Evening star., 1925-04-16
THE NORTH WINDOW
BY LEILA MECHLIN.

the Corcoran Gallery of Art, and
the temporary exhibition of the paint
Ing by George Inness, jr., entitled
THE Only Hope" bring to mind the
relation of art to literature. The Eus-
tbs Memorial is essentially an illus-
tration, the Innes painting the visual
iZation Of an idea; both are subjective.
There has for some time been strong
prejudice against works of art pos
sessing what has been termed literary
flavor. The storytelling picture and
the illustrative work in sculpture
have been taboo and to such an ex-
tent that to venture into this realm
required a certain hardihood on the
part of an artist. Yet some of the
greatest works of art have been of
this sort. Obviously painting affords
simpler medium for illustration tsan
sculpture, but in the Middle Ages, as
all know, sculpture was generally put
to this use. For instance. the wonder
full carvings on the great French ca
thedrals illustrating Bible history, and
the story of the gospel. Because these
works were illustrative they were no
less to be reckoned great as art, and
even fragments of them are today
treasured because of their artistic
value. The great wall paintings of the
Renaissance were almost invariably
illustrative. For instance, Michael
Angeles decorations in the Sistine
Chapel representing THE Creation"
Leonardo da Vinci's mural painting in
Milan representing The Last Sup
per-" Later still we find Rembrandt,
one who ranks among the greatest ar
lists of all time, painting and etching
Biblical subjects. employing his art, in
short, for illustrative purposes.
Kenyon Cox, painter, sculptor and
! writer, says in his admirable book,
1.-The Classic Point of View" that the
illustrative painting went out Of
vogue because painters have told
stories that were too trivial, have told
stories that, though important and
interesting IN themselves, were ill-f1t-
ted for pictorial narration, and have
told stories badly" In other words, he
impresses upon his reader that the
great artist must choose, II he at
tempts an illustrative work, theme
having universal significance, and
, that he must set 1t forth fully and
forcibly." "It is the unfitness," he
continues, "of many stories for tell
ing in the language of painting that
makes SO many historical pictures al
| together unsatisfactory and dismal.
its beginnings among the cave men
| has always told stories and that It's
twin purposes Of illustration and deco
| rations have always gone hand in
hand.
According to this standard. Mr..
Gregorys Eustis Memorial conforms
with the best The theme Is essen
TALLY one which has universal sig
| nificance. It represents death and
grief, common experiences, and it in
terprets both with great simplicity
and dignity. In death Sir Launcelot,
the embodiment of gallant, Chivalrous
manhood, is beautiful, and the grim
horror of death is lost in a sense of
! peaceful serenity. So, also, does the
figure of his brother, Sir Ector, typify
grief which is not without hope. This
panel illustrates one of the great
works of literature, Mallory'S LIE
Morte d'Arthur." but it is not depend
ent upon 1t for significance, and Mr..
Gregory has rendered his theme as
Mr.. Cox says an artist should, fully
and forcibly," recognizing the princi-
pies uDon which all great art is built
and summoninG TO his aid his trained
craftsmanship, which Is Of high or
der his sense of fitness and his own
esthetic impulse sufficiently restrain
ed. To do this is much more difficult
of art which. through fine proportions
rhythm of line and nice adjustment of
light and shade, charms the eye and
appeals to the senses.
Daniel Chester French did somewhat
the same, and likewise did 1t beauti-
fully. when he designed and modelled
the Milmore Memorial, to be erected
over the grave of this young sculptor
Of Boston, who died so much too soon.
He chose as his subject death staying
the hand of the young sculptor, and
he produced d work of SURPRISING
beauty, one which has had a message
for many and which by artists. con-
noisseurs and the public alike has
been held in high esteem. And what
of SaintGaudens' Shaw Memorial,
erected opposite the State House in
Boston, in which are mingled history
and allegory, one of this masters
most successful and famous works?
What-to step back over the cen
turies-were Ghibertis bronze doors
for the baptistry in Florence but IL
Illustrations? The pity is that we do
| not have more such works today
| works rendered with consummate art,
yet carrying to all great message.
x 4 X
The painting by Mr.. Inness was
of different character. AS was said
before, it visualized an idea: it en-
ployed art for this purpose. but not
illustrative in the common sense of
| the word nor produced with the OBJ
| ject of satisfying esthetic impulse.
Just as the poster maker employs
art to put over"-using the vernac-
ular of the day-an idea, for instance,
| the purchase of Liberty bonds, contri-
buttons to the Red Cross, selling mer-
| chandise, SO Mr.. Inness employed his
painters gift TO teach a great les
son--the lesson of divine love lead
| ing to universal peace. He, too, told
/ his story fully and forcibly" so that
none who saw his picture could fail
| to understand its meaning. A less ac-
| complished artist could not have done
| this.
Thornton Oakley, who is one Of the
| foremost illustrators of our day.
| writing some time ago of Illustration,
said: Broadly speaking, all pictures
may be divided into two classes, those
whose purpose is to delight the eye,
| and those whose purpose is to de-
light the mind. True illustration lies
In the latter group. l have no quarrel
with the first class. 1t has its pur-
pose, but the latter is supremeIy
great. 1t lives when the other dies;
speaks to millions, the other speaks
to few. With it's dreams and visions
| it thrills mankind, leads ever on to-
ward the star" 'The purpose of a
| great picture" he claims, as to re-
| veal the spirit, the ideals of life"
| Art" he says, "is only the express
| sion-by any means whatever-of