corcoran Gallery's
exhibition a number of marine paint
ings by we'll known artists specially de-
serving of note and yet heretofore passed
over. owing to the greater subjective in
terest of other works. American painters
have pictured the sea with greater skiX
and more frequency than those of any
other nation. Indeed, the love of the sea
is a deep-rooted American characteristic.
as it was a characteristic and is still of
the NOrwegians, Danes and other north
ern people AS pure landscape is dis
tinctly modern development so marine
painting belongs to the past and present
centuries. One hundred years ago every
picture, to win success. required human
interest Recall, for example. Gainsbor
ough's landscapes wherein people were in
troduced almost invariably as accessories
or constables, for that matter.
So painters did not conceive the idea Of
picturing the sea merely as the sea with
the object of interpreting it's subtle beau
ty and stupendous strength. The greatest
of all our marine painters was Winslow
Homer. and in the Evans collection in the
National Museum will be found what is