Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-01-04

crowded, and Sunday they were thronged.
From out-of-town collectors. museum d.
rectors and others interested in art are
coming. Among the distinguished visitors
this week was Mr.. Lay ton. the donor of
the Layton Gallery of Milwaukee. All
are agreed that the exhibition upholds a
high standard and the fact that it is ex-
ceedingly varied in character not only
lends but broadens interest
The landscape painters are rather over
Swallowed by the painters of portraits and
figures, but they hold their own and are
admirably represented 1t is in this field
that American artists have perhaps made
their largest contribution to the world of
art, not merely eXcelling, but leading-in
fact, opening up new vistas. Inness, Wy
ant, Martin. the pioneers in this field in
America. are no longer living. but the
traditions they established are being ably
continued by such men as ]. Francis Muir
ply. w. L. Lathrop, Ben Foster. Charles
III. Davis and others. Not only are old ira
ditions being upheld. but new traditions
are being made; bit by bit nature is yield
ing her secrets. and her beauty is being
discovered and made manifest. The first
American landscape painters-those who
formed the SO-caIleQ 'HuQSOn f1Ver ecnOOl
tried with infinite pains and patience to
copy nature: the painters who came after
them merely tried to interpret her. There
are as many kinds of landscape painting
today as there are of figure painting
perhaps more-for this is an Individual
istic age, and there are many viewpoints
and many forms of expression. To a great
extent it is a matter of temperament
each painter interprets that which ap-
peals to him. AS one is drawn by nature
gentler moods. another Is attracted by
vigor and virility.
d. w. Tryon belongs to the former
class. and his painting. loaned for this
exhibition by Mr.. Freer. is admirably
representative. 1t Is entitled Evening
September and shows a bit Of open
country beyond a screen of almost leaf
less trees The coloring, the harmones.
the sentiment are very subtle. 1t is as
If the painter. with finger to lips. said:
Hush; look with me. but do not speak,
lest the spell be broken"
j. Francis Murphy's "Showery Day
a small canvas of peculiar charms
painted in much the same spirit. The
onlooker is taken, as it were, into the
If he be sympathetic there Immediately
upsprings wordess understanding. j.
Alden Weir's Autumn purchased by
the Corcoran Gallery, belongs to the
same category. though perhaps little
more obvious. So also does Bruce Cranes
picture, THE Autumn Hills" though
here again the manner is holder. the eff
feet less subtle. The Tryon, the Murphy.
the Weir will be passed unnoticed by the
unsympathetic. but before the Crane al
most every one stops and wonders even
il they do not understand. What is
there, one may say, in a bare. dull hill
side, brown with frost? Nothing. indeed.
save what the painter has seem in it-a
beauty wrought through the miracle of
light and air. Charles Morris Young's
three landscapes are of this order
poetic, suggestive. pleasing in sentiment.
If perhaps a trifle weak.
On the other hand, however. Schofleld
and Redfield and Symons go to the other
extreme, laying chief stress upon the
illusion Of atmosphere, transcribing with
wonderful frankness and truth winter
sunlight suffusing frosty air. They throw
wide open the shutters at midday and