Evening star., 1925-04-19

he QedJD OF sargent, WHICH OC
Cured in London on April Is
has overshadowed all other
Il matters in the art world this
past week. The news came as
D. great shock, for though Mr.. Sargent
was within about year of 10, he was
so vital, so physically and mentally
strong that it seemed impossible to
believe he could die-and of course
he cannot 50 long as his work lasts.
But his career has ended; no more viii
that gifted hand produce and the
chapter is closed. The world is the
richer for his having lived the poorer
because Of his death.
John Singer Sargent was pre-emi-
nently the great painter of our day
and generation and in spite of the
fact that he was born in Florence and
lived most of his life abroad he was
typically American, embodying in his
work those qualities which we not
only like to think of, but are assured
by foreigners are representative of
American character He was coura
geous, strong, Virile and impetuous,
and yet at the same time rather re-
firing. Perhaps he carried the last
to an un-American degree. Personal
ly Mr.. Sargent was little known, save
by his few chosen intimates. He was
not given TO public speaking, he did
not pNSe and he would not be lioniZed.
He painted because he loved TO paint
and he painted to the best of his abil-
ity. He was large man and his self
portrait in the Uff1zi shows him with
finely modelled head, dark hair and
black beard, essentially a manly look
ing man--an aristoCrat. He was de-
scended from the SargentS of Massa-
chusettS, men and women of intellec-
tual attainment and strong conviction.
Whomsoeyer Sargent painted he
gave an air of distinction, but in
yariahly he set forth his own inter-
preation Of personality, and woe to
the man or woman who in his eSti-
nation fell short. SarGent's portraits
were not always complimentary, but
in no instance did they fail to give
a reading of character. This is the
very essence of great portrait paint
ing. He was a rapid workman, a
brilliant technician. His facial brush
laid the paint on just as it was to
stay, with absolute directness and as
Surance. But he could be very suave
in manner Of expression, and some
of his paintings show great refine
ment of finish, as we'll as brilliancy
in effect, as, for instance, his beauti-
tul full-length portrait of the late
Mrs. Henry White, shown some years
exhibitions
Reviewing Sargent's works, what
wealth of accomplishment there is,
How many exhibitions in the past
25 years have owed their chief dis
ttnction to one of his paintings?
Every one will remember The Three
Sisters shown here and in Phila-
deiphia; the large group painting of
The Doctors, done for Johns Hop
kins University and permanently
placed therein; his portraits of the
late John Hay and of Gen. Leonard
Wood, of President Roosevelt and
President Wilson, of Joseph Pulitzer,
the publisher and newspaper man; of
John D. Rockefeller, of Miss Town
send, now Mrs. Peter Goelet Gerry.
Two exhibitions of Sargent's works
have been held in this country, one
in Boston a considerable number of
years ago, another in New York
last Autumn. Both were arranged
through his cooperation.
But Sargent was not merely a
painter of portraits. The Corcoran
Gallery owns his charming picture,
'The Oyster Gatherers." This and his
picture of the Luxembourg gardens,
exhibited in one of the Corcoran Gal
lery's biennial exhibitions and now
owned by one of the other museums,
were painted when Mr.. Sargent was
In the early 20s. In recent years
he has painted much out of doors and
in new style, sometimes in oils,
sometimes in water colors, but
always with great skill and charm and
with marked individuality. One
could never mistake a Sargent paint
ing for the work of any one else, and
yet his work was essentially tradi-
tional- He was the inheritor, as we'll
as the follower, of the great masters
of the past.
THE Library Bureau of Railway
Economics announces an exhibit
ton of advertising posters of foreign
railways to be held in room 1890,
Transportation Building, Seventeenth
and H streets, from April 20 to 25
This exhibition will include the work
of prominent artists. such as Maurice
Griffenhagen, Sir William Orpen, Sir
David Murray, Frank BrangWyn and
Adrien Stokes, all members of the
Royal Academy of London. 1t will
show posters made for and displayed
by the railroads of France, Great
Britain, Italy, the Netherlands. Nor
way, Sweden, Switzerland, Belgium
and Canada, as well as Australia. New
Zealand, Manchuria and Argentina.
In the British section the posters
made for and used by the under
ground electric railways will be in
cluded. These invariably set forth
the attractions of the London suburbs
and are peculiarly attractive in
themselves. The Italian posters are
particularly colorful and no one who
has Travelled in that country can fail
to recall with pleasurable sensations
the attractive posters showing allur-
ing views of Italian scenery-the