Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-02-08

English landscapists, but it is more IN
sympathy of feeling than in similarity of
treatment. The English almost inVaria-
bly, believe that the business of art is to
complete the purpose of nature and Tina
special interest in what may be called
the human element-that is, the associa-
ton of man with nature-wlth the land
scape. These predictions arc evident IN
Mr.. Holmes paintings. He is accom-
plished in composition and his pictures
most frequently show figures lneonsplc-
uously introduced which bctoken inhabl-
tation Especially has Mr.. Holmes made
q study of the sky, painting its MANY
aspects time and again merely for the
purpose of study The result is shown
in his paintings now on exhibition. There
are gray skies and sunny ones, CLOUDS
white and gray and black, betokenlns
winds and gentle showers. And always
they are vaporous and passing. Never
do his effects seem fixed, or indeed
forced.
In putting white mats and gold frames
on some of his water colors Mr.. Holmes
follows the example of Sargent and other
water colorists living abroad. The idea
is that white is the keynote of water
color--the white of the paper-and that,
therefore. the mat of this color accents
effect. In some instances 1t does, III
other the gold seems more effective.
Water colors as a medium are said by
some to have gone out OF vogue. Out
water colors such as are seen in this eX-
estimation of those who know and love
good art. The fact is that medium counts
for very little as against art. or indeed
does theme. ST. Gaudens said. 1t Will
be remembered. speaking of paintings or
sculpture "You can do anything-it is
the way you do it that counts. And SO
the art of the painter goes a long way
toward producing charm. and in all MI
Holmes water colors this element Is
very evident. 1t is great pleasure and
privilege to have this collection exhibited
here but it should also be shown In many
other cities, for its merit and interest is
really extraordinary.
TN the Shelby Clarke galleries. on G
street, a collection of paintings by
Lucient W. Powell is on view, and it is
of notable interest Mr.. Powell is a coll
orist first of all, but he is also an accom-
plished painter. Because of his rare love
Of color, Venice and the Grand Canyon
have proved specially alluring to him
and he has interpreted both with much
sympathy and loveliness. In both places
he has at certain times spent weeks and
even months. making careful studies and
collecting other data. 1t is from these
that most often he paints his pictures,
visionizing that which has made its I'M
press ndelibly on his memory. These I'M
pressions are personal and often very
true. They have. moreover, the charm
of dreams and the universally of appeal
which actually lacks. Furthermore, Mr..
PowelIs pictures are decorative and they
wear we'll, making good companions. In
one room of Secretary MacVeaghs home
all the pictures on the walls are by Mr..
Powell and the effect is very pleasing.
On the staircase of the Public Library
hangs one Of his marines-a powerful sea-
scape Of tremendous significance. In the
<0lln vic in 20
leries both oils and water colorS are in
Guided, and the subjects cover wide
range.
IN the Venable gallery collection of
etchings by Ruel Pardee Tolman is
now on view. Mr.. Tolman is better
known as painter than an etcher, but
he uses the latter medium with exception
al skill He has chosen. wisely, Wash
ington themes, the Capitol the Monu-
ment, certain streets and the river front.
all most picturesque, and has treated
them with directness and feeling. Our
city possesses enormous pictorial posi-
biIities and why these have not been long
since discovered it is hard to understand.
When Joseph Pencil had not one word
to say in favor of Boston he was enthu-
siastic over Washington, even though Wis
iting it in August. Though still very de-
ficient in certain respects, Washington
has a picturesqueness and charm all it's
own.
A article on 1.-THE City in Painting and
"A Etchings." by Duncan c. Phillips, jr.,
of this city, is published in the current
number of Scribner's Magazine and
throws interesting light on this branch of
artistic endeavor. He says very truly
that it is difficult for us to relnquish
notion that the world of industry and
commerce is an ugly and prosaic one, but
that now we are called upon to see in
this same ugliness something positively
beautiful.
I'VE begin to see,' he insists, that the
city reveals the character of an epoch.
and that the spirit of our modernity is,