Evening star., 1919-10-19

British artists t, make a pictorial
record of the war. The United States
did not do this, but through the
energies of a elf-constituted patriotic
committee and the generosity of the
American artists many war pictures
We're painted and a very fair collec-
Won has now been assembled and pre-
sented to the government. This col
lection. comprising chiefly paintings
made to be shown in shop windows on
9Th avenue, New York. during the
great drive for the victory loan. is
now to be seen in the basement gal
1eries of the National Museum. where
1T makes part of the war exhibit.
In the entrance hall are hung sew
eral large impressive canvases. One
is entitled The Wall Between. by
Louis F. Berneker; another picture.
The Lost Battalion and is by r. ;.
Stair; third is by Gardner Symons.
the well known landscape painter. and
represents The Coming of the Bar
rage" as witnessed from besieged
town Ossip l.. Linde is represented
y in this group by an impressive picture
of Louvain in which the city is seen in
flames, and in the foreground are a
group of terrorstricken refugees.
William Ritschel, another well known
landscape painter, is represented by
picture of plowman with his team
of horses going up over a hill beyond
which there is light in the sky. 1t is
entitled The Vision"
Finally, on the wall to the extreme
right. is a large allegorical painting
by the brothers TaraZona depicting
Tyranny Consigned to the Depths.
These same artists are again repre-
sented by an allegorical painting en-
titled America to the Rescue"
Passing from painting to painting in
the main hall, where the other war
EXHIBITS are set forth, one sees the
work of many of the best known of
the American painters. There is
. picture of a submarine and an air
plane by Howard Russell Butler en-
titled 'srhe Eagle and the Shark.
Thornton Oakley, one of the fore
most of our American illustrators
who did a series of shipyard draw
ings which were reproduced by the
government and circulated in this
country and abroad, contributes two
large, impressive canvases. rich in
color. vigorous in rendering. one en-
titled The Launching of the Quist-
conck." the other The Cannon Max
err" q workman silhouetted against
background Of machinery. smoke and
flame
F. J. Waugh. who stands in the front
rank of marine painters and is twice
represented in the National Gallery
collection on the floor above. shows a
picture of THE Battle Fleet in the
North Sea-" graphically portrayed.
Chauncey Ryder has painted picture
of Chateau Thierry." There are
very impressive works by Charles Ro-
sen. Edward Potthast. Carl Ryngius
and Fred Dana Marsh.
Joseph Cummings Chase has con-
tributed q whole group of clever. rap
n II t,,Ii of oHI
and men. Orlando Rouland shows a
three-quarter length portrait of a
oonvalescent wounded soldier, pre-
suYnably In the hospital.
Francis c. Jones. treasurer Of the
National Academy of Design. is rep
resented by q picture of family of
refugees returning to their ruined
home. Mathilde Browne shows an
engaging picture of Belgian refugees
on the road. pitiful caravan. Frank
Tenny Johnson contributes one Of the
most interesting of all the pictures, a
camel supply train halting for rest by
moonlight Hobart Nichols. formerly
of this city. makes an excellent con-
trtbutton in a picture of airships, en-
titled Eddie Rickenbacker's 25th."
And Felecie Waldo Howell. likewise a
one-time Washington artist, is ad-
mirably represented by a picture of
The Return Of the 27th Division
Marching UP 5th Avenue, New York"
These are but few of the many
pictures shown and though they were
painted for shop window display and
without intention of preservation,
they are not inferior to some of the
pictures which the British and Cana
dians have more deliberately gotten
together. 1t should be remembered
that the American artists were a long
way from the scene of operation and
the majority of the paintings must
therefore, reflect not actual first hand
knowledge, but inspiration drawn
from reports both published. and YER
bal
1t is true that the government did
send a group of young artists to
France to make pictorial record
and the records which these artists
made are now in the possession of the
government and may be seen in the
Old Museum building across the Mall.
They too, will form part of the Amer
lean war exhibit. and though they may
not be very dramatic or imposing.
they are sincere and will always pos
sess a peculiar interest which no pho
tograph and no imaginative drawing
could have. The difficulties under
which the men who did these draw
ings worked are incalculable. and 10
attain what they did attain they suf-
fered not only hardship but expo
sure "under fire" as dir the soldiers
in the ranks. 1t is earnestly 10 be
hoped that these drawings will be
given honorable place in the nat1onai
collection and arrangements Will be
made so that they may be always on
view.
One of the most interesting of the
special exhibits in the war collection
is a series of photographs and sketch
es showing the "camoufiage factory
at Dion The camoufiage unit rem
dered splendid service and proved the
Knowledge of art to be OF amazing
practical value in the ability not to
represent. but misrepresent, to de
ceive the enemy. The most difficuIt
task that the members of the camou-
fage units had to do was 10 deceive
the cameras carried Dy the air ihe"'
the eyes Of the Army.
One room at the National Museum
has been set aside at present Tor an
exhibit of aerial photographs rms
exhibit comprises photographs actu
ally taken in the air and p;cturcs OF
the students at work ir the United
stats school OF Aerial Photography
at Rochester. .,;s
Another interesting section OF TINS
exhiblt is the group OF drawings DF
French artists which were sent 10
this country and presented 10 'he ma
,ion by citizens of France IN appre
ciation of assistance rendered oy cur
zers of the United States in the way
of charities before this country
tered the war.
,I,o.,etoer this war exhibit the
Greater part o. which has been given
Ia the nation by the bureau OF pup
licitv. liberty loan committee OF tht
second federal district-that Is, Ne"
York clty-iu cooperation with 'he
artists. i one which snould not oh'S
awaken interest at the present time
hut serve ~ a fttius nemoriai pot"