Evening star., 1914-02-07

VHE opening Of the Washington
Water Color Cubs annual ex
hibition in the hemicycle hall
of the Corcoran Gallery of Art
yesterday with private view
was the notable event of the week. Wash
ington can boast some excellent water
colorists and these exhibitions are in
variably pleasing.
Water coIors have a charm of their
own quite different from paintings in oils.
and they are possessions. within the
means of the so-called comfortably
poor And yet a good water color may
be a genuinely enviab!e possession, con-
serving much beauty and making strong
appeal to the imagination. The tendency
today is to value works by names and to
believe that only those of great reputa-
ton can produce great works rms IS
OF course far from the truth. The great
men of today in the world of art did dis
tinguished work when they were COM
paratively unknown. The great men OF
tomorrow working among us today
To judge ones own Judgment. and after
a time to have it confirmed, Is, perhaps,
the greatest critical achievement This
is il pictorial age. the world has gone
mad over pictorial art, as witness the
popularity of the Illustrated magazines,
the picture post cards. the moving pic
lures. and Yet, oddly enough. there are
less pictures sold from current exhibitions
than there were twenty years ago.
And vet artists cannot go on painting
pictures for the pleasure they give TO
others. Sales are a tangible evidence of
appreciation.
Art cannot flourish without patronage
and when it is essentially worthy this
should not be withheld. 1t would be
ludicrous to urge the purchase of works
of art as d duty. but by those who find
usltold pleasure in their possession their
acquisition can be appropriately com
mended. No prizes are given for works
in the Washington Water Color Clubs
exhibition. but it is hoped that before
the closing date, February 2s arrives.
many of the pictures shown therein will
beaE the little placard sold" which, in
the aggregate. spells success" This eX-
hibition merits attention
TT so happens that while the Washing
ton Water Color Club is holding its an
nUal exhibition in the Corcoran Gallery.
its president pro TEN, William H. Holmes,
is holding exhibition of his paintings
in the Moore gallery on 18th street. The
coincidence of the dates was accidental,
but OF. the whole rather fortunate. 1t is
. interesting to be able to pass from the
work Of numerous artists to that of sin
gle artist and to measure the one by the
other For it is true that a more init
mat. knowledge can be procured by {.
study Of single artist work than by
that of many. it being necessary to reck-
under these circumstances with one
| personality rather than numerous person.
tlities
, Mr.. Holmes is. furthermore, a past mas
ter of his art: he is water colorist al
most without equal and he confines his
| efforts to work in this medium. The ma
| irrity of the pictures now on view were
: painted in the vicinity of his summer
/ home near Rockville. There is one of
| the little house itself. an old, renovated
and remodeled log cabin, perched high
| on hillside and appearing around the
| corner from big tree. There is another
| OF the swimming pool at the bend of the
\ little creek which runs through the mead
I ow at the foot of the big hill, with its