Evening star., 1928-10-21

opened a month earlier than
usual this season in order to ac-
II commodate the large number oil
visitors to Washington in attend
ance at the Triennial Convention of the
Protestant Episcopal Church. Not only
has the gallery been opened earlier. but
special exhibition has been arranged
and set forth occupying the main gall
lery, the little gallery of transient
shows and the beautiful gallery on the
first floor. with its handsome library
furnishings.
The collections set forth in the two
upper galleries are perhaps the most
distinctly modern Of any that have
heretofore been shown. for In the past
when the modernist productions have
been set forth 1t has been in company
with the works of certain older masters.
But now the innovators are seen as
company by themselves, and perhaps
the most surprising impression that one
carries away is that of an inherent
dignity not previously recognized.
The Renoir masterpiece. Luncheon
of the Boating Party at Bougival,"
occupies in the main gallery its usual
Strategical position on the wall opposite
the entrance, Immediately catching the
eye and the attention of the visitor and
giving the keynote of the collection
on view. To the right hangs Courbets
superb painting of the Mediterranean.
with its deep, resonant color, and to the
left one sees now the celebrated self
portrait of Cezanne lately acquired.
The side walls of this gallery have
as centers and dominant interest a
newly acquired painting by Bonnard en-
titled THE Palms and a familiar
painting by Luke of a "Pouting Boy"
old but never outworn in attraction.
Bonnard, it will be remembered. is
Frenchman, one who served several
years ago on the international Jury
Of the Carnegie Institute, Pittsburgh
painter Of figures and landscapes. In
this new work which is q canvas Of
more than ordinary size, he shows an
unusual compoSition-an almost gl1cst-
like figure Of young girl in the i'm
mediate foreground. completely in shad-
ow, with an extensive background of
hills, city. sea and sky, a characteristic
outlook on the Riviera, framed by palm
branches arching overhead-a most
elaborate and unusual position-hot
and at the same time cold in color.
which one cannot decide on the in
slant whether to like or dislike. but
about which one cannot be indifferent.
The average layInan visiting this
exhibition is heard to ask, What does
it mean? Why do these artists paint
in this wav?" The best answer. per-
haps, Is that in each instance the
painter has been charmed by an ar
rangement of lines or forms or a COM
bination of colors, and he has en-
deavored to give his delight tangible
expression. In no instance are these
artists attempting to reproduce or
SAAAA
ably be supposed, do they care to be
explicit. they are not painting on
order or to please. If their language
is unintelligible it makes little or no
difference to them; but If one is SYM
pathetic it is possible to find interest
and pleasure in the works of these
self-absorbed abstractionists. For in
stance, next to the Bonnard Palms"
hangs a still life by Matisse-a few
flowers in a vase, seen against mirror
which reflects only blackness-and
something black is on the table beside
the vase. And whether or not one
cares for the way Matisse paints, or
even for the subjects he chooses, one
against blackness is not only alluring
but memorable.
In the same way canvas by Villon,
a recent acquisition, representing
machine shop, is significant as an
artists Interpretation of what the
average person would consider utterly
uninteresting, deadly dull. Villon has
seen the shop with its machines, af1ame
with color-color from the furnace,
color In the light, color. always color.
vibrating with heat, in the midst OF
which the machines are but an
incident.
This picture has as neighbor
painting by Marty of two girls seated
at q table before large open window.
In this case it is the girls that are in
cidental and the light, scintillating in
air, that has attracted the artist and
that has been Transcribed,
On the opposite wall hang some
what more conservative works-two
handsome paintings of fruit, one by
Monet, the great French impressionist
who was primarily responsible for
taking down the shutters and throwing
open the window of contemporary art
20 sunlight and atmospheric effects;
the other by Maurice Sterne, today one
Of the leaders of modernism, discard
ing the amenities Of grace and beauty
which Monet considered essential to
his art, to all art. Regardless of this
fact none can deny that Sterne's dish
OF fruit, tipped at crazy angle and
unfinished in effect, is tour de force,
a beautiful combination of form and
color. Placed precisely where 1t is, at
the end of the line, this painting re-
echoes agreeably the note of strength
and luscious depth of color found in
the zuloaga portrait of "A Girl of
Montmartre' which hangs next to the
Luks and Is separated from the Sterne
by rich, characteristic landscape bJ
Ernest Lawson.
At the end of this gallery, to the
right Of the door, hangs a famous paint
Ing by Gauguin-the patron saint. as