Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-12-02

PORTRAIT OF wlLLIAM H. OSDOft4
TERNAL REVENUE, BY HOWARD
TREASURY DEPARTMENT.
To the average layman the water
colors by Charles W.. Hawthorne on
exhibition at the Arts Club are ex-
tremely puzzling. To artists they may
be comprehensive as notes, but they
are certainly not more than this There
is no pretence to drawing, no attempt
toward accuracy in color. nothing is
complete, and while they may serve
the artist as memoranda, they are al
most meaningless to the uninitiated.
It Is not because the way in which
these pictures are painted is new
way that one finds objection, but be-
cause 1t is expressionless and hence
inadequate. Art is supposed to be
universal language, but the modern
lists dialect is as incomprehensible to
the majority as the least familiar or
tongues The artist is one who Is sup
posed to have a message, but II In
common parlance he cannot get 1t
over,' what good does it do? If he
hasn't a message, If he has nothing
to say, obviously 1t does not matter
and sometimes one Is inclined to the
belief that, like other pretenders, he
employs his art to hid his emptiness
But Charles w. Hawthorne is sincere
and not shallow. and in oils he has
painted some pictures which have not
only merit. but Significance. Some rev
years ago he painted picture OF
young girl having a portion OF her
marriage trousseau fitted by her moth
err and grandmother-a modest bride.
the daughter of a Provincetown Portu-
gese fisherman. The picture was sent
for exhibition to the National Academy
of Design. When it came before the
jury there were EXPLANATIONS of adj
miration and delight. Not only was 1T
passed unanimously, but member OF
the jury was requested to bring the
picture to the attention of the pur-
chasing committee of the Metropolitan
Museum. with the result that before
the exhibition opened 1t had been
bought by the largest museum in this
country
Such a thing does not often happen.
Needless to say. this picture is well
painted; 1t is a complete work of art.
But it is more than this; 1t has large
significance; 1t touches upon one of
those deep human experiences which
are commonly shared; 1t is not senti-
mental, but it has real sentiment. The
painting of the flsherman's wife in the
Corcoran Gallery by. Mr.. Hawthorne Is
also an excellent painting. But it is
futile to multiply examples. for they
are innumerable. Mr.. Hawthorne stands
among our foremost cotemporary
painters For this very reason, how
ever, these crude water colors are all
the more confusing and misleading.
It is difficult to understand just what
those who have apparently abandoned
traditions and gone after new gods are
really seeking in the extraordinary modes
they have adopted for expression. Why
should one suppose good drawing an
obstacle and poor drawing an advantage?
Why falsify color and sacrifice truth
Particularly II thereby no result Is gained.
Beauty. as Mr. Messer said short time
ago in one of hir asst talks. is the nearest
certainly at the opposite end of the pole.
Yet it Is deformity which the modernists
seem to delight in. Their pictures are dis
torted. ugly. insignificant. And If they
were not taken seriously by those who are
supposed to know. II people thought for
themselves and were not afraid, they
| would not be tolerated But the critics
have made mistakes in the past and they
have not forgotten, and the public to a
large extent confuSes wisdom with that
which cannot be understood, so the one
group is overpatfent and the other over
curious. And, after all, perhaps it may
be better to err on the side OF tolerance,
knowing, especially in this case. that
! beauty and only beauty endures through
| works Of art that generations have agreed
in admiring.
X X
That money values are by no means
| to be taken as an evidence Of charm in
a work Of art was conclusively shown
| by Miss Florence N. Levy in an address
before the Museums Association. re-
Gently published under the title The
| Art Market" in the American Magazine
of Art. The highest price ever paid for
+, p picture at auction was 100000, given
for E,mbrandt's Toilet of Bathsheba,"
now IN the Altman collection at the
! -istro politan Museum of Art, pic
ture which, no matter how well paint
ed, could not be described as beautiful
| or interesting.
"Salome," by Henri Regnault. which
sold at public auction for s105,000 and
| is likewise now to be seen in the
Metropolitan Museum. is more pleasing,
| but not really engaging.
| The two American paintings which
are noted as instances Of rapid increase
| in value are watching the Breakers.
by winslow Homer. which in 1894 sold
for s64o and in 1912 for $4,000. and
ness, sold in 1893 for $500 and in 1916
| for about $4,000. These are both very
pleasing pictorial themes. but not more
so than many other works by American
painters which command much lower
prices.
| Perhaps the conclusion should be
again to seek art with respect and adj
miration and. most of all, an open
mind; to think for ones self and be
sincere The fact is that many really
fine works OF art can be procured by
the discerning for very little-as little
as some of those now bringing fabu-
lous prices once sold for. For example.
etchings of "Burgomaster Six" by
Rembrandt, once sold for $40; they now
bring more than $4,000. There are
etchers to be had today for $40, water
versal suffrage for the District of CO.
lumbia Mrs. Joseph Jefferson Mans
| field and daughter will render piano
and violin selections. Business meet
| Ing at 7:30 o'clock. The public is in