Evening star., 1923-03-04

the wilderness until now it has been
augmented from time to time by Wis
ting artists from other cities who
have temporarily set up studios here.
Among the first of these was Gilbert
Stuart, who from 1903 to 1906 or '06
lived in Washington and painted
many portraits of men and women
prominent in social and official life
portraits which are today in some
instances priced possessions of the
leading art museums.
This winter Eben +. Comins of Bos-
ton has been painting here, tempor-
arily located in the studio belonging
TO Miss Hale and Miss Clements. back
Neniently approached through st.
Matthew's alley. Mr.. Comns is
painter not only of portraits but OF
figure compositions and genre. Dur
ing the great war he painted series
OF portraits of enlisted men, showing
various types represented in the
american expeditionary forces. This
series is here now in the National Mu
scum with the war collection, on eN-
hibition in the main hallway on the
first floor, Tenth street entrance.
In the current exhibition of the
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine
Arts in Gallery +. which is commonly
regarded the honor room. is now
I" be seen a painting by Mr.. Comins
Of Il young 'Angelica"-painted
against strip of red brocade, which
in turn has as background a conven-
tioualiZed and extremely decorative
lamdscape--a gloritied Mount Monad-
l"ck. This painting has been placed as
pendent for superb figure composition
tN Irving Wilcs. and it holds its place
with dignity, lending impressiveness
and charm to that portion OF the wall.
it is a little. perhaps, in the Thayer
tradition. but il is in no wise imita
tive. The color scheme is bold and
daring. and is one to which MIR. Com
inS has given careful study, a combi-
ration OF reds which. but for skillful
and neat adjustment in values, might
he found claShing. inharmonious. In
somewhat similar vein Mr.. Comins
painted a double portrait. THE Sis
fcrS." which has been shown In veri-
Gus important exhibitions, but is now
IN his studio here.
At the Arts Club recently for few
days was to be seen Mr.. Comlns por-
trait of Ruth st. Denis in her Nautch
dance. This is d large canvas. and
shows brilliant rendering of texture:
The dancer is represented as seated
on a divam. eurircled by the folds OF
her shin.mering green skirt. The
pos" is spirited and admirable. the
effect striking. 1t is viriie work.
Occasionally Mr.. Comins elects to to
step aside and paint hit of still
life or picture which, like Hogarth's
CONVERSATION Pieces. calls attention
IL q weakness in CotempOrary life.
pletcd. One is called oh. My and
shows an elderly New England lady
eXclaiming with horror at the sight
of two girls in modern f1apper dress.
While She d!sregards as negligible the
CorSeted manikin in the shop window
behind her. The other is called Sun
day Morning. and shows such a fam
ily as is introduced in the play called
i<cmpy." deVOuring a Noluminous
Sunday newspaper with evident en-
ioymcnt. The father and mother each
has a section. the children are enjoy
ing the comics. the young daughter
i providing an accompaniment at the
piano.
In ono Of the large houses here on
Massachusetts avenue hangs. in COM
pany with works by the great mas
tors. a three -quarter-length portrait
Of Il charming American woman of
tho most cultured type-a painting
rendered in the spirit of the great
tradition. rich in tone, reticent in
l.-i1ng. distinguished in effect. This,
TOO. is tho work of Eben Comins. Such
temporary residents arc more than
welcome. ard though. perchance, they
may not tarry long, their contribution
is considerable to the already full
record of art life in Washington,
.which has always been on high
plane.
At the Arts Club, 2017 7 street, was
~ set forth the last of this week
exhibitions of paintings by Truman
Fassett and Gertrude B. Bourne.
Mrs Bourne. the wife of a well
known architect, Frank G. Bourne,
Of Boston. is a water colorist of much
distinction. Her early work was un
der the direction Of Henry B. Smell
and later of Henry W. Rice, both we'll
known watercolor and landscape
painters. but her later pictures cam
RI he NNytIC nf hn
work of either OF these artists Her
style is distinctly her own. Her
compositions are carefully thought
out and well placed. Her colors are
with full brush She is not a. fad
dist Occasionally she uses body color
gray paper or canvas. Some of
her paintings in gouache have been
exhibited with oil paintings instead
Of in the Watercolor section, because
nt their strength and carrying quail
Itx. Two watercolors by Mrs. Bourne
we're shown in the Washington
ton in the Corcoran Gallery of Art.
and attracted much favorable atten
ton. Her work has a bigness and
her treatme is invaria bly, suave. In
other words. she is not a moderntst
according to the accepted definition
~ this term. but her paintings have
beauty Of character, as.well as charm
Of color and refinement.
X y X X
THE Corcoran Gallery Is showing
at the present time collection
OF etchings, drawings and silver
point portraits by Robert Fulton Lo-
Ean of Hartford Conn. Mr.. Logan
entered the Army when war was de-
cIared and has only lately returned
from France. In 1919 he was made
assistant director of the atelier of
painting of the Bellevue Art Training
center of the A. e. +. He is a pupil
of the Boston School of the Museum
Of Fine Arts and of Philip l.. Hale, a
member Of the Connecticut Academy
of Fine Arts; the Chicago Society OF
EtcherS and the Societe 1nternation-
ale Graveure Originate en- Noir of
Paris He is represented in the Lux
cmbourg Museum. The majority OF
his subjects are architectural and
foreign, and in most instances his
etchings are of larger size than is
common, but they are very strong,
very correct and extremely sgnifi-
cant-works which bespeak great
skill as an etcher and unusual artis-
tic intuition and feeling. The silver
point portraits are exquisite render
etchingS are positive and bold
&x
A GROUP of paintings
pastels and oils-by Russian