Evening star., 1917-11-11
NOTES OF ART AND ARTISTS

, ly abandoned portrait painting for the
painting of landscape. In his own day
his work was little esteemed and his
life was said to have been a struggle
from first to last. Today his pictures
bring high prices.
= 4
The room in which the Italian land
scape by Wilson hangs is given over
| entirely to a little collection compris-
ing twelve or thirteen paintings, chief
ly by masters Of the eighteenth cen-
tury. collection of the rarest value
| and interest. Each painting in this
collection is a masterpiece, a gem, and
| such as is to be found for the most part
only in the great museums Of the world
Among these, for example. is a por-
trait by Raeburn of Archibald Skirv-
ing. charming old Scotch gentleman.
magniffcently painted with a comblna-
t1on of art and realism rarely attained.
a portrait which demonstrates to the
| full the heights to which portrait
painting at its best may attain. In
this little group is also to be found a
remarkable portrait by Nicholas Macs
| OF a Dutch gentleman of the eight
eenth century, with fine visage, white
collar. dignified mien, holding in his
| left hand his gloves. a superb charac-
terization. There are also. in delight
by Sir Joshua Reynolds of ladies of
! the period OF equal interest with
| these and the Wilson landscape is a
view of Rome by francesca Guardi, an
amazing piece Of work in which, in
spite of accurate rendering of elabo-
| rate detail the effect is broad. lumi-
nous and atmospheric
To see such pictures as these is not
| only a privilege. but an education. and
| the National Gallery is fortunate in
securing their loan.
*
Two thousand persons visited the
exhibition of war work lithographs by
Joseph Pennell in the National Gallery
| of Art last Sunday, and the attendance
| throughout the week has been pro-
| portionately large. These lithographs
are admirably displayed on screens In
the large center gallery on the main
| floor. and will continue to be on view
| until the oath of this month
| Next Wednesday evening. in the au-
ditorium of the Nationa, Museum. Miss
Ethel Chadwick of England is to give
an illustrated lecture before the Wash
| ington Society of the Fine Arts. on
Ivan Mestrovic, the Serbian sculptor
whose work has aroused so r1uch in
terest. and about which there has been
SO much controversy.
Mestrovic was born in 1Ss3. in the
village of Otavice. Dalmatian High
lands. He spent his early boyhood in
tending his fathers fiocks. He was
| first apprenticed to marble e-worker
and in 1900, through the laid of the
local government Of his home land.
he went to Vienna to study. From
| then on he became a regular exhibitor
| he 7
| Europe. In 1911 a representative as
semblage Of the sculptors work was
shown In the Serbian pavilion at the
i international exposition at Rome. and
| since then his reputation has virtually
| been secure.
Since the war began an exhibition
of Mestrovic's sculpture has been
shown in London at the South Eens:ng-
/ ton Museum. AS it is sculpture of an
/ exceedingly unconventional kind. tai
! exhibition awakened wide diversity of
| opinion and led to much controversy
Prof. Selwyn Image protested against
| it in an open letter to the London
Times. and was answered by John s
| Sargent. John Lavery and Charles
| Ricketts, through the same medium
| These three distinguished artists de-
clared themselves Of the opinion that
/ over and above the skill and genius
which even Prof. Image admitted "a
! evident in Mestrovic's work, there was
in it a tragic intensity of austerity
|
placed 1t above all ordinary produce
| ton.
Miss Chadwick has made a thorough
study of Mestrovic's art, and is ais
familiar with the history and spirit OF
his native land.
| The Washington Water Color Ciu',
will open its twenty-second annual eX-
i hibition in the special exhibition gal
lery at the Corcoran Gallery of Ar
next Friday with a private view and
reception. This exhibition is always
an event of interest. comprising works
| by local painters and some of the best
water-coIorists from out of town. There
| is every reason to believe that the
display this year will not fall below
the standard.
| It will be free to the public under
the usual regulations of the Corcoran
Gallery, from the day following the
! private view until December ,.
| LEILA MECHLIN.