Evening star., 1921-03-06

a great deal of attention.
and with excellent reason. No such
collection of portraits has oeeh
shown in Washington for some years.
The fact is that the really great por-
trai- painters have been few IN the
past as in the present.
Looking back over the centuries
few great names recur-I1tlaIl. Helas-
uuez, Rembrandt. Van Dyck. iolpelh'
Reynolds Raeburn. These men were
accompIished artists and had the gift
of human analysis. hence they We're
erroa. uortrait painters. 1t is mis-
IA ken idea that the chief task OF d
por,rait painter is to secure likeness
Art is invariably more than iinlta-
ton Human beings are something
more than mere features thes navy
the power both to think and to feel
1t is not the outer man but the inner
man that must be interpreted II
great portrait is to be produced. HOW
different. indeed. is the ordinary lace
when full of animation, interest,
plea sure. than when in repose. boreo'
uninterested, displeased What a
variety of expressions can flash across
a countenance in an incalculably short
space Of time, To the observer these
expressions are significant. revealing
character. and it is the composite OF
these that the great portrait painter
is supposed to render.
In addition there are the questions
of art to be considered--compos
tion. the correct placing of the head
or figure upon the canvas. the mat
ter Of light and shade. Of dra wing
and brush work, of color and value
and tone.
Titian's portraits are rich in color,
mellow in tone: the portraits OF
lAx Il
composition; Rembrandt was master
of light and shade; Van Dyck and
Reynolds knew how to render grace
with dignity: Raeburn. like Rem
brandt, had the power Of suggesting
in each of his portraits the individ-
uality of living personalities with
peculiar attributes OF his or her own
The art of each of these painters diff
fers widely from that of the others.
and diverse from them all was that of
Holbein. whose portrait drawings
stand today among the great human
documents of the world. These were
simple but significant, a matter of a
few lines, but in every case enormous
ly convincing.
Phllip de lasZlo may not belong in
this brilliant galaxy. yet some of his
portraits attain very high standard
We are apt to feel that the best things
are in the past. the greatest painters
cult to judge their work without per-
spective. Possibly some of the paint
ers of today will be given place in
this highest company by succeeding
generations. Our respect for the por-
traits of Gilbert Stuart has vastly in
creased during the last decade. In tho
same space of time or twice it's span
Manet and Whistler and others who
have been looked upon somewhat
askance while they were producing
have come into their own. But whethe,
or not this Austrian painter. who is
now British by adoption. is to be
ranked with the masters Of the past
he undoubtedly stands with the fore
most today. The portraits by which
he is represented in the Corcoran Gal
lery of Art at present are Of extraor-
dinary interest and engaging type.
The exhibition will continue until
March 20.
The Landscape Club of Washington
is holding, between March / and Is. its
second exhibition during the present sea
son of paintings in oils and water col
ors. by members at the studio. 1921
18th street. The hours are unusual
from , to pm on week days and
from to pm. on Sundays. This is
because the majority of the members
are OlneFWlse employed during the So
called working hours.
The catalogue of the exhibition COM
prises 124 pictures. They vary in size
and subjects. but the majority have been
painted in the vicinity Of this city.
This club is essentially progressive
and the improvement shown by the sew
erai members in their work goes ia
and mutual criticism In the Society
Of Washington Artists recent exhibition
at the Corcoran Gallery of Art num-
ber of the members Of this club made
ecellent showing. displaying work which
would have been welcome in any OF
the large exhibitions. and which be.
tokened not only ability. but excellent
feeling and sympathetic approach to
ma ture.
The club has sixteen active members
and the honor of listing William Fl
Holmes, president of both the Water
Color Club and the Society Of Washing
ton Artists, as an honorary member.
i !: 4 =
The American Academy in Rome re.
ports varied and interesting activities
There are more fellowship men in at
tendance this year than for many years
and all. according to the director Cor
ham +. Stevens. are 'as busy as bees. y
The classical students are attending
lectures and making explorations under
expert guidance. The students in archi-
lecture, sculpture and painting are en-
gagged on collaborative problems and
are gaining an intimate knowledge. al
first hand, of classical monuments.
Landscape Architect Lawson has
taken. during his stay in Italy. over
100 photographs which will form the
most complete set of such pictures OF
Italian villas in existence.
NJ Besnard. director of the French
Academy. which occupies. it will be re-
membered, the Villa Medici, has lately
resigned The reason given Is the fact
that he has number Of big commits
sions to undertake for France which
cannot we'll be produced in Rome. espe-
cially if NJ. Bcsnard gives the academy
his first attention. His place is being
taken by a well known French sculp-
tor.
II is rumored that Jugoslavia is to
have an academy of arts just outside
the Porta San Panorazio. This new
academy. with those Of Russia, England
Spain and America will, it is said
transform the Gianicolo into a Roman
Parnassus
Frank p. Fairbanks. who was him
self a fellow in painting some years
ago. was lately appointed annual pro.
ressor in the school Of fine arts. and
is now on his way to Rome.
X y \
An art society in Chicago, with
headquarters at the Art institute
STYLES itself the Society for the Pres
ervation of Wild Flowers" and bends
it's chief effort in this direction.
Exhibitions of paintings and draw
ings of wild flowers are shown at the
museum and in the public schools in
order that the attention may be
turned. both of the adult public and
the children. to the danger of de-
spelling nature and thus losing one
of her most valuable gifts. 1t would