Evening star., 1919-05-04

A collection of seventeen water
colors and an equal number of char
coal drawings by the late F. Eopkinson
Smith opened in the Washington Arts
! Club ON Friday evening and will con-
tinue to be on view throughout the
| month of May. This is the first time
that a collection of Mr.. Smiths works
has been shown in Washington since
, his deathS and many who are admir-
ers of his rather light but charming
style will be glad to have this oppor-
with his pictures
F. Hopkinson Smith was a universal
genius, a delightful writer of fic-
tion. skillful engineer, an artist of
uncommon ability. Under his direc-
ton the sea wall at Governors Island,
N. Y. and the Race Rock light house
were built, and his book. Caleb
West. Master Diver" was by-prod-
uct of one Of these periods of engi-
neering. His Col. Carter of Carters-
vile" gives fascinating picture of
the old south, as does also his The
, Romance of an Old-fashioned Gentle
man., where. as in 'Gondola Days.
he tells of his various sketching trips
in Venice. The picturesque always
appealed to Mr.. Smith. and though
he was perhaps never profound, he
was always delightful. He was full Of
| interest in the worlds events, a man
OF action yet of essentially artistic
temperament, lovable, friendly
character, getting and giving great
enjoyment through the medium of
art. holding to high ideals and look
ing upon the world with clear vision,
but pleasant optimism. These char
acteristics are invariably reflected in
MS paintings and drawings
In the present collection there are
venetian studies, pictures painted in
brittany, in Holland and in England
during summer trips abroad. 1t was
MS habit to use gouach and gray
paper, leaving the paper bare in
places There are few, indeed, who
have employed this method OF water
color as skillfully as he
The charcoal drawings are chiefly
London scenes made as illustrations
Tor his books. '"Thackeray's London"
and Dickens London" reminiscent
OF the haunts of these great writer's
who Hopkinson Smith not only held
in high steem, but worshiped with
the admiration of the aspiring youth
Tor the great man of attainment
Hopkinson Smith was perennially
young. and though he lived well past
the allotted three score years and
ten. his spirit was the spirit of
youth and his enthusiasms remained
to the end undimned
Ihere is no one who has ever
handled charcoal with more bril-
lfancy and skill than he. He delight
ed in the medium and he employed it
charmingly. Many of the drawings
were made from London hanson cab
drawn up at the curb. and in every
one of them the artist found delight
in execution.
This exhibition is open to the pub
lie between the hours of 10 and 4.
The Corcoran Gallery of Art has
recently acquired by bequest a col
lection Of paintings assembled by the
late George Lathrop Bradley of this
city. A selection from the collection
Is now on view in the special exhibi-
ton gallery. For the most part this
collection comprises works by old
and modern European masters, some
Of the canvases probably dating back
to the fifteenth and sixteenth GEN.
turtles: others are of the later day
French school. All possess more than
almost be classed as masterpieces.
There are old Italian paintings
without attribution ably rendered
though now dull in color. There are
works by Diaz and Courbet, Della
croix and Daubigny which bear COM
parison with the best. OF interest
ing contrast is this group of old
paintings in the gallery where
modern paintings by cotemporary
artists are customarily seen. One
recognizes the fine craftsmanship of
these painters of other dayD and yet
Is forced to admit that the modern
men have not a little to their credit
when it comes to the Interpretation
and transcription of the illusions Of
light and air.
An exhibition of paintings by local
artists. arranged by Mrs. Neuhauser
and others of the Washington Art
Club. Is being shown in the assembly
room Of the Washington Golf and
Country Club between May 3 and 19.
This collection comprises paintings
by Miss Bertha Il. Perrie. Miss Lesley
Jackson, Mr.. ard Mrs. L. Morris Les-
enring, Miss Sarah Munroe, Miss
Catherine Critcher. Mrs. Neuhauser
Mr.. Alex B. Many and Mr. j. c. Fitz-
patrick, each artist contributing from
two to four works. In all this Is an
| attractive little show.
A group of Washington artists in
| Iterested in landscape painting have
formed themselves into what is now
known as 1.-THE Landscape Club" good
Brand NeW Way to I