Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-11-05
MESSER AND BROOKE PAINTINGS
1 TO BE EXHIBITED AT CORCORAN
Private View of Work to Take
Place at Gallery
Tomorrow.
Former Principals and Vice
Principals Works of
~
Highest Order.

A memorial exhibition of paintings
by Edmund Clarence Messer and
Richard n. Brooke. for many years
residents of Washington, opens to-
morrow with a private view in the
Corcoran Gallery of Art.
= Both Mr.. Messer and Mr. Brooke
cles-both passed away compare
lively recently. For approximately
eighteen years they were closely as
sociated as principal and vice princi-
pal of the Corcoran School Of Art.
but their friendship covered a much
longer period. dating back to the
early eighties. when Mr.. Brooke first
came to Washington and took a
studio in Vernon row, between 9Th
and 10th streets on Pennsylvania
avenue, where Mr.. Messer was al
ready located.
Mr. Messer was New Highlander
by birth-Mr Brooke Virginiar
Their personalities. and often their
viewpoints were entirely different.
but this only helped to cement the
friendship and make more delightful
the comradeship. In matters of art
they were almost invariably in &C
cord. Both were ardent lovers of ma
ture and sincere seekers for the high
er truths.
Difference in Temperament.
Mr.. Messer was the older. having
been born in 1912. and his was the
happier disposition. Art to him was
essentially joyous, and it illumined
for him the path of life Mr. Brooke
took both himself and the world
more seriously, and he carried brave
y heavy responsibilities, which were
mental difference is manifested in
their works. MIR. Messer's paintings
have a gentle lyrical quality-Mr.
Brooke's are more dramatic. and
often show discomfort with himself.
M. Messer most frequently inter-
preted mood in nature. whereas Mr..
Brooke showed greater interest in
elemental form and expressions of
force.
Richard Norris Brooke was born in
father, while he was still a child. had
made arrangements for him to study
sculpture in Rome. The civil war in
tervened. and at its close Mr.. Brooke.
grown into young manhood, went to
Philadelphia to procure an outfit to
his old propensity revived, and with
the aid of his uncle. Mr.. Thaddeus
Norris. and by the advice of Sa-tain
and others, he entered the Pennsyl-
became pupil Of F'dmu7d BonsaI.
illustrator. who made him copy an
entire series of anatomical plates. In
1856 he secured classes himself in
three private schools in Philadelphia.
and thus, with occasional illustrating,
supported himself until his health
broke down. In 1859 he competed in
2 portrait exhibition for the chair of
flne arts at the Virginia Military In
stitute at Lexington snd was success
Goes to France.
But Lexington was by no means an
art center, and feeling buried there
he resigned in 1879 and obteined an
appointment in the diplomatic corps
as United States consul at La Re-
chelle. France. This took him abroad
After four years he relinquished his
consulate and went to Paris to devote
himself exclusively to art. In Paris
he studied under Leon Bonnat, and
was brought In contact with many of
the most celebrated painters: of the
In 1879 he returned to virginia and
the following year painted the Pastoral
visit. now in the Cotcoran Gallery OF
Art--one Of his most successful achieve
ments- Mr. C.. C. Corcoran purchased
this painting for the gallery in 1881,
at which time Mr.. Brooke was occupy-
ms q studio In Vernon row, where Mr..
MeAser. Mr.. e. II. Miller and others had
9lready located. From 1881 to 1884 he
Was vice president of the. Washington
Art Club. organized by Mr. Messer
Later Mr.. Brooke paid FIVE visits to
Europe to make purchases for the wag-
Arst to appreciate the worth Of the
modern Dutch school and to introduce
It to art lovers in this country. When
the Waggaman collection was DISPERSED