Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-05-30


dents work Is now open in the
Corcoran Art School. which Is
conducted by the Corcoran
Gallery of Art. The regular
closing exercises of the school were held
last evening. at which time, with ap-
propriate ceremony. the annual awards
were made. The exhibition is larger
this year than usual and it upholds
higher standard. Generally there Is a
better sense of both color and form evil
dent, and in the mass the work is found
more virile and promising.
In part this improvement may be the
result of an influx OF new material in the
student body No master can develop
talent which does not exist. But it GER
tainly manifests good leadership and a
trend in the right direction. 1t is very
true that artists are born and not made.
but a rudimentary knowledge of certain
principles in essential to all who would
find adequate expression. The Corcoran
School, like all other good schools. only
processes to teach the a, b. c's of art
literally to lay the foundations.~ And
there are few professions which require
longer or more ,.ssiduous apprenticeship
The successful artist is not made over
night. but must give years to study and
practice; sometimes five or ten or fif-
teen-sometimes a lifetime. And even
so. there must be a special gift If in
the end the study is to cavil. Little won
der is 1t. then, that works of art are
greatly valued and command high prices.
There are today in the United States
about 5000 practicing artists who have
attained some reputation. There are prob
ably five or even ten times as many art
students. In both instances these figures
might seem to indicate an oversupply,
but the circumstances are very little diff
ferent from what they are in other pro-
LESSONS. Out of the mass rise a few
extraordinarily gifted and better trained
than their fellows who attain greatness.
BY these the accomplishment Of an age Is
measured. 1t Is not reasonable to suppose
that Pericles was a solitary worker in
his field and generation. or that Michel
angelo rose as giant from among men.
Ignorant and unaspirtng, Indeed we know
to the contrary. Time and criticism have
disposed of the works of many of the lit
tie masters who. however helped to kin
die the flames of genius which have illu-
minated the world. History repeats itself
The tide rises slowly but there are many
who hold the conviction that the next
great art wave VIII crest, II II Is not
already cresting, In the United States. For
this reason such an exhibition as that
now on view in the Corcoran school and
gallery has a significance far beyond the
moment. or than might be supposed re-
garding 1t unrelatedly as an event.
Fifty years ago there were compare
tivey few art schools In the United
States, and these were very crude and
stereotyped- Today there are. many
schools and almost each one different.
The Corcoran. School may be classed with
the more conservative ones, holding to
old traditions and concentrating its en-
ergies in the direction Of the fine arts,
and chiefly that of painting. 1t has no
classes. In sculpture. architecture or
decoration, none IN design, the handi-
crafts or Industrial art. Those who enter
this school as students are supposed to
desire to become painters or illustrators.
The classes are in drawing from casts OF
antique sculpture and from living models;
life In oils and water cofors. composition
and sketching.. Some years ago the ma
jority Of the work was done In the an
tioue and life classes, and the mass Of
drawings shown at the annual exhibitions