Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-02-06
FREAKS LACKING
IN ART EXHIBIT
117th Showing Is Ono Of Best
and Most Varied in I
History
SCULPTURE WORK FEATURES

The 117th annual exhibition OF the
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
will go down in history MS one Of the
most varied as we'll us one of the best Of
its exhibitions. There is something in
the exhibit TO- please every taste.
inc, paintings run from clearly
defined, normally colcred works. well
drawn and cypertly painted as to color
selection and technique to the more
modern style, where the drawing is
moro emot ional than exnct and where
some OF the colors used were never seen
on sea or land that ia In the relation
In. which the artists have placed them,
There Is pretty much everything in
he color line. from horses that look AZ
though they had been painted with mus
tard to earth which resembles n Navajo
blanket In the richness aud variation
Of the color scheme. There are exqui. /.
site conceptions, nrtistically carried out
and there are pictures the titles of
which give as little clue 70 the thought
of the artist rs do the paintings them.
selves.
Nevertheless there are no real
"freaks'' in this exhibition. There are
paintings which represent every phase
of American nrt in the past year, but
which has been painted for the obvious
purpose of attracting attention at what
ever artistic cost. The mark of ar
tistic sincerity seems to pervadc the
entire exhibition in an unusual degree.
The sculpture exhibition Is unusually
fine and one of the most interesting of
the statues is entitled "Seaweed Foun-
tain an1 was executed by Beatrice
Fcnton. of this city. The statue was
awarded the George ID. Widcncd Me-
mortal Medal md 1t is to be set up In
Fairmount Park. The placements Of the
sculnture exhibition are extremely ar
tistic both as regards position, contrast
and lighting. The hcnd of the late Ed
ward Coates. president Of the academy
for a number Of years. done by Charles
Crafty. attracts great deal of deserved
attention.
1t is on exhibition but is not In the
competition.
The prize winners among the paint
ings are: the Temple Gold Medal, to
William NJ. Lathrou for his October
| Evening" (NO. 267 In the exhibit ;
| the Jenny Sesman gold medal. to George
! Obertenffcr. for Little Bathing Beach
(No. 800 and the Beck gold medal for
the best portrait, to Ellen Emmett Rand
| for her portrait Of Hon. Donald L.
| Warner tNo. 1G).
But besides the winners there are
many canvasses in the exhibition which
nrc deserving of more than passing at
tention. Prominent among these is Ed
ward W. Redfed's "The First Snow.
remarkable country scene. Sargent s
portrait of his friend Charles Wood
bury. three large works by Ralph Nc.
Lellnn. "My Squaw Makc'm" no. -
."rhe Old LADY," (No, 54) and "The
Reader of the Mask" (No. 413. Henry
McCartcr's Breton Window" (Nc;
27O) Clifford Adams 'Tranquility''
! Go. 5O) and host of others.
The still life paintings have been dis.
tributed with discretion and taste
among the various galleries, although
some of the best OF them arc In Gallery
G. among them being the works of Lii
liam Meeser, II. Amard Obertcuifcr
Mary Townsend and others.
Another work which attracts much
attention perhaps rs much because OF
the subject as OF its execution, is 10.
scph De Camps Council of Ten
CNo. G3.
The academy exhibit this year hn'
attracted rs it always does. the bcs'
work Of the best American artists, ant
Il is thoroughly representative Of wha
las been accomplished during 1921 ir
the fine arts. Nearly every American
painter and sculptor Of note is repre-
scnted by one or more works and The
exhibition is worthy of long and care
rul study alike by the student and thu
! n,npoissour