The Washington times., 1922-07-23
Or FLAMBEAU DISCUSSES AN ARTIST OF RARE ABILITY.
is PHILLIP ADAMS ONE OF UNCLE SAINTS BUSIEST WORKER

square In Paris, which terribly
shocked the French. Marvellous
nudes are imprisoned in the Lux.
embourg. In marble and on canvas.
There one may be sure OF a SEN
sationA The original Of "Septem.
Der Morn" a charming thing of q
girlish bather so poorly parodied
in pictures over here. is only one.
They are there. good and bad, and
the guide leaves you at the door.
to go through alone.
Philip Adams composition Of
Eve and the Serpent" might well
be In the Luxembourg, Q graceful
female figure with the serpent coil
ed about her body. and her hand
toying with it's head. her face an
enigma as she smiles at US out Of
the canvas. Whether we can per
suade the artist to exhibit this
fine study We are not sure, but
everyone win rush to see II II II Ii
shown.
NUDE ALWAYS FAsCINATES.
The nude has always fascinated
tho artist. In the Prado. Madrid.
they have Goya's famous LA Ma
ja," about which Ibanez wove his
unrappy novel Of Woman Triun-
phant." as the name was trans
lated for US.
American exhibitions every year
show q few nudes by more or less
daring artists. Sometimes these
represent only the painters thirst
for Fnotoriety. q nude before the
mirror. a suggestive reclining fig
ure, Titian's Venus" But there
are many exceptions.
Perhaps the most beautiful mod
ern nude ever shown in Washing.
ton was this spring in the Abbott
Thayer Memorial Exhibition at the
Corcoran. It was the only nude
among his pictures. which were all
unusually fine, especially the An
gel figures. which Thayer 10 said
to have painted better than any
other artist for the past two hun
dred years. The beauty OF all his
work brought an even keener re-
gret that the artist died q year
ago.
But the finest of all was Q seated
half-nude, a gracious and youthful
woman, with lovely flesh-tints,
painted about 1907 from a favorite
model who posed also for the sculp-
tor st. Gaudens and other artists.
This work was the masterpiece Of
the exhibition. and It had just been
sold for $4,000, q top-notch price
for American painting. but 1t viii
some day be worth many times
that, for It Is q picture. that will
never grow old. this 'Half-Nude
Figure"
II Is not for his charmips
painting Of the nude that Philir
Adams work interests us 30 great
ly. But It is rather that We find
in him a practical man Of affairs,
who after more than four years OF
steady and constantly improving
work in office routine, has not
lost the fanciful. Imaginative view
of life which Is all too rare every
where. and which differentiates the
true artist wherever he may be.
II we were willing to give more
encouragement to the sway Of the
ina agination, which is not an i'm
practical thing at all. but q highly
idealistic faculty, our enjoyment
Of life would be deeply enhanced
and # is for this reason that tho
story Of Philip Adams, successful
both as painter and division chief
has such a significance for every
one. II we can find in the daily
task still some opportunity to dc
the ideal thing which we trul.
love, the burden Of life will become
a very light one, and we shall
bring Joy to others as well as our
selves.
When Mr.. Adams work Is shown
next fall, probably in the new clul
rooms Of the Art and Archaeoloe,
League. It cannot fail to interes
and stimulate all who have tn,
opportunity to see it and to know
the painters true story.