Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-12-17
THE NORTH WINDOW
BY Leila Mechlin.

4
| fact has been brought strongly to
| mind recently by the visits OF two
| distinguished artists to Washington,
and the opportunity, not only of meet
| irg them face to face. but of talking
| with them about their art. Both are
men Of international reputation.
Philip de Laszlo, formerly of Buda-
I pest, now of London, a group of whose
| portraits is on exhibition in the Cor
coran Gallery of Art after being
| shown at the Knoedler Gallery, New
! York, is said to have painted more
1 kings and queens than any painter
living today. Were he an author one
would say that he had the pen of
| ready writer. AS 1t is. one could
| truly say that he has the brush of a
ready painter. He produces portraits
with lightning like speed and amazing
1 facility.
Possessing the polish which not
only birth and breeding but long as
| ISOLATION in high social circles gives.
] he is at the same time keenly alive
! and sensitive to Impressions, with a
mentality which is both penetrating
and nimble. Nothing escapes his
! quick perception.
At the Arts Club one evening dur
| ing his recent visit to Washington
he was the guest of honor and con-
scented to speak briefly on the sub
| ject of portrait painting. lie eX-
! planned then that his method was to
| register definite impression. to com
| plcte work. if possible, in "A single
setting. Sometimes, he said, he made
as many as five beginnings before he
! got what he wanted. If it did not
| go right he would stop and begin
| again. and in this way sometimes it
would be the fifth canvas that was
| used before the result was attained.
| Men whom he paints he poses in a
| way which brings out force of
character. In painting women, how
ever. he avoids, he says, heavy
shadows, and he takes the utmost
| pains in the choice of dress and in
| the placement of the figure on the
canvas. Every one does not know
what style is most becoming there
| fore he ventures now and then to
| advise his feminine sitters, to supply
| them with costumes which increase
| the charm and heighten the artistic
| effect
Great as is his skill and vast Is is
his experience. never does he stand
| before q blank canvas, he insists
| without the hope that the painting
| which goes thereon will be the best
! he has yet achieved. 1t is that hope,
! that eager desire for still higher at
tainment, which leads him on and
! which constitutes the fascination of
| his work. 1t is difficult. as every one
! knows, to be unspoiled by success, and
| those who have artistic facility. the
clever, are in great danger of back
| sliding in art. Philip de Laszlo is
not only a successful painter but a
| genuine artist. 1t is this that con-
tact with him makes evident.
Il j: :;
| Emil Fuchs. whose etchings are now
| on view in the Corcoran Gallery of
| Art and who has paid Washington
two flying visits lately, is also a ma
| tive of Central Europe. He, too, as
a painter, has found royal favor Go
! ing to London some years ago, he won
| the approval and patronage of the
| King and Queen. He, too. has painted
| portraits of the great and the near
| great. but he has always had beyond
a definite goal.
! 1T has always seemed to me-" he
| said, talking with one interested in
his work lately, las though I was GO
| ing through a tunnel leading l did
not know just where. Now ! feel
| as if I had come out: that all of the
| work and all of the effort and all of
| the experience in painting and sculp-
ture were in order that l might know
| how to etch." To him etching is the
| highest artistic achievement Zone
must know everything" he says, "in
| order to etch." When told that his
! etchings were very unlike his draw
| ings, he exclaimed, Il am glad of
that. Etching is not just drawing
1t Is an art to Itself. Zorns etchings,
! great AS they were and are, We're
| like pen and ink drawings. but Rem.
| brandt's etchings-how different, And
Rembra ndt was the great master" He
owns more than one etching by Rem
| brandt. Il am so fortunate" he saws.
and l look at them every morning.
1t Is a great privilege, a great joy.
have lived lonely life; I have had
! TO fight my way. Art is not just a
| God-given power, 1t has to be learned.
| 1t means hard work. But / am now
| accomplishing what 1 have striyen
! for
He laments that he is not younger
that he might have more life to
| give to his art, vet he is still in his
prime. Talent. he claims, is a loan
, from higher power, and one is bound
to see that it yields interest.
No one could doubt, talking with
! Emil Fuchs, that he is a man with
strong emotion, with deep conviction.
completely wrapped up in his art, and
| with life dedicated to its perfection.
l :
clines not only to a better apprecia
ton of their work but to the work 8
of others.
Perhaps it is this contact with the
makers Of art today that is most need
ed in order to promote a better an
probation of art values. Reading the
letters OF Isabella dEste, that great
patron of art in the DAYS of the Rem.
aissance. one finds that the artists
whose works she owned were personal
| friends. When she commissioned a
painting she talked it over with the
artist; she shared their enthusiasms.
| Now the tendency is not to commits
| sion, but to buy, and to buy through a
! dealer
Said newspaper man from Florida
! the other day to a Washington ac-
quaintance, Il am beginning to collect
paintings. I have bought two works
by MIR. -. You know he spends his
| Winters In Florida; he is a delightful
person. Through him I have become
interested in art ut was Joseph
Penneli." said a wealthy collector to a
group OF friends one day, who first
made me see the real beauty in our
American skyscrapers. One Sunday
morning In New York I took a walk
with him way down town, and what
he showed me during that walk shall
never forget. 1t was a beauty of
which l had not previously dreamed. -
x < !; X
1t has been discovered. Furthermore.
that when artists accompany their ey-
hlbitions, albeit that they are not al
ways good statesmen, there are almost
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