Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1916-04-27
RARE TREAT FOR
ART LOVERS At
COUNTRY CLUB
Bert Phillips Exhibit This Week
One of the Best Collections
of Paintings Ever Seen in,
Albuquerque,

The exhibit of paintings BY Bert g.
Phillips, which Is being shown this
week at the country club is one OF
the rarest treats that art lovers of
Albuquerque have ever had offered TO
them. The exhibit is open TO the pub
tic, regardless OF membership In the
club and all are invited to make the
trip out on the mesa and see a col
lection OF paintings the equal OF
which cannot be found outside the
large centers of population.
Mr.. Phillips IL member of the
famous Taos colony Of artists who
have made New Mexico scenes famous
all over the country and have per-
petuated on canvas the picturesque
indian types Of northern New Mexico
which are rapidly fading away and
which are to he found nowhere else
in the world His paintings have won
distinguished mention in the leading
art galleries of this country and Eu-
rope. and the privilege of viewing the
collection which he has brought TO
Albuquerque Is one which no one in
terested In art can afford to miss.
Variety of Themes.
There are more than thirty can
vases in the collection now being eX-
hibited at the Country club, and the
first impression that one receives
upon superficial inspection OF them
III Of the wide variety OF themes
which the pictures embrace. Mr.
Phillips has confined himself 10 no
narrow limits in the work that he has
done, but has ranged abroad In the
full field afforded by the wonderful
Taos countr,---a country which in
the words OF the artist himself, con-
tains enough variety TO keep twenty
men busy all their lives on original
WORT.
Two classes Of paintings predomi-
nate In the collection that Is being
SHOWN here. snowscapes and Indian
studies. In both Of them Mr.. Phil
lips has shown that his brush is that
OF master. He has succeeded IN
making winter beautiful as few ar
lists have been able to do. THE Val
ley IN winter one Of the most pre-
tentious Of the canvases in the col
lection, has a charm that is irresist-
ible. II is February scene near
Taos showing blue mountain stream
threading through fields of melting
snow, with a most impressive back
ground of majestic. snow-covered
mountains. A glance at the picture
gives the observer what can best be
described in very unartistic language
as an all-out-doors feelng--a sensa.
ton of vastness and openness and of
chin, crisp air.
'ReIics OF His Ancestors"
In striking CONTRAST. but in the
opinion Of many the finest picture OF
the collection. Is the canvas hung inn
mcdiatciy over the fireplace Relics
OF His Ancestors The colors are
subdued and the theme somewhat
somher, but both are handled with
such consummate skill that II Is hard
to get away from its fascination and
harder still to obliterate II from MEM
DRY. pln p
A youthful clean climbed, dark
hncd Titan of an Indian Is represent
ed as half-sitting, half-crouching on
the ground before several pieces OF
ancient Indian pottery, the relics OF
his ancestors--pottery made n thou-
sand wears ago and but recently eX~
eaVated from the ruins of some tof-
gotten pueblo In the background is
the dark entrance of cave and the
darker field Of lava into which the
cave extends and from which the eS-
cavations were made. The look OF
pens!ye sadness on the otherwise stolid
features of the half-naked savage
the glimpse of an cvanescent spiritu-
atty that is sensed rather than seen
constitutes the chief charm OF inc
picture. Across the knees OF the
stalwart figure II mattock, sore
sign that the Indian Is Of today anu
not of the dim age which gave birth
to the relies upon which his gaze is
fixed.
Feminine Types.
4 number of feminine Indian types
are shown, all of them excellent. put
the most ambitious and perhaps the
most charming is Her Wedding
Blanket" representing a beautiful m
dian maiden of the fairer type COM
mon in the Taos country. In sittins
posture sewing beads on her wed
ding blanket. The purple tints USED
in this canvas are handled with eN-
auisitc harmony. and the ensemble IL
one OF the most pleasing in the en-
tire collection.
10 attempt a description Of all the
excellent paintings In the collection
or even OF any considerable number
OF them. is manlfestly impossible IN
a newspaper story. II is sufficient 10
say that every canvas holds eharm
that can only be produced by mas
ters' brush.
The exhibit will continue for the
remainder of the week and next sun
day The management OF the Couh-
try club has turned the building over
to Mr.. Phillips for that time, and the
artist has extended an invitation 10
the public Ia visit the clubhouse ana