Evening star., 1921-03-13

A collection of etchngs by William
Meyerowitz. is now on exhibition in
the Corcoran Gallery of Art. Mr.. Mey-
erouitz was born in Russia, in 1887,
but was brought to this country in
his youth, and is an American citi-
zen by adoption. He studied at the
National Academy of Design in New
York, and is a member of a number
of the professional art organizations.
His work has striking individuality
and displays to some extent racial or
inherited characteristics; it is strong,
emotional and shows little regard for
the so called amenities of beauty. The
subjects chosen are not in most in
stances lovely in themselves; in fact,
they are more frequently than not.
distinctly homely, but they have
character. The people whose portraits
he has etched are types. They are
mostly foreigners, those who have
come to this country from far-off
lands seeking asylum. but still show
ing in their faces the burden of op-
preston from which they sought es-
cape. His portraits of people are more
interesting generally than his portraits
of place
His etchings of Gloucester. for in
U
and romance of that old fishing town.
which has real beauty combined with
rude homeiiness of aspect. In a pic
ture of group of trees and in a lit
tie etching giving a glimpse of the
Hudson beyond d Single tree, aim ost
sappIing. Mr.. MeyerowitZ rises to a
considerable height. height not fire.
quentiy attained by the best ctchers.
When an exhibition of Mr.. Meyer
oWltZs etchings was lately held at the
NJ tIfsh n Lori
Ellen Day Hale of this city. herself
an accomplished painter and etcher
contributed this foreword to the cata-
logue: Mr.. Meyerowitz is a good
painter and a good etcher. and he
knows well where to draw the line
between the two kinds of art. His
range is wide. from the intellectual
charm and fervor of some of his
| heads, and the intense characterize
ton of others, to his landscape work
in all its phases-sometimes what is
called pure landscape. of tree and
plain. sometimes the pathetic little
suburban houses of a Seashore town
which the artist has loved so much
, ana mas understood so deeply that he
has managed to find a real and beauti-
ful meaning in them. An etcher is no
etcher unless he feels. and Mr. Meyer
owitzs feeling is SO personal, so
strong and so noble that that alone
| would give his work high rank, But
ne has the rest of the catcher's quail
ties, too, line. character. power of
composition. power of suggesting that
elusive thing. crowd of people, VITA
the simplest means-he has All these
and you feel that no other medium
could express them SO well But once
more. you feel that all these things
are informed by a steady flame of
rinotIon-a lamp which not many ar
lists trim and guard so we'll"
This is. indeed high praise and II
gives most admirably the professional
viewpoint.
At the Arts Club, 2017 I street.
there is being exhibited at present,
and until March is. "A collection of
rcmarkable pictorial photographs by
=. Crosby Doughty of Williamstowu.
Mass. Photography has been MIR.
Doushty's hobby. since he was n
small boy, and all through the years
when he studied architecture at the
Icote des Beaux Arts in Paris and
later practiced in New York and De-
troit. he was. as it were, loyal to his
first love.
After few years in the middle
west. Mr.. Doughty, a native of VIII
jamestown. determined to go back to
the Berkshires and capitalize the
skin and experience he had gained
IN years of amateur picture-takinE
backed up by the knowledge of com
position acquired through architcc-
luTdl study and work.
IL was not an easy thing TO do. and
just as he was getting started, the
Cnited states entered the war. Mr..
Doughty volunteered. received "A com
! mission as first lieutenant in the
ordnance department, and spent thir-
teen months testing guns at various
proving grounds. Upon demobiliZa-
ton he practically had to start all
over again. Recognition, however, of
the extraordinary merit of his work
has come rapidly of late. and
wherever he has exhibited. his photo
graphs have received highest COM
mendation.
They are. indeed, quite out of the
ordinary. In the first place they are
printed on a very thin Japanese
vegetable fiber paper, the thinnest of
tissue paper. which is specially i'm
ported from Japan in it's raw state
aud chemically sensitiZed in this
country. While. it gives all the crisp
ness Of lines necessary for sharp,
clear pictures and renders faithfully
he most delicate graduation of half
tones, it also reproduces with etch-
ing like softnesS the heavier black of
niassed shadows To the use Of this
paper. in part. is due the exquisite
surface textures, which these photo
graphs display. But. more important
and significant of knowledge and ar
tistic perception are the choice of
subjects, the compositions, with re-
gard not merely TO form, but mass,
line and light and shade.
Most delightful are the architectural
themes. A little colonial church in
Wtllamstown vies in beauty with a
magnificent cathedral in France;
Venice and Gloucester, are rivals pic
torially as rendered In these pho
tograp phs by Mr.. Doughty.
To be sure. he is not always equally
successful. Some Of his pure LAND
scape themes are lacking in vitality
and fan between works Of art and
straight photographs. possessing the
merits of neither. Hut these are eX-
ceptions to the rule. That Mr..
Doughty's subjects have been found
in many places. Greece. Italy, Spain.
France. Nassau and in different sec
tions of tho United States. gives this
exhibition a wide subjective as well
as artistic interest.
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