The Washington times., 1922-06-11


sculptors Of Washington are
Known abroad, several are quite
famous throughout America, and
even the younger set here have
already achieved a local reputa-
Hon. Yet Washington has never
before been regarded seriously as
IN art center. It has been some
yhat Of q surprise to many peo-
rle to learn recently Of the art
activities and interests of the
Capital City, to know that we
have here more artists per hun
dred to the population than
probably in any other part Of the
United States. Many, many
young men and women follow
under great difficulties their
chosen career, yet with joy that
they have had the courage to
have Starved, feasted, despair
Cd. been happy!" . Ia Browning.
WOMEN EMANCRATED.
when that most celebrated Of
French animal painters. Rosa Bon
hsur. adopted the masculine knick-
srbooksr attire In order that she
might work at the stock yards and
there study her favorite subjects
1 close range, she emancipated
De woman artist from . certain
eonventionaiity which had pre-
~iously marked the feminine ca,
rssr In art. Madame Viges Le-
Brun was Of that earlier type. II
We may guess from the famous
portrait Of herself and her beauti.
h,l daughter, q couple Of equally
captivating vamps. who look like
listers. Still earlier in England
the charming Angelica Kauff-
mann. who was the first woman
member Of the Royal Academy,
fascinated its president, Reynolds.
the leading portrait painter, but
she married instead an Italian
count. though Sir Joshua may
have been somewhat consoled by
Mrs. Siddons. whom he painted
% wonderfully ss The Tragic
Muse"
In France even today the most
famous modern French woman
painter and the first after Rosa
> Bonheur to receive the red ribbon
Of the Legion Of Honor. the en-.
trancins Mile. Helene Dufau who
Slast year visited New York and
painted many commissions there.
In her youthful career, years ago.
very greatly shocked the French
public by painting the nude zen
plein air" For the first time, fig.
ures OF the nude out Of doors were
painted In natural scenes, street
ganins taking q swim In the Seine.
or fanciful subjects In ideal com.
position. like Spring a bsauti-
ful nude playing with the SOUR.
rels and birds. which latter pic
turs she exhibited In New York
last season. 1t was q design for
. fireplace decoration. and one
could hardly believe today that
twsnty years ago her boldness had
actually been rsproved by an al.
most Victorian French public Of
that day. Mile. Dufau has many
farnous mural decorations In Paris.
and shs also decorated the walls
ef the poet Rostand's villa with
intriguing studies. also in the
nude. Yet, at the same time, this
artists facile brush produces very
excellent conventional portraits,
one notable success being the
seatsd thrss-quartsr length Of
Miss Ammo Morgan. q picture
widely copied after its exhibition
n New York. .>...
Our Washington women art
lists are perhaps not 80 extreme
ss the knickerbockered Rosa Bon
heur, whose splendid Horse
Fair" In the Metropolitan Gal
: isry OF New York. would alone
Justify almost any unconvention.
atty. Nor are our Washington
bachelor siri painters 90 addicted
- the nude as Mile. Helene Du-
Sau. who 10 . most attractive and
refined young French woman,
but We have women artists a.
charming and as industrious. and
n they were more widely recos.
nissd. who knows, psrhaps a. fa-
nous. tool Many OF them have
schisved q distinctive style. and
saeh d diffsrsnt from the others.