The Washington times., 1919-01-14

-canvases which arc history in
themselves-these are the official
British war paintings. done in the
trenches and under shellfire, in sound
OF the roar of howitzers and in sight
of all the tragedies OF the great con-
fiict, which are being placed on eX-
hibition at the Corcoran Art Gallery
for the first time in this country this
afternoon. Today's showing is a pri-
vate view and by invitation only for
all officialdom and notables of the
city, but the general public will have
an opportunity to view them every
day afterward until February ., in
elusive.
Nearly $50 in number, the exhibit
represents the work of ten of Eng
lands most noted artists, designated
by the British government at the be-
ginning of the war to go to the
front and picture for the Ritish
public the various phases of the war
as they came under the artists eyes.
Here is no studio output, painted
from Imagination and secondhand
description. Here, instead, are vi
brant, vital eanvases which in their
turn have done their part at the
front, painted in dugout studios,
moved to the rear many 4 time be-
fore the paint was yet dry, and final
ly transported to England across the
channel by airplane for greater
safety. 1t is understood that each
canvas is insured by the British gov
ernment for $4,000.
No War Horrors shown.
Those who go to the Corcoran CAL
lery expecting horror piled on horror
will be entirely disappointed. Those
who are contemplating remaining
away for fear their sensibilities will
be shocked by the pictorial repre-
scntation of sights in the trenches
and on No Mans Land need have no
fear. The paintings do not show the
war as the average individual would
expect. There is no great panoramic
| canvas, no great stretch of no mans
land, no great air battle, no naval
engagement.
Instead the artists take you here
| and there, show you a fragment #
| this, bit of that, give you the SYM
Dol rather than the obvious fact.
| Maybe the British government order
ed that, fI. the benefit of posteri:y,
| the greater horrors be left out, - be
forgotten by this generation and The
next as best they may be. Maybe the
sensitive eyes of the artists recoiIed
from certain sights and preferred 10
give their public other insights ;rCu
| France as it has been for the rl.;t
| four years At any rate, out of nca 'is'
hundred canvases which Sir Iii-
| liam Orpen alone has painted, tn -
! are only two which picture scenes rs
! they have been imagined, and it 3;
noticeable that the dead in the trench
are marked, Dead Germans in u
trench 1t might just as we'll nave
been marked Dead soldiers in a
| trench" for those CHASTITY forms coItd
have been any OF the uniformed men
| who gave their lives on both sides .f
| No Mans Land.
The other, THE Failing Bomb" &C.
picts half-naked, wholly terrifi ID
fuEitivcs seeking refuge in a bomb
cellar.
Orpen is easily the great feature
Of the exhibition. His industry alone
it requires two great rooms for the
display OF his works phenomenal.
and the breadth and variety OF his
work evoke exclamation. His canvas, :
could be the work OF half = dozen
| artists. such is the varying treatment
accorded the different subjects.
Orpcn's "DeIgian Refugee"
| His belgian Refugee" is a cSca-
ture OF appalling blonde beauty, So
fragile, SO wistful, in the steady gaze
of those fearless eyEs-eyeS one
knows must necessarily have long
since shed all their tears and learned
their futility. His 'BclSian Refugee
No. >. might be the little younger
sister of the first, such is the re.
scmblance in beauty and pathos. bu;
there is n horror IN the eyes OF t::S
nearly nude little figure which makrS
one feel she has looked in the eyAs q
the Hun when they were red with
| vino and lust.
Orpcn'S portraits are smashing an,
direct. Out OF the painted: carva:
looms the man, whether il be Fiel,
Marshal Haig or tho young flyer tn
artist thought typi1cJ all the Valo
! and courage OF the allied a!rmCn
The Hats Ornen shows US is kind
li4r man and with more human quail:
ties than tho photographs Likeness
We have had heretofore. He Is tn,
man OF simple faith ami ideals. Th
gem OF the exhibition. tie portrait o
Generalissimo Foch has not yet beef
hung, but is expected at the last mo
ment. Cnriously enough quite tn
:. most bel!lgc:erc figure % all the pos