Evening star., 1924-01-20
EXHIBITS VIEWS
FROM SOUTH SEAS
George B;dd1e of Prominent PHILADELPHIA and
Baltimore Families Creates Sensation n Paris
after L'v'ng on Islands Since World War.
Mystery IN Man Who Could Have Succeeded to
Partnersh'b IN Great LaaO Office.

SIeat gentleman and a great jurist
At the outset Of his splendid career
he died. He left four sons-Mencuro
tnamed for his grandfat ther, Robinson
or Baltimore), today a banker.
George, the present painter and sculp-
tor; Francis, u lawyer, and Sydney, a
doctor in Boston.
Death smote, cruel and sudden, in
the family. In a few short years the
great law office was broken UP by
the decease in dismaying succession
OF george, Sydney and old Mr.. Bid
Ole. There remained the old gentle
mans third son, Arthur. distinguished
compiler of law precedepts, whose
own son died gloriousIy in the war,
a hero of the Lafayette Squadrilla.
George Biddle, the painter (and
cousin OF this ace). served at the
front as lieutenant on the general
staff OF the American First Army
Corps, and won promotion to captain
in racketing service. All our early
combat divisions passed through the
First Corps.
After the war he Went TO the south
seas.
:; !: :: !;
u EGULARLY they ask why George
Biddle went to the south seas.
/ should ask, rather, how he had the
moral courage to break into paint
ing. 1t is q family OF bankers, law
yers judges, army officers and doc
tors. George himself began as a
lawyer. He is a member of the Phil
adelphia bar, as his father was. OF
course, the family fortune is intact.
In. answer to 3 question once, he
said: Il had always been good at
my studies. but at law my brothers
were better than l."
Probably the art crave came TO him
from his father, who on his trips 20
Paris and London was in and out
the studios and dealers, great
fancier of pictures, art objects, brio
a-brac, tapestries and period furni-
ture.t -
Now see that which superb Sydney
Biddle. the father. sought to buy as
collector-and his range of interest
was w1de-his artist son, by an un-
usual quirk, Graves to produce with
his own hands.
The sons classical education is
complete. He put in the years TO
study law. He was (and isl law
yer. Nothing prevented him from
being a collector of ali kinds OF art.
because he is as hot for one kind as
another. But not other fellows
Here, therefore, is the extraordinary
thing.
George Biddle IS almost as fine a
sculptor as he is a painter. He is
marvellous at tapestry designing. He
exhibits art screens, tables, mar
Quetry tablets, etc, that charm
everybody. In sculpture he goes. even,
into hard woods. (Not one sculptor
IL a hundred does IT'D At this mo-
ment he is carving in mahogany that
beautiful piece of his already done
In marble. called Maternity"
The big block OF mahogany is there
upon the pointing stand, harder than
marble, but with a grain which, how
ever fine, risks splintering off be-
meath the chise1 strokes.
Biddle does, even. his own pointing
and the first rough shaping Of the
figure from the block. which sculptors
cialist art artisan. Next he will be de-
signing stained glass.
Raphael designed costumes, Michael
Angelo was sculptor and painter,
Leonardo invented walnut OIL But
do not think that BiddIe consciously
follows in great footsteps.
!: :: :: ::
PIDDLE is q modernist-an- ultra
modernist. This is in line with
all the rest. The family members are
surely all traditionalists. Brought
up from a lad on precedent, he
squarely refuses precedent in art,
while having in his blood and educa-
tion all the old brakes to slow him
down to taste and measure. I have
asked the Partisan whom I respect
the most in these things what he
thinks Of George Biddle's modernity.
Once art was for churches" an
swers this Partisan. Now it is for
fine houses. The painter who is
original and not sheep instinctively
sees his art where 1t must hang or
stand. Biddle's bright yet tender
colors decorate walls with graceful
beauty. So his drawing keeps to
decorative lines.
'All the lines of his Tahiti house
roof, sides, shining walk, long border
of red flowers and curving sweep Of
road-are Of joyous symmetry. His