Evening star., 1915-02-28

! 70HE Washington Water Color Clubs
/ II nineteenth annual exhibition will
! q remain on view in the Hemlcycle
of the Corcoran Gallery of Art until
the 11th of March. and it well rewards
tmore than one visit. The standard OF
1.-THE exhibition is high and the charac-
tier of the exhibits is interesting and
pleasantly varied.
| Very naturally the eye is first at
tracted by color. but it will be found
that not the least engaging section of
this exhibition is that given over al
most exclusively to work in black and
white.
! The interest in etching has greatly
increased in the last few years. and at
! the same time the number of really
good etchers has been multiplied.
Whether the one is the result of the
other it is hard to say, but the fact
| remains. And there is certainly no
more charming medium of artistic
expression when properly employed, or
one more capable of giving esthetic
delight A line by master etcher may
have the same qualities of exquisite
beauty that a note drawn from a violin
, by the hand of master musician pos
SeSSeS, anu IL tildlteF OF IlYnt ana shade
etched by an artist may suggest in
black and white the richest of color
harmonies Thus there are enormous
possibilities within the etcher's range
Furthermore, in this field we have an
unquestioned standard of excellence
rembrandt and Whistler have set be-
fore us works that serve as a criterion
of merit. And yet such is the flexibility
of the medipm that those who dare not
lay claim to greatness may adventure
without fear of untoward comparison
IN the same field as these great lights.
Among the younger American etchers
, Lester g. Hornby and Ernest David
Roth both hold honorable rank. They
have felt without doubt the influence
of Paris, but it has been a beneficent
force with them, and has not destroyed
their Independent convictions. Both
have given much of their time and at
tention to the transcription, or inter-
probation, of architectural themes
! both have had something to say, and
have said it we'll and simply.
The etchings shown by Mr.. Hornby in
this exhibition are less characteristic
of his work as whole than one might
desire. Possibly they represent a re-
cent phase or simply an excursion off
the beaten trail. Two are of figures,
! peasants physically strong, and are in
terpreted in line boldly and vigorously.
In each instance the figure is placed
in the immediate foreground, which
rather tends to exaggerate the size
and roughness of contour. One is re-
minded of the drawings of Millet, but
with Millet the language employed was
native, whereas the suspicion Mr.. Horn
by's works leave in the mind of the
observer is that with him it is foreign.
And yet these figures have much to
commend them. They are well con-
structed, strong, impressive-yes. more
than this, expressive. But they do not
seem to suit the medium or to be OF
great intrinsic interest.
! Ernest David Roth is both an etcher
and painter, In his use of color it is
surfaces which hold Mis- chief atten-
tion. but when he etches it is line.
Sometimes the latter g fine and SUD
tie and again occasionally it is obvious
and strong. In his "San Francisco AS
sissi" the outlines of buildings are
, broad and broken; in his Venice etch-