Evening star., 1919-02-09

The exhibition which opened in the
Corcoran Gallery of Art last Thurs
| day is one of the most notable of the
year, bringing together the works of
! ten American painters of high stand
ing and each has exerted a strong
and beneficent influence upon the de-
ve1opment of American art.
First of all. there are the three
: Massachusetts men--Tarbe1l. Benson
| and Reid-all born in the same year
( IS62). and alike students of the Bos-
ton Museum School BouIanger and
I.efebvre, in Paris; yet each with a
distinctive manner and message
These three, men were in Paris at the
time that impressionism came into
vogue, but. while influenced by it,
they never fell completely under it's
sway. In the paintings of all these
artists. light and air have been made
prime factors: it is the illusion of
these luminous atmospheric qualities
that in Mr.. Taroell beautiful in
teriors has given significance and
charm. and the same is equally true
of Mr. Benson's figures. painted out
of doors.
Robert Reid has gone a step. not
farther but in different direction.
Employing a high-keyed palette he
has rendered with dry color and
broken brush-strokes the suggestion
of freshness in atmosphere and subtle
vibration. In this respect he is per
haps nearer akin to the pioneer i'm
pressionist, Monet, than either OF his
DISTINGUISHED colleagues. His w Whlte
Lilac in this exhibition is an eX
cellent example, and incidentally one
of the best works he has produced,
not merely conveying delightful
impression. but opening the behold
ers eyes to beauty which might have
been passed unseen. But Robert keid
is. it should be remembered. not
only a painter of such pictures as
this. of figures and portraits, but
mural painter of uncommon success
Edward Simmons. who is also ma
tive of Massachusetts and pupil of
Eoulanger and Lefebvre. though ten
Years the senior of the three pre-
viously mentioned. is likewise prl-
mariIy a mural painter and then
painter of easel pictures. To his credit
stands the magnificent series of paint
ings representing the MUSES. in the
northwest corridor of our Library OF
Congress, familiar not only to all
Washing tonians, but to many through
out the country through repeated re-
production. work monumental IN
both its simplicity and dignity. splen-
did in color. superb in effect
Through long residence in Boston
Joseph De Camp, who contributes TO
this exhibition two paintings. Reu
Kimono" and Blue Bird, has been
associated with the New England
group but the fact is that he is a ma
tive of Cincinnati. pupil of DuVe-
neck one of the greatest artists and
teachers America has produced. and OF
the Royal Academy in Munich. He,
TOO, has painted figures with distlnc-
ton. bringing into his work sense
of refinement suavity and grace w
recent years Mr.. De Camp has given
much time to the painting of portraits
He is an excellent craftsman ana ms
work is never without finish and m
terest- A portrai OF Col RooseEeit
painted by Mr. De Camp in the White
House was il will be remembered, eX-
hibited in the Corcoran Gallery OF Art
some years ago.
Three of The Teu." Willard Metcalf,
J. Alden Weir and Childe HasSam, are
primarily landscape painters tnoush
Mr. Weir paints figures not lhlre
auently and with great success: ana
Mr.. Hassam rcints what ne WIZ anu
where he will with the Skin ana anah-
don of the true genius
To visitors to the Corcoran CalteTS
Willard MetcaH will be best known
by his painting of the old house at
Lyme seen in a food of moonlight on
May Night" and by that mos, re-
rnarkable of winter pictures, snow
Bearers owned and occasionally
loaned to the gallery by it's president.
Mr.. Glover. There are also one OF
more notable canvasses by MI Met
calf in the National Gallery. at the
Museum but the group of six in the
preSent exhibition affords an excep-
1ional opportunity to become pettef
acquainted with this admirable paint
er's style and point of view. That
three are loaned from the F'reer col
lection is worthy of noting as further
token of exceptional merit.
J. Alden Weir is looked upon by
many as one of the biggest men in the
n Ixx- - hA n
cere and significant of living painters.
His work is not of type to make
popular appeal; II is extremely SOBER
minded and reticent, but Its merit is
OF that kind which stands the test of
time and familiarity. His paintings
are works of art, full of latent beau
-ty and real meaning They gain
strength BY aggregation and are
ranked extremely high by those who
know.
Tn a sense Mr.. Weir is an impress
sionist. for what he transeribes is dis
tinctly an impression, but he does not
go as far in this direction Mr..
Hassam, who is close follower of
Monet and the leading exponents of
'impres ssionisn" in this country. Mr..
Hassam is a universal genius, what
ever he does; whether it is painting.
etching. Iithography or water color
: sketching, IL is done with the same
acuteness of both touch and visual
perception In his painting, especial
ly of outdoor subjects, he uses broken
color laid on with short dot-iike
strokes which, according to the ten
ss of impressionism, recompose light
through vibration and thus simulate
u ninosity of atmosphere. But what
eosr the process. the effect in most in
nces is charming and that, after
lis what measures their worth.
.>umber II in the catalogue of the
present. exhibition, The Allied Flags"
is one of series of pictures painted
by Mr.. Hassam during the war. show
ing. splendid in patriotic effrontery,
brave in display of courage and the
spirit of victory. pictures essentially
eotemporary. rejecting life as 1t
flowed by. yet no less artistic nor
worthy than the Off repeated tales
of the past which have 50 much stood
TO the public the natural expression
of the artists supposedly limited Wis
ion.
Thomas w Dewing is another strik-
ing personality. man of extremely
individual viewpoint and exceptional
accomplishment Mr. Freer has in
cluded numerous examples OF Mr.
Dewing's works in the collection
which he has assembled and decided to
the nation because he sees in II kim
snip with the art OF the great painters
OF the east. the potters of China and
Japan and of Whistler. Not that Mr.
Dewlngs exquisite figure paintings
draw their inspiration from any of
these sources. but they have that
spiritual quality coupled with nne
craftsmanship that bring them with
IN the category in which they have
been placed.
The tenth man of this group is VIII
ilam NJ Chase, no longer living. but
fortunately represented in he nresept