The sun., 1919-06-08
NEWS AND COMMENT IN THE WORLD OF ART

they were determined to avoid giving
the memorial a parochlal character
and did not hesitate to distribute COM
missions also to artists Of non-Cana-
dian birth. II Is hoped that the result
will be found fully to Justify their
policy.
This collection of war paintings to
be seen at the Anderson Galleries, CON-
| prehensive as 1t Is. comprises only
| about one-third Of the pictures which
\ will ultimately be housed In a special
memorial gallery In Ottawa. There
are said to be more than sixty can
vases ranging from twelve to forty
feet in length and many hundreds Of
smaller paintings.
The paintings differ from the general
run of war pictures in that they are
| for the most part the work Of soldier
| artists who have set down their per-
sonal experience. Wyndham Lewis,
who has painted somewhat cubi3t
| "Gunpit." was for three years Lieu
tenant in the Field Artillery. w. Ro y
| erts, whose weird Gas Attack" will
\ not fail to arouse the ire Of those who
believe in an immovable artistic ira
| dition, served for three and a half
years as a gunner until his services
were Communicated for record work.
]. A. Turnbull, whose vivid pictures
| of air fights are something to look
forward to, was one of the most dar-
| ing air fighters in the British army
and had many a thrilling hairs
breadth escape over and behind the
German lines. w. c. B. Nevinson
| served as a motor driver in the early
stage of the war and repeatedly few
over No Mans Land to collect ma
terial for his huge Air Fight" painting.
Indeed, most of the artists employed
have seen@Actual service and all Of
them were made to state actual ex-
perience In their canvases.
The exhibition deals with every phase
Of Canada's share in the war and with
every branch of the service in a series
| of gigantic decorative panels. A fea-
ture Of special interest, a kind OF ex-
hibition within an exhibition. will be
provided by some eighty small paint
ings of horse subjects, executed by A..
J. Munnings, who was attached to the
Canadian Cavalry Division, and A.
Talmage. who spent some months with
the Veterinary Corps.
Munnings and Talmage are the best
horse painters In England. They are
intimate friends. good sportsmen and
splendid horsemen. although Munnings
has oriiy 80 aye and Talmage has lost
the use of his left arm. In each case
the infirrnity is due to an accident in
the hunting field. but in neither case
does II interfere with the exercise of
their profession. Indeed, some critics
think that Munnings, whose vivid.
fresh style has much in common with
Sargent's, has actually benefited by
the loss of one eye, because a one eyed
person is said to see the world like a
fiat pattern.
Capt. Louis Weirter's grand pam
Drama OF the battle OF Courcelette is
probably the first important battle pic
ture painted by an eyewitness who had
actually taken part in the fighting and
was thus able to put his personal ex-
perience onto canvas. The picture may
be described as an epitome Of modern
warfare. 1t is panorama showing
the attacking lines of infantry, guns,
bursting shells of every type, tanks, air
planes and observation balloons. burn
ing ruins, scattered trees. observation
post, riderless horses, and all the in
fernal turmoil and noise of the battle
field. Capt. Weirter is an officer In the
London Scottish, and had served in
the army before the war.
Joseph Breck has contributed to the
June number of Art in America an in
teresting study of Joseph Chinard, who
is represented in the Metropolitan Mu-