Evening star., 1924-04-06
Notes of Art and Artists

strong appeal to the Imagination and
peculiarly we'll adapted for decorative
purposes. Among the important loans
IS the Rosa Mystica," owned by the
Cleveland Museum of Art, which Is
not little reminiscent or the WORK
OF rhr. Tack's former master, John L.
Fargo. Mr.. Tack iS essentially 2
painter OF religious themes, but, hike
John La Fargo. he has been strongly
influenced by the works Of oriental
masters. a2d some OF his paintings
included in this exhibition have
distinct flavor of the Chinese
The value Of the written or spoken
word TO elucidate the painters mes
sage is strikingly given by the iLu-
mtnatlng foreWord to the catalogue
OF this exhibition, written by MI
Phillips. which indeed opens the door
10 understanding and points the way
to appreciation of work which is 80
novel that it's tendency is To bewilder
and confuse on first inspection II
many respects this exhibitiouu is one
of the most notable events Of MAN.
seasons
Those who visit the Tack exhibition
should not forget, however, that the
upper gallery, which is also reached by
elevator from the basement entrance, Is
likewise open, and contains many works
OF superladve value, works which con-
noisseurs OF art in other cities come to
Washington purposely to sec.
x x y S
THE Corcoran Gallery of Art opened
last week two special exhibitions oH
diversified interest, one Of paintings by
Victor Higgins which now occupies the
semi-circular gallery the other OF paint
inGs of ancient ships Of the merchant
marine. by Paul Farnhan, which are or
view in the south gallery. given over
chiefly to contemporary works in scul1,-
ture.
Mr.. Higgins was born in Shelbyvile
Ind, III 1884, and studied first at the
Art Institute Of Chicago and the Acad-
emy OF Fine Arts OF that city; then Ut
der Rene Menard and Lucien Simon III
Paris and Hans Won Hyeck In Munich
He is not only an associate member Of
the National Academy of Design, but
member OF that most interesting artists
colony, the Taos Society of Artists and
the more lately organized Society OF
New Mexico Painters. He is represented
in many of the leading art museums, and
has received for his works numerous
awards and medals.
Practically all of the twenty y-five paint
ings included in this exhibition vert
painted in New Mexico, the majority al
Taos, and those who would appreciate
them fully must have some knowledge
or the country in that, to US, far-oT
itE tOlls LOI 1t ulIIGIS WlOciy IN
from our oHn-so widely, indeed, rhat j,
Is almost unbelievable Occupying cen
trail positions on the fiat and the semi.
circular walls are large, almost squarr
canvaseS setting forth paintings Of In
dlanS, one an Indian girl with parrot
the other, two Apaches. In both in
stances the weird landscape makes tho
background The painting is done with
vivid directness. Two of the other paint
ings are religious in theme, one, The
GO m m he. che -
preaching, not in Palestine, but on :.
New Mixecan hilltop. and the other "a
Man in a Garien"-Christ walking IN d
grove OF mighty trees. 1t was thus thai
the rnatssance painters interpreted
Chrst in their own surroundings; il IL
the thought OF the universal Savior o,
mankind, belonging TO all ages, to al
men.
III another painting. 'sThe Valley o.
Waiting Souls" Mr.. Higgins har
made appeal to the imagination arG
has perhaps entered into the realm
Of the allegorical, not with absolutr
success, but with an evident desire
to get away from pure realism Th.
same applies to his Adam and Eve"
and to Pegasus Unmounted." On thf
other hand, his Cabin in the Aspens
shows exquisite adjustment of val
ues and keen sense OF beauty in
nature. His Solo Circus and "'Cte
Park FreighterS give gifnp9eS OF
Taos life, with CLINT Of huulor II
the former, and his still life, ''Zip
Mas" shows him to be at will a
painter of extraordinary technicaI
ability 1t is an interesting exhibj-
tion, particularly to those who en-
joy novelty.
THE ship paintings OF which thera
are twelve, are primarily o.
what might be termed literary inter
est, literary being interpreted in this
instance as maritime, historical They
are the "Ancieat Ships of the Mer-
chant Marine That Opened the Con-.
merce Of the World" and are a pic
turesque feet, witnessing to the one
time splendor of the trade and the
intrepid courage Of the Seamen. They
are painted on wood, each picture
representing single ship. and are
framed not in holdings, but in paint
ed decorative borders. The painter
Paul FarnhaH, himself, has said that
he did not attempt to produce aes-
thetic, authentic or impre sSi onistic
pictures; he did not paint ships ly-
ing safely in harbor but as seen al
sea, for which they were built. Eacf
ship is shown in prospective and as
observed from the crows nest or
fighting top; and every detail from
stem to stern "underweigh at sea" Is
given.
They are accurate and eztraordi-
narily detailed renderings. One is :
Phoenician merchant galley of abou;
700 3. G; another is a Creek war
trireme OF the fifth century, IS. C.:
third is a Viking trading ship of the
eighth century, A.D.: another is typ
ical ship Of the crusaders. twelfth
century A.D.: then comes THE Grea'
Harry an English ga1ieon of the
type of vessel built in the time -
Henry ~. These arc followed by tl1c
Spanish CaraI5 of the 4iftcentll cen
tury, such as Columbus used. Mex
comes IL French vessel Of the Eallcou
type; the Graudc Hermine; then the
Dutch galieon OF the sort used in East
such as Drake captured: and the
Golden Hinde. the favoTite ship 0;
Queen Elizabeth: the Arke Royal Of
the British navy. which defeated tnc
Spanish Armada in 1855, and, finally.
the Elizabe than merchant ship: in all.
a rcmar kabie showing and one which
recalls fascinating stories of adven-
ture, treasure ships and the like.
:: * :;
A the Smithsonian Institution, un-
= der the auspices 70 the division
of graphic arts of the United States
National Museum, an exhibition of
etchings of birds and animals by viii
Simmons, secretary of the Brooklyn
Society of Etchers, is now set forth.
This exhibition will continue through
out the month and will be- reviewed
more fully at o. later date.
x 4 X
MISS BLANCHE GREER announces
~ an outdoor class in drawing and
painting in and about Washington.
beginning April l. and continuing 10