The Washington herald., 1921-06-26
Little Juliet Thompson
Returns a Famous Painter
Occupying Capital Studio for Summer, She
Talks on Art and Artists.

at the back of her head. Particu-
lsrly remarkable are her eyes which
are the perfect blue Of a dolls with
no hint OF gray in their depths. but
for all their clarity hold such lights
of understanding that they are COM
pelling. .n
Il don't want TO be narrow" she
said, but art to me means beauty
and truth and in futurist painting L
can see neither. Its only virtue Is.
that il is a rebellion against the
conventional type of portraiture" "--'..
There was no didacticism in her
manner as she criticised present.
day art. She spoke with the gentle,
ness which is one of her chief cnsrSl
acteristics. wondered how she
could be so gentle when she is out
of sympathy with much in the mod
ern world. and particularly rebels
against the wave OF reaction and
conservatism which is sweeping this
country.
Loves washinEton.
Il suppose it's because / like peo-
pie so much that / can't be impatient
with them" she explained. We
can't change anything by intorer-
snce; it has to be done thrugh love
Daily contact with people makes for
sympathy. I consider I am fortunate
in my profession because il brings
me into such close association with
people" --
She loves Washington and its peo-
pie whom she declares are her dear
est friends. But it is New York that
fascinates her.
Il used to rebel against the
thought Of New York. its ugliness
and its noise" she laughed. But
after l had lived in Paris. where 1
studied with Benjamin Constant.
knew that New York was inevitable
for me. Now IL seems to me the
meeting place Of all the great"
She confessed that IL has not been
easy work being a portrait painter
dependent upon her own laborS since
her early teens
Art is too fragile q thing to be
buffeted about by poverty" she
said. The idea that poverty breeds
greatness is q fallacy. IL is more
likely to crush the spirit. The ar
tist with leisure and means to fol-
low his own inclinstions is fortunate
succeed through being able TO de-
velOp his talent"
One needs only to glance at a
few Of Juliet Thompson's portraits
to realize that she is a notable ar
tlst. Her sense OF form and color
is exquisite. Flesh tones ana fab
RIGS glow with life: the obserber has
the desire TO reach out and feel their
texture.
In portrait of the daughter Of
Princess Cantacuzene. Miss Thomp-
son has so caught the spirit OF the
young girl and the soul behind her
tragically beautiful eyes that IN ia
startling. A study of the head OF a
model conveys colorful and bo-
hemian personality. The portrait OF
Mrs. Williams. Of New York, is de-
lightfuI in its simplicity and its d.
parture from the conventional por-
trait. Mos remarkable Of the coll
lection is the head of Abdul Bahsi.
the great religious teacher OF the
Far East of whom Miss Thomson
herself is a follower. Tn. face sh.
has portrayed is one such as the
average person does not see in an
his lifetime. Miss Thompson de-
scribes il as an uncovered light
Old Masters Best.
Miss Thompson believes that tbe
lresent-day art is degenrste, ana
when she spoke she had in mind nor
the futurist at, although she sees
little in that. but art as conceived
by the majority of artists today.
Modern artists have gone mad
over color and impression and dis
regard method" Miss Thomson
said. What the world OF art n-eo,
today Is reversion TO the methods
of the old masters. More than that.
IL needs sincerity and spirituality.
Portraiture is a thing Of the spirit.
The artist must put his soul on can
vas CT he has achieved nothing. Art
VIII remain degenerate. too. until IL
ceases TO be superficial in method
Painting should be a building up
and rounding out Of form. not the
application of paint as on a nat
surface"
Three New York painters whom
she considers are painting with sin
certify are Kenneth HAYS Miller.
Rockwell Kent and KahliI Gibran.
the artist from Lebanon, whose
spirituality delights her.
She shook her head when ask.d
about the futurist and post-impre..
tiontst schools of art