Evening star., 1921-04-17
Notes of Art and Artists

II - -
Three special exhibitions opened
simultaneously last Thursday in the
Corcoran Gallery Of Art. In the semi
circular gallery is set forth unique col
lection of drawings by Anna Milo Upjohn
of child life in Albania, Czechoslovakia,
Serbia, Rumania, Greece, Montenegro,
Italy and France. Miss Upjohn was
sent to Europe to make these draw
ings by the junior department Of the
pose of awakening interest in this
country in the welfare Of children
abroad, and more especially in the
countries which suffered most in the
war.
She has performed her difficult mis-
sion admirably, interpreting the chill
dren Of other lands with sympa-
thy and artistic skill. She has pre-
sented not only the pathetic, but the
humorous, and has In many instances
given her sketches the homely touch
which makes for universal appeal
ened as to fail to respond to child
hoods winsome smile. The attitude
of the child confidently counting upon
friendliness brings its own reward;
such confidence cannot be disappoint-
trance Of a baby is always marked
by a Quickening OF interest. Sad, in
deed, would be the world il this were
not the case. 1t is to this fundamen-
tai human inclination that Miss Up
johns drawings make their address.
Looking back over the history of
art one finds not a great many ar
fists who have devoted themselves to
picturing children. To be sure. the
childhood in their pictures Of the
baby Jesus. the child Christ. Wit
ness many of the great Madonnas,
and particularly those by Raphael
Among the great painters Of the re-
most notable paintings Of children in
his pictures Of the children Of the
royal family.
Later. Van Dyck painted a number
OF pictures Of royal oai children snd. which
then. Rubens painted most charm
ingly his own sons.
In England and Scotland there are
the delightful paintings OF children
ever hold high place The German
school of 1850 produced numerous
genre pictures of child life, Knaus
particularly OF this school producing
works of great interest and very con-
siderable merit In France, about the
teriors with children Of charming
type, soberer both in tone and sub
tect matter than those by his German
cotemporaries. but very lovely.
In our own country one portrait
almost her entire time to children's por-
traits, is Immediately recalled. and
among illustrators such artists as Jessie
WILCOX Smith, Elizabeth Shipper Green
and Alice Barber Stephens come di-
has never been so sympathetic an inter-
probation of childhood as that presented
during a period of twenty or more years
during the latter half Of the last century
in Holland: Josef Israels, Neuhuys. kee-
vor and others among the modern Dutch
painters so picturing children in their
simple home surroundings that they not
only appealed to all. but were peculiarly
touching.
Mention should also be n,ade Of the
great Spanish painter Sorolla's pictures
Of children. painted chiefly out Of doors
as they romped gayiy in the sun-steeped
beaches Of the Spanish sea coast or As
they frolicked in tho water.
Miss Upjohn's drawings arc modest
performances as compared With the works
Of these great artists. but they do not
claim to be more than sketches and
they merely attemptto suggest the con-
dfffons of child life abroad in order to
establish more firmly a common reia-
ttOnship.
Miss Upjohn's intimacy with life in
Europe is the result OF many years OF
residence abroad. dnTing which time
she studied art in England. France.
Austria. Russia and Sweden. She was
abroad in 1914. At the time Of ths out
break of the war. and went at once to
France, where she volunteered for re-
lief work among the refugees under
the fund for devastated villages. She
was engaged in this routine in the
war zone when the Americas Red
Cross established its European COM
mission in Paris. Immediately there
developed a need for an artist and IL
illustrator to further the Red Cross re-
habilitation and health program, and
TO devote her talents as an artist to
this end She acQdiesced,- although in :
Eisting that she regarded sketching
and painting as a pleasure and felt
that the war called for a more direct
and personal service.
war a series OF health h1osters for the
American Red Cross chiidreH's bu-
reau. They were sketehed from life
and were portraits of children, OF
idealized figures, and were received
with widespread approval, They weSa
noted French art critic saw them, He
said: AFTER an, it does take q Preach
man to do this sort OF work." and il
was difficult to convince him that II
was the work OF an American woman
The posters placed at the disposal
of French mothers Information that
would aid tehm in keeping their chill
dren well and strong and thus en-
courage the men at the front through
che knowledge that their children
~ere being cared for. After serving
their purpose in France, the posters
were sent to Washington and hung in
the Red cross national headquarters
building until a few weeks ago, when
they were requested for exhibition
OF the League of Red Crsss Societies
Miss Upjohn was born in New Jer-
sey and has been known for twenty
FIVE years as a painter and illustrate OF
She is a. member of the National As
sociatioR of Women Painters and
Scu1ptors. She is still abroad, engaged
in Red Cross work, continuing the
commission that was given her in
1919 for pictures of child life in vari
Gus countries.
The exhibition will continue for a
fortnight
Ia tho cases In the atrium of the
Cerceran Gallery, where Mr.. Benson &
etchings have lately been shown, is
new On view a collection of water
ceisFa by Miss Bertha p. Perrie OF
this city. Pheror arc In this COllecti ion