Evening star., 1926-02-07

first annual exhibition in the
Il Corcoran Gallery of Art. Inc
entire semi circular gallery,
with its adjoining anteroom, Is given
over to the display, which comprises
nearly 200 pictures. The majority OF
these are in water color few are
etchings, drawings and wood block
prints.
The annual exhibitions of this local
society have long been accounted
events of note. Those whose memo
ries go back more than quarter OF a
century will recall with great pleasure
the exhibitions of the society held in
the assembly room of the Cosmos Club
and in a little improvised gallery on
Connecticut avenue. Not until the
Gurcoran Gallery moved into its pres
tnt fine new building and the great
hemicycle downstairs, which Is no
more, became available for current
exhibitions, did the Washington Water
Color Club begin exhibiting under its
hospitable roof And how delightful,
really memorable, were the exhibitions
held in the Corcoran Gallery by the
club twenty and more years ago, Ihat
was the time when. influenced by the
modern Dutch school. Opaque colors
We're much used, and great many
of the water colorS We're painted IN
gouache on gray paper. Then, also.
there WAS ii NOS ut ltI Atil l'OA 80
in pastel, and to each of these eXhlbi-
Iions Anna Coleman Child, juliet
Thompson and Mrs. Barney contrib
uted such works of notable interest
William Fuller Curtis was doing his
attractive panels in burnt wood then
and a new one invariably had posi-
ton of honor in the Water Color
Clubs exhibition. James Henry Moser
was president of the club. Among the
leading contributors We're Bertha Per
rie, Hobart and Spencer Nichols. Rob
ert Child and George Gibbs. Perhaps
If one could step back twenty or more
years one would lose some of the
glamour. but across that bridge of time
these old exhibitions still hold their
place among things pleaSurably mem
orable and certain ii is that the Wash
ington Water Color Club has for longer
still been upholding a high standard
The present showing is essentially
up to date. safe and sane" as COM
pared to some current displays, but
evidencing 10 the full that not only
the club members but the jury of Sc
lection are aware of what is going on
and hospitable to innovations.
A changing fashion in the mounting
and framing of water colors lends
certain measure Of confusion. There
has been Il return recently to the use
of white mats, for many years tabooed,
and the introduction of these takes
away somewhat from uniformity of
display, but that is unavoidable. Also,
the normal size of -'ater colorS mill
tates against impressive effect on en-
trance. A water-color exhibition can
not be seen or adjudged at a glance;
the exhibits must be viewed indiVid
ually.
beginning with the fiat wall and No.
of the catalogue and passing grad
nl
one encirCleS the gallery and secures
varied impression but comprehen-
sive acquaintance with the collection
as a whole. A wood block print, not
a water color. as No. l, serves as intro
duction. 1t is by Tod Lindenmuth and
is entitled ''L"w Tide At the ex-
treme end of ->,e fiat wall, in similar
position. hangs another wood block
print by this same artist. 1t is en-
titled I'm Harbor," and is even more
charming. A Wood-biock print is, to
an extent, in every instance an origi-
nal. because the block for each print
Ing is reinked by the artist, and no
two printings can be identical. In
reviewing this exhibition II will be
erning wood block prints have been
taken on by some of the water-color
painters: in other words, how closely
some of the paintings resemble wood
block prints, and vice versa.
Quite different in style are the water
colors 81 Elizabeth Sawtelle, two of
which hang in the place Of honor on
this fiat wall, while one, charming
view of Mount Etna, is on the wall
opposite, little to the right. The two
especially honored are a view of THE
Lower Church, St. Francis ASSIST" a
most difficult subject admirably rem
dered. and The Way to Mola,' a view
of one of the abruptly uprising hills
surrounding Taormina. In all three of
these paintings Mrs. Sawtelle shows
command of medium, a fine sense of
color, of contours. of composition and
design. There is a depth and richness
about her painting which is very at
tractive and which places 1t in the
category of the more serious work of
art.
A little to the left of these two en-
gaging works hang two interesting
city pictures, pictures of Fifth avenue
in war time and Immediately there
after. both by Marjorie RyerSon, pic
lures which need distance for effect
which present an unusual viewpoint,
that of looking down, but which have
atmosphere and action and design, and,
what is more. tone.
A little to the left again is an illus
trative painting by Blanche Greer
Fairy of the Larkspur," and a town
picture, a study in sunlight and shad
ow. with a blossoming oleander as the
keynote of color, by Gertrude b.
Bourne. To the right hang two Glou-
cester pictures by Felicie Waldo How
ell, both of boats -o one of two
schooners tied up to the wharf, the