Evening star., 1924-10-26

good custom, and one may be glad tc
see it revived as Mr. Melchers ha:
revived it in this late portrait of Mr.
Mann, who is pictured standing a
his desk in the House of Representa-
tives, not speaking, of course, but ms
II about to speak, or as, perchance
pausing in his speech
Carl Melchers is better known as
painter of figures or genre than as
a. portrait painter, but that he has
one might almost say, the supreme
gift for portraiture is evidenced by
the Mann portrait. Not only is the
figure boldly presented, but the per-
sonality of the sitter is strikingly
insistent. 1t is an Interpretation of
character as well as appearance, and
what is more, the composition of the
work is admirable. Mr.. Melchers has
not set the figure of Mr.. Mann
against background; he has made
the background part of his picture
and environment, as it were, and as
it should be. There is much said
today about modern art, moderniStic
expression, and a vast deal so called
is of a spurious sort, merely parad-
Ing under this misnomer. Mr.. Melch-
ers' portrait is really modern in it's
form of expression, full of the nerv-
Gus energy of our time, frank, direct,
work, rejecting cotemporary habit
of thought. Here is what might be
an official portrait which satisfies
the demands of art, and should be
found worthy. at some time in the
future of place in the national Dor
trait collection.
Mr.. Melchers, it will be remem-
bered, painted some years ago a per-
trait Of President Roosevelt, an ex-
q f,,11
trait, which was secured by the late
Charles l. Freer for his collection.
He is represented in the Corcoran
Gallery by a very beautiful painting
of a Dutch mother and child, a mod
ern Madonna, and by an interior with
figures, which is in reality a picture
OF a room in his own house and a
little portrait of his very lovely wife
seated by an embroidery frame, doing
piece of needlework. The Pennsyl-
vania Academy of the Fine Arts has
his Skaters; the Institute of Art in
Detroit, in which city the painter was
born, has his portraits of Mrs. MeIch-
ers and Ike Marvel, his painting en-
titled The Fencing Master" and that
lovely little church interior, YES
pers." He is also represented in the
permanent collections of the Car
negie Institute, Pittsburgh; the
the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, as
we'll as the City Art Museum in St.
Louis and the museum in Toronto,
Canada
A n Italian portrait painter, Michael
y Calfano, has come to Washing
ton with the intention of permanently
establishing studio here. He is
Neapolitan by birth, pupil of the
great Italian painter Mancini, and
has studied under other we'll known
Italian masters. 1t is his intention,
however, to take up, If he has not al
ready done so, American citizenship,
and is one of those who come to us
bearing gifts. That he has talent,
keen perception, good training and
high ideals there is no doubt. He
has painted one portrait since he
came to Washington, and though 1t
is not yet completed to his satisfac-
tion, it undoubtedly places him in the
ranks of those who know.
X X
NIAsHINGToN has been greatly en-
w riched through the genius Of
tunate in having here his beautiful
Dupont fountain, his impressive and
noble portrait statue of Lincoln in
the Lincoln Memorial, his touching
and mastery Gallaudet memorial at
Kendall Green, and most lately his
statue of Victory surmounting the
1st Division memorial Among living
American sculptors Daniel Chester
French stands pre-eminent for
achievement.
His daughter, Mrs. William P. Cres-
son, has inherited talent, and, al
though she has produced only few
works, these show a sense Of the
plastic, a refinement of feeling, a
finish and mastery Of technique which |
As a rule one associates only with
mature effort. One Of Mrs. Cresson's
works, a head of young girl. has |
for some time been on exhibition as |
q loan in the Corcoran Gallery of Art. |
A portrait head of her distinguished |
father was shown last Winter at one |
Of the great exhibitions in New York,
and is now to be seen in the Grand
Central Galleries.
A couple of years ago Mr.. and Mrs. |
Eresson spent the Winter in Wash |
ington. They haye-poH caturned. and
p ~