Evening star., 1926-04-08
THE NORTH WINDOW
b. Lsila Mschlin.

~ C0t&iOBuS 1S III iuuiSRNbSND'D -
to seeing an exhibition. but 1t would
be well II every visitor to an art gal,
lery Or an exhibition Of paintings such
As that now on view In the Corcoran
Gallery OF Art would make one round
before peepins between the catalogue
covers. Seeing pictures without know
ing sither the titles Or painters names
tS like exploring an undiscovered
country, a real adventure. q game OF
wits, for 40 one stands on ones own
feet and depends solely upon ones
own instinct and intellect.
There are certain nsmes in art that
bewitch the imagination. painting
by Sargent. by Carl Melchers. by Red
field. by Schoheld. by Emil Carlson
must be good, and this knowledge calls
halt to adventure; but IL, unguided
and all on one own responsibility
are discovered for ones self. what a
thrill 1t gives, what assurance for fur
ther exploration! And how much more
gratifying 1t ~ to the artist to have
his work speak for itself than to have
IL accepted because he himself has at
tanned an assured position.
Seeing an exhibition of paintings Ia
about the best fun In the world. II one
only knows how to do II. Let US 60
to the Corcoran Gallery Of Art, tuck
our catalogues under our arms and
see.
One Of the first things to be noted
Ia the ARA ngement Of the whole. the
admrs BILE hanging OF each gallery SO
that every picture may appear a. its
best and that each wall will be well
balanced and present a unified design
What an extra aordinarily dificult task
when over $50 paintings must be dis
posed and endlsss combinations are
within the range OF possibility! The
snsins OF an exhibition IL the work
Of jury. In this case q group OF dis
ting guished artists, but. as well
known painter remarked. IL Is an in
terestins fact that whereas each OF
these biennial exhibitions is hung by
q different group Of artists. they ere
invariably well hung, and this good
hs nging IL notice. BILE In the spscisl
exhibitions which the Corcorsn Gal
lery OF Art sets forth, therefore, 1t
may be argued that there il a home
influence which Ii effective. Mr.. Min
nigerode, the director Of the Coreoran
Gallery OF Art, II exofilcio member
Of these .turies.
Remark tho hanging Of one single
wall, the east wall In Gallery G. Here
Mr. Melchers portrait OF Mrs. Garrett
an upright canvas, holds center place
At the far ends are TWO marines oi
similar size ana coiorful quality. Mex,
inward are two portraits lending da RI
notes. richly colorful. Then there are
two large square 1sndsca pes-.Toseph
Pesrson's picture OF a bridge with its
wide expanse of blue sky and Red
field's "Old MIL" a Winter picture
equally high in key. Finally. TO either
side Of the Melchers hang two paint
ings by Robert Spencer-"Ship Chan
dlers Row" and Mansions OF Yester
day" counterbalancins. through theii
refinement OF detail. the breadth oi
the Melchers canvas, and re-echoine
In their grays and pinks and blues tho
color scale of the large. impressiv vt
portrait
Note In Gallery d how beautifully
again. the east wall is planned and
hunE-the two still-life paintings b,
Sharman, perfectly complementing this
Tarbell portrait Of Frederick r. Brew
ster, and in turn setting off the two
Sehofelds. The Little Harbor' and
The Devon Farm" All this goes tt
lend charm to the showing and to ado
pleasure for the visitor, though h.
may not recognize the cause
y
A distinguished New York collector
had occasion lately TO show his pain
inss TO his barber, who remarked
after a oursOry Gis nee around the Eal
lery in which they were hung, which
picture cost you most?" The col
lector's reply was. Which gives YOU
most pleasure?" II is not the price
that q picture would bring at one oi
the great art salee. or the fame Of The
artist who painted it, or the est eem In
which 1t 10 held by the critic. which
really concerns the exhibition visitor
but rather which pictures please him
most, have for him a real messa q
constitute for him q happy memory.
To the lover of art q fine paintins
has true recreationsl power: It de
lighte. 1t charms. 1t makes new. Sale
a visitor In a recent local exhibition
viii you kindly show me the work.
or the modernfsts that you have or
view?' and, being shown paintings b,
those who have afrected This stvle
shook his head and replied: NO. thi,
10 not what ] meant: II IL the work 81
the cranks that j wanted TO see Thst
man was not an art lover. but a curl
osity seeker. Between the two tber,
Ia great gap.
-
An exhibition OF PAINTINGS by con
temporary artists was sent to Ana
cenda. Mont. not long ago hy the
American Federation of Arts. Ii wa.
shown in a room used for storas
purposes by the mining company an6
cleared for the occasion. The walls
were hung with old Eastern shawls
that had travelled thence in the strong
boxes of the pioneers. Every efforl
was made to show the pictures well
everybody in the town went to see
them: 1t was a great event. Each
picture was marked by the Ioca1
MANAGEMENT with its price, and ths
prices occasioned In some insta noes
no small amount Of wonder. There
was in the collection 4 very cbarmire
painting OF flowers. and one family
was eager to make purchase. The lit
tie son OF the family gszing at the
picture made discovery, and rushing
to his parents. exclaimed. "oh. we ca n
AFFORD 1t, we oan afford it--it's only
enc nifty" Alas. 1t was one hundred
ana nifty. but 1t was a coveted ros
session. That little child in his eager
ness to own a picture the heautv al
which had made such appeal was in.
herentiy an art lover.
4
IL 10 interesting TO note i'm this ex
hibition set forth in the Corcoran Gal
lery or Art at the present time how
many different ways there are of A v.
Ing, through the medium Of Oil paint
much the same tfing-in short. how
many ways there ara Of painting NOT
merely well but beautifully.
Gutzon Borglum, the sculptor. once
remarked that he always tried. to
make his pupils understa nd that II
they would be themselves they would
be original. A superfiuity Of orIai.
nality sometimes IL unfortunate. lead.
ing to eccentricity rather than super.
lative attainment. 1t does not. after
all. matter DO much how q thing IA
done as whether the END justifies the
effort.
Childe Hassam. fer insts nee, follow.
N fha lao ~ fbn E,,.-rI