Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-01-15

M III the group ot paintings u.
Nt Bernhard Osterman, place.
on exhibition in the NatIora
Gallery OF Art. under III
ratrpnace OF the Swedish Ambassador
January 10. to continue through Jan
uary "a. Mr.. Osterman is mempe
Of the Royal Swedish Academy o
Arts and one OF the leading port:al
painters of Sweden. but one who has
lived and painted SO much ELSEWHERE
that his work does not show malhe'
racial characteristics,
Christian Brinton, in foreword Il
the catalogue Of this exhibition, mas
truly said: I'm the best sense az Inc
term the work Of Mr. Bernhard OSter
man is traditional. Born in country
where aristocratic caste survives WIFI
rare integrity. trained al the NOVA
Swedish Academy OF Arts ana an
hahitue Of that society. the members
Of which he depicts with such authorl
tative felicity, Mr.. Oste!Inan occupies
a position Of national significance II
current Swedish portraiture. Not
snice the DAYS OF the facile. expansive
AnGers Zorn has a Scandinavian
pain,ed so many persons OF proml'
hence. And each portrait offers fresh
proof Of The artists innate capacity
for the Gelineation Of cctempovary
tyne and character
Mr.. Ostern,an is the official portrait
pa!uter rar excellence. His pictures
OF rcval personaSes are as royal as
they should be. In fact. he gives who
soever he portrays an air of arts
tocracy.
/; is easy 10 place in order of rro-
6ucticn the portraits now on view, for
there is marked change. in manner
StSs -
current trends. Among My. OsteT.
mans earlier works is his portrait of
the Bishop Of Lund. painted with
extraordinary reserve. with what
might be termed a scholarly touch.
with evident insight into spiritual
characteristics. The portrait OF The
French poet. Albert Merat. must date
somewhere near the same period, for
II, TOO. has this interpretive. heauti-
fui reserve. His portrait of the Crown
Prince Of Sweden. painted in his tthe
princess early youth, possesses the
robustness and seriousness of CO.
temporary art
The portraits of the Queen OF Spain
and the Grand Duchess Marie Paw
lowTa Of Russia are essentially Of TO-
day. not only obvious, but a little ag.
gressi, =: the veil OF reticence is no;
only rent in twain. bu. entirely gone.
The portrait Of the King Of Sweden
comes between the TWO. and shows an
exceedingly suave brush. and at the
same time ar !ntrospective percep-
ton Here is a portrait which savors
OF ofic;aldogn and yet escapes the
cdiunl
There is something extremely per.
sonal. vivid and yet reticent, in the
fuil-iength under-size portrait Of Gen.
Weygand. 4 portrait which would
seem TO embody 10 a remarkable de-
gree the characteristics of the man
and his country. Subiectiveiy in vio-
lent contrast. but artisticaily not dis
similar. is Mr.. Osterman's portrait
one might almost say burly portrait
of the late police president of Ber-
lin. Won Stu6enrauch, painted by ar.
tificial light. deep shadow on the right
throwing i. into relief-a man Of pow.
er. Of real flesh and blood.
What a painter Mr.. Osterman is,
wha; mastery he has OF technique,
What perception of character. Per.
haps nothing so evidences this paint.
er's power and ability as his painting
Of hands. Look at them. how char.
seteristjc they are. how Individual in
some instances. how beautiful They
alone tell the story. The great mas.
tiers Of the past recognized the signif.
canoe Of the hand IN portraiture, and
# ore will make a study of the great
BORT rats in the National Gallery
Lonfon, one will see that in every
instance the hand sccords with the
face Too often do our contemporary
Portrait painters disregard this pos
sibiiity: 100 little do We see hands
painted as significantly az they are
here
Washington, as the Capital Of the
Nation. has surfeit of foreign visit
ing portrait painters, who. because Of
the glamour of royal sitters, secure
commissions which our own portrait
painters could better I'll. But great
artists arc always welcome and are
rot regarded as competitors in a race
even for fame or glory. Their visits
confer distinction and help TO cement
through sharing Of common ideals
international friendliness Bernhard
Osternsn Is IN be ranked among the
great, and Is therefore genuinely wei
come.
THE National Gallery OF Art,
through it's director, William II.
Holmes. has arranged for an uninter-
rupted series of exhibitions from now
Until May
The Society Of Washington Artists
viii hold lis annual exhibition in the
United States National Museum in
fhst section devoted 70 the Sationa
Gallery ~ Art from February 4 10 Is.
Then will come a notable exhibition Of
80 paintings by British artists assem-.
bed under the auspices Of disun-
R,1sshec committee. and brought 10
this country through the efforts N
Miss Pearson. This viii open 10 the
public On March S and viii continue 10
March 81. From kpEil 10 May the
Washington Water Color Club will
hold its snn ual exhibition in the same
he lis, which. inadequate 81 they are
are being put, j; vii! he seen. ~ excel
lent service.
The removal II the NcFaGden col
lection a. British paintings III the
eighteenth century. which has been on
view AZ = Joan for the Last couple oT
more years. permits the release ~ two
galleries, and the removal ~ part ol