New-York tribune., 1921-12-18
American Art in WASHINGTON

but he has avoided them, persuasively
poetizing his bleakuess. 1t Is an inter
esting venture, skillfully managed.
That other group which has dcsig-
nation OF It's own, the Taos group. is
present in good form--good, that is,
numerically, and from it's own point Of
view. But it does not add to tho charm
Of the exhibition. On the contrary, 1t
introduces an altogether too assertive
element wherever it makes itself felt
Taos hardness and holiness need elbow
room, obviously. Yet even when they
set it, as they do at the Corcoran Gal
lery, they leave an unlovely impression.
There is a lot to be said for s'life" as
distinguished from the figure posed in
the studio, but we would scarcely cite
the Taos painters, briskly efficient as
they are, as being on the side of the
angels in the familiar argument. Prac-
tically all the really plausible evidence
at this exhibition goes to strengthen
the cause OF the studio. AS we have
already indicated, the show may be
deficient in compositions of large
meaning, but it Is rich in the kind of
work which through sheer good paint
ing easily lures US into forgetfulness
of other issues. Mr.. Burtis Bakers
"Interior with Figure" to which the
second Clark prize has been awarded,
and his BLACK Mantilla" bring out
the point. He is striking representa-
Give of the younger men, with some
thing added to the manual dexterity on
which the younger men are apt to pride
themselves. His color is good. He
draws we'll. And his picture in each
case is unit, painted with breadth
and energy. That is the virtue of
American figure painting as it here
makes its demonstration. 1t is compe-
tent and in good taste. It needs cos
tune, as rule. There are several
nudes on the walls, but only one of
them denotes authority In the delines-
tion of form. That exceptional canvas
is "La Rubia," by Mr.. Robert Henri, the
polished work Of an old sophisticated
hand. But the draped figure is effec-
lively. interestingly painted by more
contributors than it is possible to dis
cuss in detail in this place. Miss vio-
let Oakley's "Weavers of New Hope"
in which realism and the studio atmos-
phere struggle together; Mr.. c. w.
Hawthorne's american Motherhood"
victorious attack, in the red robe,
upon one of the stiffest problems of
the colorist; Miss E. H. Wetherill's I'M
pressively somber 'Theodule." these
are near the head of a surprisingly
long list We forbear from closer ex-
animation of this heartening success
sion Of pictures partly because many
OF the things in it have been touched
upon before, at exhibitions in New
York. But it may be noted in passing
how exhilarating an atmosphere may
sometimes be. Since the whole level is
so we'll kept up at the Corcoran Gallery
even well-known types take OH a meas
ure of freshness.
The portraiture is not, on the whole
impressive. The conventional pot boiler
has crept in. But there are canvases
which redress the balance. There is
new Sargent, a rapid sketch, not
very large in scale, of his friend the
marine painter, Charles H. Woodbury.
Mr.. Wiles, in "The Green Hat makes
an excursion into mere frou frou and
lifts his canvas above "mereness."
There Is fine portrait by Mr.. H. S.
Meryman, his Theodore Noyes." The