Evening star., 1921-12-18
HIGH STANDARD UPHELD
BY CORCORAN PICTURES
Exhibition Reveals the Great Number off
Canvases Notable for Technique and
Appreciation Of Beauty:

1t is customary in current exhibi-
tions of works by contemporary
American artists to find few ex-
| tremely notable pictures and great
many well painted but of compara-
lively little interest. This is not the
| case in the exhibition now on view In
| the Corcoran Gallery Of Art. Here
| there are comparatively few star
pictures, so-called. great canvases
| painted primarily for exhibition pur-
| poses. impressive by their size-their
| bravado. But there is great num-
! ber of extremely attractive pictures
| showing great competence in tech
nique, and, on the part Of the artists.
\ a keen appreciation OF beauty. 1t Is
! seldom, indeed. that an exhibition up
holds so high a standard as this. In
| fact, not for many years have Amer
! lean artists made SO encouraging q
showing.
Turning to Old Traditions.
| Art reflects life, and life during the
past ten years at least has been vexed
and troubled. Like the bewildered
private in the late war. we have been
| going somewhere, but where we did
| not know Uncertainty-restles
j-insurgency-have found expression
| in our art, as well as in the art OF
| European countries. but we seem "
| have emerged, and through the ex-
| perience to have gathered wlsdom.
| The freak pictures to an extent nave
! disappeared, or at least are apseiil
| from this showing. There is an evl,
| dent turning to old traditions. coupieo
with a freshness, a clarity of vision
Indicative of progress.
Some one has said that this exn1p1.
| ton is gayer than even the last. II
| Is in spirit essentially Joyous, out =.
is at the same time thoughtful. sobeI
| minded, sincere. Not only do we nna
| that the American artists are good
! technicians, painting well. but that
| they have a message, that they are
! interested in something more tnan
There are in this exhibition. among
! those represented. artists OF sreal
| note But it is not from these con-
tributors that the best WORKS nav nav
! The high standard this exhibition
| maintains is due in large part 70 me
younger generation, and some Oh .ne
| finest paintings shown are py men
and women who have scarceiy n. .ary
| tofore been heard of. Thls Is very
| encouraging and very worthy OF no.e.
| Whether or not one likes TINS eAhi-
bition. therefore. will depend upon
| whether or not he or she reaiiy loves
art or is attracted py ho'e'eS "i0
Prize Pictures.
| Attention will naturally focus upon
| the nrize pictures, but it should be re-
| lmembered that many paintings SHOWN
lin this exhibition did not compete 10!
jawards Curiously enough, the hrst
tw 4. Clark prize, $1,000. accompanied
lby the Corcoran gold medal. was
| two years ago,
! 10 a painting which had as its theme
a room illumined by cool mist-Veiled
isunlight pouring through "ioe-opsu
wiudow In the Benson room Two
wears ago there was but one ngure-
that of a Young woman. In the Garner
naintine there are two figures, the
nainter's wife and daughter. The
method OF approach technically Is dlt-
ferent, but the result much the same;
Burtis Baker, to whom the secoho
w. A. Clark prize, $1,000. acconp"n.ea accom- e q
Iby the Corcoran silver meoai, was
warded. is a member of the faculty
Iof the Corcoran School of Art, having
tcome to this city from Boston at tne
invitation of the trustees OF the cor
coran Gallery of Art: and me pt,H. hi.
cipal of the school, Mr. NJ aSTnira HE
autumn. He shows three aoIniraoi;e ;e
works. the prize picture, whlcn Is
!rhief1y notable for it's delightful color
/ scheme, and charmingt relation OF
\ values: a somewhat similar neure
study, entitled the Black Mantiiia:
land fine. straightforward portrait OF
his colleague. Howard f. smith;
nainted for and lent by the National
Academy of Design.
l. AS though prize winning were con-
ltarious. the third W. A. Clark prize
$4,000, accompanied py the Noi.o! an
Nv John +. Folinsbee, entitled Jersey
Water Front, which hangs to the le!t
\ of the Baker prize winner. 1hiS Is
excellent example of the power OF an
artist to discover and make patent the
| inherent but unsupported beauty IN
mmonnlace things. 1t is a homely
theme that Mr.. Folinsbee has chosen
hut it is lovely in his interpretation.
| Honorabl mentionx carrying with II
the W. A. Clark prize of So0o, was
awarded w. Lester Stevens or ROCK
| mort Mass, for a painting of the
6uarry Dock, very characteristic
larreeably colorful and undoubtedly
clever. Mr.. Stevens Is also represent
ed by a landscape, entitled towering
Trees.
ming pictures came .,eaes oeaeae 'nn nn thaiy }uy
| merits rather than invited, may be
found indicative Of the fact that gen
/ uine worth does not fail of recognl-
ton.
| Notable Features.
| Taking this exhibition as a whole.
two notable features-the numper anu
| character of still-life paints and the,
! portraits shown-are most notaole.
some years, ago William M. Chase
| stood almost alone as a painter OF
still life, producing works comparable
| with the works of the great masters.
Then Emil Carlsen came forward win
still-life paintings of an even subtier
| sort. Now in this exhibition there
are no less than fifteen painters VINO
in this field make brilliant showing.
! Frank w. Benson, chairman OF the
| Jury, by the way, shows stlll-il1e
| nainting somewhat similar to that
now included in the Phillips collec-
ton. a superb work. Emil Carlson
| shows two beautiful renditions. LIE
ROY Ireland presents an exquisite
transcription of Persian pottery;
Edith Penman shows. beautiful
I nainting of a Lowestofttbowl: Victor
! Hieeins presents q group of Indian
| objects, entitled "Pink and Black
| indicative and worthy of his skill.
| Hugh H Breckenridge presents
still-life composition which, because
| of it's richness of color, he has
quantity named THE Pirates Chest"
q. L. Bryant and Maud D. Bryant,
Florence Gotthold and Lillian Meeser
| all show admirable flower paintings.
Dorothy Ochtman. the daughter OF
Leonard Ochtman, Landscape painter.
o.h;hits q rarely heautiful Still-lff6