The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-02-07

This years exhibition of the Society
of Independent Artists, which is to be
held at the Waldorf hotel, New York
City, March II to April 2, will contain
| a most interesting group of paintings
done by the younger artists of the
Hopi and Zuni tribes of Indians in
New Mexico. These paintings depict
the ceremonial life of the Pueblo In
dams, and are beautifully conceived
and executed.
This exhibition will go to prove con-
| clusively that Cecilia BeauX's asser-
ton that there is no native American
school of art was a decidedly mis-
taken and ill considered assertion,
for here we have work done by strict
~ aboriginal American artists who
| never saw the inside of a European
art school. and the subject matter of
| scenery in the most exact and literal
sense possible.
The writer of this column had his
first opportunity Thursday afternoon
| to havesa really good look at the beat
| tiful and interesting exhibition of
i paintings now on at Washburn col
! lege.
In variety of subject and diversity
of styles of work. certainly no more
| interesting and instructive exhibit of
/ paintings has ever been shown in To-
! peka. The beholder is impressed by
the absolute freedom from monotony,
he sees something new and attra ctive
| at every step and at every turn of his
| eyes, yet the number of pictures is not
great enough to produce WEAKNESS or
confusion.
Most of the paintings are of wonder
full beauty and charm, the very best
work of Americas most noted artists;
! some of them men whose names have
| been household words for almost a
| generation.
The largest, most expensive, and
perhaps the most impressive land
| scape Cor rather it is marine) is
| William Ritschers "Stormbeaten Coast
| of California" It shows huge col
umes Of green water of the Pacific
| surging and breaking on the jagged
rocks and against the cypress studded
| cliffs in the neighborhood of Mon
ferey. While some critics may con-
| slider the treatment and coloring of
| this picture somewhat academic
| nevertheless there is an aWesome
grandeur about the work that fascin-
! ing that is hard to describe. The pic
I ture is valued at $4,000.
| Another fine marine Ito the writer
the most beautiful that he has ever
| SEEM is eFrederick J. Waugh's Surf
! After a Gale" The movement and
| the color of the water are superb, the
/ great leaden sWells that derive their
! color from the low-scudding storm
| clouds, and the white foam as the
! great seas break on a low ledge of
| rocks, are wonderful indeed Then
| too, the composition of the picture
is so satisfying.
Chauncey +. Ryder's landscape.
| Ross Turner's Shop and Ben Fos-
pine forest, Nare both gems of land
| scape painting tho the one is totally
| different from the other in color. sub
Ject, composition and handling.
! t. r Dumonds Fairy Fold" is a
most charming bit of weaving to-
gether of natural fact and poetic fancy.
This picture is much admired by
| George NJ. Stone.
Jonas Lie, whose name has, ap-
peared with distinction in the art
journals for SO many years, has one
picture in the collection. 1t is called
| Gossip. The subject is a str
scene, apparently in some French
Canadian town. quite. likely Quebec
| Quaint old dormer rooted houses in
| soft grays and pinks border the sleepy
| thorofareS at the end of which is a
steep rocky cliff. In front of the
| houses groups of women chat and
gossip while children romp and play
| in the roadway. 1t is a picture one
would like to possess.
The second most valuable picture
from the money standpoint. is Childc
Hasa ms ''Springtime, Exterior Boule-
ward It isSthe only picture shown
by another exceedingly well known
artist. It is by no means a large
painting Its money value lies in it's
mastery truth. its fine technique and
the standing of the artist. The sub
ject is simple Partisan scene a wo-
man of the working class sitting on a
bench in a little park on a busy street.
while the familiar traffic flows by. 1t
is priced at $3.50.
The painting that seems to attract
the most attention of all and no Won
der. is Mrs. John Johansen's young
Girl A more beautiful portrait of a
little girl would indeed be hard to con-
ceive The painting is a large one
and dominates the west room on the
second floor of Boswell hall, where it |
is loca ted, that is it dominates that
room if you enter by the east door.
where you cannot see Ritschel's ma
rine. The coloring and the techni'eIe
ara almost agicaL The longer you
look the more you see to admire and
wonder about.
There are many other excellent pic
lures in the exhibition, some of which
you may think more beautiful than
the ones described here, but time and
space forbid a further discussion OF
the exhibition at this time. To APP
precitae this collection of art gems
you must go and look at it yourself.
In the 1922 Exhibition of the
Artists, sculptors, Designers Mug
clans. and Writers of Missouri and
Kansas. now going on at the Kansas
City Art Institute in Kansas City, No,
there are pictures by eleven Kansans,
three of them Topeka people.
The Topeka artists are Miss Marian
Peers, Mrs. Helen Hodge, and May
nard Walker. Each of these persons
has entered one picture. and their
pictures are all landscape paintings.
Miss Peers picture is entitled
PEW oodland Path" and is said to have
been painted on the banks OF the
Shunganunga; Mrs. Hodges picture is
called Morning in the Ozarks'i and
Mr.. Walkers is Evening Clouds
Other Kansans exhibiting are Bir-
ger Sandzen of Lindsborg. who's has
entered two paintings and three htho-
graphs, all of the landscape subjects;
William Hekking of Lawrence, who
exhibits two portraits and two land
scape studies in. oil; Alfred H. Clark
| of st Marys PORTRAIT of a Bow