Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-01-26
NEWS AND NOTES OF
ART AND ARTISTS.

The Sewing Girl" by William NJ.
Paxton of Boston, as the result of
popular ballot, was awarded the So
called popular prize of the Corcoran
Gallery of Art. Ten thousand ballots
were cast by visitors to the exhibition
during the week of January IL, and,
though there was by no means una
nimity of opinion. the Paxton paint
ing far outstripped all others in popu-
lar favor.
The fact that comparatively few
ballots were cast for the prize-win-
ming pictures has been explained on
the basis of an inclination on the part
or the public not to duplicate honors
and also from a lack of appreciation
of specifically technical merits.
Mr.. Paxton is an able painter and
has heretofore received awards at the
hands of his fellow artists-prizes
awarded by the most aStute of pro-
fessIonal Juries. Furthermore, his
works have been purchased by the
leading art museums in this country
and are included in their permanent
collections. The Metropolitan Museum,
New York. has his painting entitled
Tea Leaves" the Boston Museum has
one of his nudes and the Pennsyl-
vania Academy, Philadelphia, his
Girl Sweeping; while the Army and
Navy Club, this city, has a mural
decorations.
1t is true, however, that the public
will. as a rule, give first place to a
painting with subjective interest;
that the majority of persons like a
picture which tells a story, and that
the semblance of reality invariably
attracts attention.
Some of the greatest pictures In
the world have told stories, but it
should be remembered that if a story
could be better told in words there is
no reason for seeking pictorial ex-
he 20
between the Japanese print and the
painting by the great Japanese artist.
The print invariably told a story;
idke the poster. it conveyed a message
to the public; it was illustrative; it
sold originally for a few cents. The
duced from desire to interpret
beauty, to convey to some beholder
beauty in nature or in color and de-
sign which otherwise might not be
discovered. The picture which opens
ones eyes to previously unseen
one which represents things Just as
they look" A craftsman can initiate
Nature, but it takes an artist to in
terpret her manifold beauty. Tech
nical achievement does not signify
except when it attains this result;
but it takes technical ability of a
higher order to interpret subtle things
than to initiate reality.
The Chinese porcelains are ex-
tremely beautiful, but their beauty is
potteries, with their variety of color
and tones in glaze.
Mr.. Paxton's paintings recall more
truly Chinese porcelains than Japa-
nese pottery. There is distinct
kinship between the early paintings
of Edmund c. Tarbell and Thomas w;
Dewing and the latter. No one will
quarrel with the public for having
selected Mr.. Paxton's picture as most
meritorious. but it should not be
thought that for this reason the pub
lie and the artist are out of accord
or that it would be better If all
painters painted like Mr.. Paxton.
The Corcoran Gallery closed yester-
day afternoon for a period OF ten
days or two weeks, while the p1cture s
constituting the biennial exhibition
are taken down and packed and ship
ped and the permanent colectlon is
rehung. This will be done as expedl-
tiously as possible in order that Wis
itors to Washinfton will not be de-
MED the privilege Of seeing the COR
coran Gallery's collections.
1t is greatly to be regretted that
lack of space makes 1t necessary TO
take down the one collection to put
nm the other Such an exhibition as
| that which closes today would De
doubly educational and interesting
could it be seen in connection with the
| gallery's permanent collections.
| The Corcoran Gallery owns a large
quantity of ground and if some mu-
! nificent person would come along and
provide a building fund, wings coulo
well be added. in which. provision
could be made for transient exhlpl-
tons This would require very large
! amount of public spirit and pecu-
Iiarly unselfish desire to extend tnt
| privileges of art to the pubic. pu
! it is one of those things when Wouio
j seem to offer large returns In pleas'
ure given and exceptional opportunity
for the advancement of art
| As the museums of this country
| grow larger and larger there Is dis,
| tinct evidence of favor for the SINAI
| museum, and 1t is hoped that in the
| next few years such will greatly IN
J crease in number.
| The great National Gallery. Lon
| don, is a wonderful treasure house
| and one would not have 1t other thai
it is, but the Wallace collection al
| fords the art lover pleasure OF al
! entirely different sort and quite dis
| proportionate to it's size.
This city is soon to have the Freel
| gallery, an ideal small museum o.
the best type. The Corcoran Gallery
even should it add wings. would never
be a great institution, so far as &C
nH "a