Evening star., 1925-03-22

of Commerce as a part of its
industrial exposition opened
Yesterday in rooms 8 and and the
lobby on the second floor or the
Washington Auditorium, Nineteenth
and E streets, where it may be seen.
during the week. Considering the
short time in which the artists had
to assemble this exhibition, it is GER
tainly quite comprehensive. Oil paint
inss in double row fill the walls OF
room 4, which is of quite large pro-
portions Room 3 is devoted to water
coIors, and in the lobby, we'll placed,
are mural paintings. Among the last
is an enormous mural painting by
Cameron Burnside, made for the Red
Cross, a replica OF which was given
to France. This Is g. symbolic COM
position indicative of the service rem
dered by the Red Cross during the
war 1t is well composed and finely
rendered, and takes it's place well as
a wall decoration.
Mrs Burnside contributes two large
panels nude figures, presumably
made as studies for some allegorical
theme. There is a large upright panel
p by Mrs. Bush Brown representative
of the family and its ideals. Miss
Hale and Miss Clements each con-
tribute panels representing religious
themes. Mr.. Musgrave sends jolly
little horizonal panel, purposed, pre-
sumably, for nursery, with its gay
parade of nursemaids, children and
psrambulators. Eben Comins is rep
resented by handsome decorative
composition. Mural painting, how
ever, is a phase of art which does not
lend itself especially well to pur-
poses of exhibition, for mural paint
ings must almost invariably be made
for a particular place, from which
they can seldom be removed for the
mere interest of display. 1t is quite
astonishing, therefore. how good a
showing in this department the local
artists have been able to make.
In the big room devoted to oil
paintings one comes across many old
friends-pictures which have been
shown previously in exhibitions of
the Society of Washington Artists and
elsewhere. and which, having won
their laurels, have retired. Quite
number, doubtless, have been lent for
the present occasion. Immediately
upon entering the gallery ones at
tention is caught by a costumed figure
study, Madame de Pau" by Bertha
Noyes, an extremely clever painting. A
little to the left on an adjacent wall
hangs one of Eben CominS' excellent SOL
der studies. a portrait of a manly Scot
tish youth in military uniform. Hattie
Burdette shows an admirable portrait
study of a young colored girl learn
ing to cook. as well. as zone or two
paintings of flowers and still life.
William H. Holmes, the distinguished
president of the Society of Washing
ton Artists, is represented at his best
by a large landscape in which violent
motion is suggested by horses dash
. ing down a road in a cloud of dust.
Benson B. Moore shows excellent
Winter pictures. Mrs. Leisenring Is
represented by a figure painting and
a still life, the latter an interesting
study of a basket of wax flowers un-
der a glass bell-quaint and old
fashioned and beautifully rendered.
In the little room there are water
colors of an excellent type and stand
ard by some of the foremost of our
. local water colorists. Lesley Jackson,
who is secretary of the exhibition
committee, shows one of her very en-
gaging Gloucester scenes, q painting
not of boats and wharfs, but a view
across from Eastern Point to the lit
tie town, a favorite with Gloucester
sojourners.
The light is none too good in either
OF these rooms, nor were they designed
for exhibition purposes, but despite all
difficulties and limitations, the artists
make what may be considered a brave
doubtedly engage and hold the inter-
ested attention of casual visitors. In
any event it is well to have the fine
and industrial arts set forth together,
and the Washington Chamber of Com
merce has established an excellent
precedent in securing the cooperation
of the artists of the city.
x x
TT is only a step from the Washington
l. Auditorium to the Corcoran Gallery
of Art-two short blocks-and those
who visit the exhibition at the one
should not fail to see the current ex-
hibition which the Society of Wash
ington Artists is now setting forth in
the latter. This is one of the best local
showings that has been made for sew
eral years and it will we'll reward the
visitor 80
There are also in the Corcoran Gal
lery of Art two special one-man ex-
hibitions which are of special interest
One consists of flower studies in water
color by William Fuller Curtis, the other
OF small bronZeS-animalS and fowls
by Albert Laessle of Philadelphia
Among Mr. Laessle's' exhibits is a
bronze, life-sized turkey gobbler, a
splendid bird, reminding one in it's fine
rendering of it's famous prototype in the
great National Gallery, the HBargello" in
Florence. That in the midst of this
hurried, electrified Goth century life
Mr. Laessle has been able to recapture
the spirit of the Ieisurely, sumptuous
Renaissance age in Italy is marvellous
indeed. Again one is reminded of Saint
GaudenS' saying that 1T is not what
one does, but the way one does it which
counts" Turkeys and toads would not
seem to be artistically inspiring in
themselves, but as interpreted through
the art of this accomplished sculptor
they provide essentially an aesthetic
thrill.
x x X
nNE of the notable figures in the
field of American landscape paint
ing today is Ernest Lawson, an ex-
hibiton of whose paintings is now to
be seen in the little gallery at the
Phillips Memorial, which is open free
to the public, on Tuesday Saturday
and Sunday afternoons from until
$50. Mr.. Phillips has for some years
been great admirer Of Mr.. Lawson's
work and has consistently collected
some of his best examples. One
hangs at present in the main gallery,
wherein are shown the great Renoir and
Daumier paintings-masterpiec which
one might well travel half around the
world to see.
In the little gallery, descending the
short flight of steps, one finds 80 less
than IL Lawsons, each ut erly different,
each joy in itself. Here is the very
first picture which Ernest Lawson
painted and sold, picture of a rainy
night in New York. Here, also, Is one
Of his latest works. in a manner more
assured but no less poetic. Mr.. Lawson
has Travelled far meanwhile and has
spent some time painting in Spain, but
the majority of his subjects and the
he Gf hax i,, 4tao o;,,;t
his home on Washington Heights. New
York Hare he IIion Rridna LIZ,