The Washington times., 1925-02-02
STUDIO TEA
CHARMING
EVENT
Portraits Shown to Pleas
ant Group of Artists
Friends
By JEAN ELIOT.

this time to the Continental
- idea Of Sunday observance,
Washingtonians have developed a
particular fondness for tea parties
on the one afternoon Of the week
when the menfolk are free to go
calling. There were several recep-
tons yesterday, perhaps the most
interesting being Eben F. Comins'
studio tea. This successful-and
elightful-portrait painter has The
top floor of the old Cotton house,
in Connecticut avenue, where lovely
Marjorie Cotton, now Mrs. Randall
Hagner, and her sister, Mrs. Archi-
bald Davis, reigned as bellies some
dozen years or more ago, and where
now smart shops are sandwiched
In with studio apartments and the
Van Dyck Gallery hangs out its
sign.
Four flights up under the caves
and the skylight-Mr. Comins has
his big studio, and, the elevator be-
ing temperamental, many of His
guests yesterday had to walk. 1t
was we'll worth the climb, however,
to have a taste of his hospitality
and a look Of his at his pictures
the same, most OF them, as have
recently been on exhibition in New
York;
Arriving late after a long motor
ride through the snow covered coun-
try, missed most of the people, but
he'd a better chance to look at the
Portraits. And after all one can
meet people every day, but not such
portraits. Moreover, there were
enough visitors lingering in ami
mated converse to give friendly at
mosphere to the big room. Miss
Ruth Hitchcock, daughter Of former
Senator Hitchcock, who had been
presiding at the tea table, was going
out as we arrived, but Mrs. William
Barrett RidSely, one OF Mr. Com1ns'
Oldest friends in Washington, was
filling the role Of hostess.
The Tottens came in a few mo-
n.ents Iater-Major and Mrs. George
Oakley Totten, jr.-and Commander
Cripon, assistant naval attache OF
the French Embassy-who is an ar
fist as well as an engineer and
does quite stunning posterS-and
Mr.. ana Mrs. Harold Williamson, OF
cur foreign service, who have but
recently come to Washington.
ssPaintabIe Person" Makes Appeal
To Artistic Instinct Of Host.
The moment Mrs. Williamson
entered the room one could see
CLEAN of artistic appreciation in
Mr.. Comins' eyes. What q paint
able person! With her hair cut boy
fashion to show her ears ana
slicked straight back from her FORE
head where = grows in a lovely
widows peak" beaut1ully
shaped head and just the profile
to wear thus becomingly. With
magnolia white skin and a lovely
chin and throat line. No wonder
the artist began at once to talk OF
painting her, launching into a dis
cussion of how it should best be
done and illustrating with his own
canvasseS.
They, are colorful lot these
portraits and show much of the
vitality which is so salient char
acteristic of the artist IN his per-
sonality as well as in his work.
They show marked variety Of treat
ment, too, from the meticulous de-
tail of the handsome portrait OF
Miss Eleanor Williams, to tie i'm
pressionistic treatment of the head
of Bobby Bell director of the
Rams Head Players, with all his
dreams in his eyes and their ma
terialization limited at in the dim
blues of the background.
For all that. the artist has caught
much of the charm Of Miss VIII
liams' personality-thaC swift re-
Spouse and esprit which are so
much a part of this little Baltimore
R1rl-she's married now-who used
TO come avisiting here to her
aunt, Mrs. Thomas Chatard, liked
the treatment OF this portrait less
than some of the others. Mucn
less, for instance, than 1.-THE En-
igma," which is one of Mr.. CominS
best known works, and in which
he processes to see a stong sug.
gestion of Mrs. Williamson, or
than 1.-The Two Sisters" which has
found a permanent place in Mrs.
Marshall Fields dining room, but
which the artists, after much per-
suasion. had begged from its owner
especially for this exhibition; Or
stunning portrait Of Mrs. Joh1
Baer, of Washington, her black
hair and her rose red gown sill
houetted against a curious back
ground of dull yellows with a sug-
Project to Bring Priceless Drawings
To This Country Is Undertaken.
While Mr.. Comins concentrates
good deal on portrait work, he
Is showing some delightful genre
ntings-"Fireworks," for ex-
ample, and a gay little scene show
ing the crowd at the ticket window
Of a movie house-a landscape or
two, all highly individual, and
some decorative pieces painted