Evening star., 1925-11-01

ed the Centennial Exhibitor
of the National Academy Of
Il Design within ten days of it,
opening in the Corcoran Gal
lery of Art. This is record attend
ance and evidences genuine Interest
on the part of the local public. That
the exhibition is of extraordinary i'm
portance and rewarding interest is
the consensus of opinion among those
who have given 1t careful study. No,
only does it contain a number OF
works of supreme merit and excep
tlonal value, such. for instance, as the
Irayer painting, Amor Caritas"; the
Winslow Homer Eight Bells and
the Sargent portrait of Miss Werthei
mer, to name only a few, but it also
sets forth representative works by
a large number of we'll known Ameri
can artists.
1t should be remembered, however
that this exhibition comprises solely
works by artists who have held mem
bership in the National Academy of
Design, and that In few instances
even those who have been so elected
are not represented, either through
mischance or lack of ability to enter
what seemed to them representative
works. There are a few who are con-
SplcuOuS thus by their absence, but
it is remarkable how comprehensive
the catalogue is. how few are not
OF the goodly company.
Gilbert Stuart, who died three years
after the Academy was founded, was
never an active member. for at the
time only residents of New York were
SO admitted. But because of his great
distinction he was made an honorary
member, and for that reason alone Is
represented in this showing. His full
length portrait of Washington. gener-
ouSly lent to this exhibition by Robert
Low Pierrepont, is a famous painting.
familiar to many through engravings
and other forms of reproduction. 1t
IS essentially, however, of the official
portrait type - formal stereotyped,
lacking in virility and spiritual quail
1ty-not Gilbert Stuart at his best,
by any means.
Across the wall from this famous
painting hangs another portrait of a
lar less celebrated man by a suppose
edly less skillful painter, but in its
way a masterpiece, "A portrait which
would dare comparison with the best
of the British school, with Raeburn,
the master of them all as interpreter
of personality, a painter of quality.
This is a portrait of DIR. William Potts
Devices, by John Neagle, also an
honorary member, who was painting
in Philadelphia at the time the Aca-
demy was formed. This picture is
owned and lent by the University Of
Pennsylvania and is u superb work
Next to it hangs "a charming por-
trait of an elderly lady OF the old
school, Mrs. Elizabeth Tucker Sails
bury, by Chester Harding, another
honorary member painting which
in merit and charm dares comparison
with any. Chester Harding was one
of those marvellous early painters
who, without tradition, attained amaz-
ing results. He was the son Of q
farmer and began by painting signs
and coaches. He took up portraiture
almost as trade and yet went further
and did better than the ma jority have
gone or can do today-how or why
even the painters themselves cannot
say. In color, in the matter of draw
ing, modelling, composition and. above
all, in Interpretation of mentality and
spiritual quality, this is q remaka BILE
work. With what real dignity and
distinction the painter has portrayed
his subject.
Much the same may be said in favor
of the portrait of Mrs. Charles Could
ing by Charles L. Elliott, n. A, which
belongs to the permanent collection
of the National Academy OF Design.
What a remarkable portrayal of char.
acter this portrait represents! How
broadly it is painted and yet how
finely the detail Is shown, textures
rendered and high lights and deepest
shadows rightly placed! What intelli-
gence one finds in the kindly eyes
which look straight into the behold
er's own, and what firmness in the
mounth and, Withal. what motberli-
ness in the face!
+ i: *
4 LII of these portraits are hung in
the semi-circular gallery, where.
at one side, a case of miniatures has
been placed. These are for the most
part portraits in little, done on ivory.
Most interesting, perhaps. in connec
tion with this exhibition is the minia-
ture of S. f. B. Morse, by himself,
Morse, it will be remembered, was the
first president of the National Aca-
denny OF Design. and he has pictured
himself as a young man with palette
in hand, in the act of painting, thus
he has commemorated Morse the ar.
tist, who might otherwise have been
forgotten. perhaps, in Morse the in
ventor. Those who have read The