Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-02-02
YEARS ART EXHIBIT TO OPEN
Academy of the Fine Arts 18th Annual Exhibition
on View Tomorrow-Notable Paintings
to Be Here Six Weeks

tallty apparent In Its execution ineluCtapiS
suggests the vigor of some Spanish master
Ribera perhaps, who splattered paint with
masculinlty, laundering sureness, missed in
many n modern.
Artists will exclaim in admiration over the
easy swirl of the composition, its sweeping
motion of color from the vivid crimson light
ing over the shoulder of the ngure on the left'
down TO and across the huddled figures prone
In the foreground. and up once more to COM
plete the rotation thrugh the palne greens
of the storm clouds forming In the back
ground. So cunnngly has the composition
been fashioned of color as we'll as line each
vitality essential to each other, that to attempt
to reproduce 1t in black and white" would
be fatuous. And. indeed. the painting is so
thoroughly an idea expressbe only in its
own medium that IL would he vain to try to
parallel its easily understood symbolism in
words, although 1t might be approximately
paralleled In music
Certain to rank with Mr.. Breckenridge's
tour de force in popular interest will be the
interesting portrait of John u. Rockefeller,
placed In the same gallery, which has been
recently completed by John Singer Sargent
undisputcd master of American portrait
painters. The piece was the center of at
traction at the recent annual exhibition of
the Metropolitan Museum In New York, but is
now shown here for the first time. Mr.. Sar-
gents new portrait OF President Wilson Is
expected to arrive here by February IA and
Will remain on view until the termination Of
the exhibition on March "a
Splendid as Mr.. Sargents portrait Of the
Oil King may he. It will scarcely be of as
much interest TO the art critics as will be
the new examples of portraiture and figure
study by some OF the younger artists, inas-
much as their work In the present show IL
indicative OF their growing ability, while that
of Mr.. Sargent can add little to the pre-
emnence he gained n score of years ago
Particularly fine are the two examples OF
Leopold Seyffert's recent work. One is
his debonalr portrait of his friend, Fritz
Kreisler, in which the violinist, tanned like
gyspy and with green scarf loosely
knotted beneath his throat, Is depicted with
surety OF craftsmanship and a freedom OF
handling that are admirable. And the other
is stunning bravura study. THE Lacquer
Screen" an astonishing example Of the young
Philadelphian's versatility, n reclining nude
figure OF exquisite grace OF line, her cold
beauty outlined against a richly ornamented
screen In an arrangement which gets every
ounce possible" out Of the canvas space
Then. too, George Bellows. departing iron,
his brutally powerful studies of prize fight
ers and "saw-dust trail" converts shows a
Manship. the young sculptor, admirable for
It's naive Interpretation OF spiritual slnrlici-
ties, and broad study of n delightful old
ruffian, whom he calls Padre" George lJks
who is not exhibiting In Philadelphia as ctten
as he Should Is happily represented by n
Rembrandtesque matron smiling down on her
tortoise-shell cat, pair full of humor tnd
life, which he calls THE Happy Family" ue
has also typical Luks transcript of New
York. Houston Street." a market place fun
OF hustle and flavor and glowing with a red
sunset.
clining Nude" rich in its ruddy warmth al
though popular favor will perhaps go to his
no less coorful study of Spanish girl of
Segovia. Charming portraits OF children by
Philip Hale, Lydia Field Emmett Alice Kent
Stoddard and others will no doubt also bring
delighted exclamations from the visitors 10
the galleries. Notable among the land
scapes is Daniel Garber's softly coIored and
finely wrought study Of a woodland "Onarry"
by dark pool, a neighbor TO Horatio WALK
er's gold-medaled genre painting Of boy
| Feeding Calves"
But like Arthur Beecher Carles's beautI-
| full harmonies Of color In his "Stjll life ;,
| a study of flowers in bowl, "a painting which
| Is sure to appeal to those who would rather
| send out their own argoses Of the spirit than
| TO watch the ships tied up at others piers
| Is Henry McCarter's lovely poetic reyerie. tbe
| Interpretation OF peaceful valley brinmino
| over with wine OF sunshine. which he calls
| Three Churches" Here, IL anywhere in ths
| long. laden galleries. Is poetic vision maas
| visible to others by its expression through :
| technique which is itself a prayer and ar
aspiration. Dun Is ne who would ask In what
valley of reality that scene was painted.
| F s. NJ.