Evening star., 1924-06-01

The exhibition of work by students
of the Corcoran School of Art, which
was set forth In the special exhibit
ton gallery and the large adjacent
schoolroom at the Corcoran Gallery
this past week. was impressively fine
Not only was the work well done, but
Indicative in many instances Of ex-
ceptional talent on the part nf the
students. 1t was a large exhibition,
comprising drawings from life by
both day and night classes, drawings
from the antique by day and night
classes, studies in portraiture and fig
ure work in drawing and in color.
still life painting and compositions.
More than 800 students have been
registered and working in these
classes in the Corcoran School of Art
this past season and. judging from
the works shown, all have been
above the average in the matter of
gift. Almost any one can be taught
to draw, but comparatively few pos
sess that inherent endowment which
enables one to draw well, and by
well Is meant sensitively, feelingly,
in such wise that 1t stirs with en-
| thusiasm or delight the beholder.
AS rule, there are few exhibitions
of art, or so-called art. more drab
and dull and uninspiring than those
of school work-drawings from life,
| drawings from the cast, feeble eff
forts at portraiture and still life
painting: but there was much in this
exhibition of work by students of the
Corcoran School which was of really
enlivening interest.
The drawings from the antique were
admirably DONE interpreting not
merely actual form, but the spirit of
the original sculpture, which in some
wise. through enlightened suggestion
or intuitive sympathy, the students
seemed to have realized through the
cold and utterly inadequate interpre-
tive medium of plaster. In the early
days Of the Corcoran School such
drawings were made large-siZe and
from limited number of casts in the
classroom. Now the drawings are
comparatively small. and are made
by the students in the gallery. They
have, therefore, a much larger range
of material TO choose from and a
greater variety of choice in the mat
ter of lighting. all of which they
seem to have used to the best adTan-
tage.
1t is an artists business to make
beauty manifest. to interpret il to
others who have not the seeing eye
or trained perception. but it is not
often that one finds students capably
aggeration to say that many of the
drawings from the antique in this
students showing were beautifully
interpreted with great simplicity,
sincerity and charm. There were
evidenced a nice feeling for form,
great accuracy in craftsmanship. un-
common appreciation of the relation
of values. coupled with extraordinary
command of the medium employed
charcoal And what was most i'm
pressive was the fact that these
drawings seemed not to have been
made as mere exercises, but rather
with delight and with loving care.
which did not. however, obliterate
spontaneity Of expression.
The life drawings in both the day
and night classes likewise manifested
this same freedom and play of indi-
vlduality on the part of the stu
dents. Here, too, the work showed
conception of art which is not al
ways found. alas. in art schools. The
beauty of the human form seemed to
have been recognized and grasped
and in many instances the lines en-
ployed for the presentation were
flowing, sensitive and rhythmical.
Again the students give evidence of
commanding their medium, rather
than being enslaved to it. Witness
ing to the fact that all of this life