Evening star., 1919-11-30

2O17 i street. This exhibition, which
comprises more than seventy five
| prints. all of which are proofs loaned
by Mr.. VOLTS sons. representing his
| estate, demonstrates the height to
I, which wood engraving has attained
| within our own time.
! There is a wide difference between
/ these wood engravings and the crude
wood cuts which were used for illus
! trative purposes in the books and
magazines of half century ago.
! There would be an even wider differ
ence between them and the wood cuts
Durer and Wolf were artists and the
work which they produced falls well
within the category of art
| A wood cut differs from a line\ en-
craving on steel or copper in that
in the latter the lines are cut into the
background is cut away from the line.
In other words. wood engraving is
| produced by what might be called a
system OF elimination. the parts
| which are not to print being cut away.
| The almost insuperable difficulties in
makes such results as are seen in the
Wolf engravings really amazing.
! There is but one other wood en-
| graver who has ever achieved such
results. and he is Timothy Cole. also
an American, a cotemporary of Henry
Wolf and still living. Both of these
men. like the majority Of engravers.
copied the works of others-that is,
they engraved paintings by well
known artists. only occasionally pro-
ducing an original. Mr.. Wolf gave
| most of his time to the reproduction
of paintings by American artists. and
thereby did much to enhance the rep
utations of his colleagues. His en-
| cravings are something more than
mere reproductions such as are OBJ
1 ,iv,D ln
camera; they are literally interpreta-
| tions stresSing the individuality of
the original To do this the engraver
was obliged to lay aside his own per-
sonality and enter with full sympathy
into the spirit of the painter. Few
surrender. 1t is this which makes a
reproduction by wood engraving more
valuable than any photograph could
| be.
In the present exhibition are re-
productions of paintings by Whistler,
exander. Horatio Walker. Edwin H.
Blashfield. George de Forest Brush,
Cecilia Beaux, Winslow Homer
George 1nness. Edmund C. Tarbell and
other less well known painters. The
works reproduced have been wisely
chosen and collectively go toward en-
hancing ones estimate of the dignity
and merit of American art.
But the reproductions are not re-
stricted solely to works by American
artists. There are engravings after
paintings by the foremost artists of
other lands and other days. such as
Holbein. Botticelli. Leonardo da Vim
ci. Valesquez, Corot, Manet and the
great English portraitists. Thus
American art is brought into contact
with the great art of the world and
found in many instances not inferior.
These engravings were made not
| from photographs, but from the orig
inal works, the engraver in most in
stances seating himself and his en-
craving table directly before the
painting. Naturally, the process is a
laborious one and far more expensive
| than the ordinary methods of illus
tration now in vogue. The introduc-
tion of the half-tone process literally
put an end to wood engraving for il
! Illustrative purposes. but as an inter
pretative art it should always be in
demand. This demand. however, is so
| small that there is little inducement
for the younger man to take it up and
there is great danger that with the
passing or Timothy Cole the art will
| practically be lost to the world.
| This exhibition which is now at the
Arts Club is open to the public, with
certain restrictions. between 10 in the
, morning and 4 in the afternoon. and
Will well reward inspection. It is one
| - ~ CAulUlllOHS sent out
| oy the American Federation of Arts
| and thus made available to persons in
all parts of the country
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1t is customary for artists to con-
| gregate both for the purpose of So
| ciability and mutual advantage. In
| NeW YORK there are several art set
Elements. buildings in which a consid-
cradle number of artists have studios
such as the old 10th street building
and now Carnegie Hall, and localities
where small studio buildings are
grouped. such as McDougall alley, near
Washington Square.
In this city there is no building
which was originally erected or prop
erly adapted for studio purposes. The
Art Students League building. sos
l7th street. most nearly approaches
such. In this building Miss Bertha E.
vas still. studio. 1t was to this build
ing that Saint-Gaudens went when
certain commissions in this city made
1T necessary for him to have a tenn
porary studio here. Janet Scudder was
also at one time temporary occu-
pant. Miss Clara Hill has this winter
taken one of the studios in this build
ing and is there producing her charm
ing little bronZes, as well as commits
sions for larger and more important
work. Among the painters Miss Aline
Solomons, Miss Alice Reading and
Mrs. Sawteile have had studios in this
building.
A settlement somewhat similar to
that in McDougall alley is being form
ed here in st. Matthews alley, back
of St. Matthew's Church. with outlets
on both Rhode Island avenue and N
street Here Mr.. Zolnay. the sculptor;
Miss Critcher. the painter. and Miss
Hale and Miss Clements, painters and
etchers. have converted old stables
into new studios-and with great sue
cess.
Miss Critcher's is located up a flight
of stairs over what is now a garage,
but is well fitted within and admira-
bly, lighted.
Mr. Zolnays is located on his own
property. and at the rear of his resi-
sculptor's workshop.
Miss Hale and Miss Clements use
their entire building. which is also on
their own property. On the upper floor
the studio is arranged for painting
purposes On the lower floor is in
stalled the printing press on which,
these artists print their own etchings!
Miss Hale and Miss Clements spent
last winter in the south and five
months of the past summer. as usual.
at their home, at Foley Cove, Cape
Ann, Mass. They have now, however,
returned to Washington and will be
here during the entire winter.
X k>k X
Frank Gardner Hale will hold an
exhibition of his hand-wrought jew
elry and enamels at Jane Bartlett's.
1901 Connecticut avenue. during the
present week. Mr.. Hale is a master
craftsman of the Boston Society of
Arts and Crafts and is as genuinely
an artist as if ne painted pictures or
modelled sculpture instead of making
jewelry. His designs are as interest
ing, as artistic and as noteworthy