Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-01-08
By LEILA MECHLIN.

Of our Pennsylvania Society o
Miniature Painters, has. after an alb
sence of two years. returned to Wash
ington to spend the Winter. An ex
hibition of his recent work, twenty
or twenty-five miniatures, will be
shown at the Dunthorne Galleries from
January 10 for 10 days or fortnight
Among the works that will be placed
on view will be Mr.. Williams minia'
ture OF Mussolini. painted from life
and approved and signed by the pre-
mier himself.
Mr.. Williams is Welsh by birth, but
he studied his art in Paris under Lau'
rens and Ccurtois. and he is essen
TALLY a world citizen. n recognized
leader in his own particular held
Among his sitters have been King Ed
ward VII and Queen Alexandra and
many members Of the British nobility.
Mr.. Williams follows in his work
the English style, painting smoothly.
infinitely and most frequently with
transparent color, allowing the beauti-
full tint Of the ivory to serve as base.
But he has no liking for mere pretti'
ness % effect and he welcomes the
work of the modernists. though not
personally subscribing to il. because
it is his conviction that il tends to
Mr.. Williams has written quite q
little and very delightfully."- on the sub
iect of miniature painting and there
is none better informed on this sub
ject than he.
Mrs. Williams was. it will be remem
bered. Anna Vernon Dorsey of Wash.
tngton. and the return of herself and
her husband to this city for the Win.
ter brings pleasure to their many
friends.
THE exhibition of etchings by Philip
III. Giddens, announced in these
columns for last week, opens instead
tomorrow, simultaneously with the
Williams exhibition at the Dunthorne
Galleries
Mr.. Giddens' etchings differ from
others in the first place in the matter
OF size. He employs exceptionally large
effect nor strength, which in itself is
unusual. His style also is individual.
istic, more Italian than French or Eng.
Ish. and not little reminiscent of the
engrayer, Piranese.
One Of the most striking and inter
esting, perhaps. OF Mr.. Giddens' etch
ings In Entrance to La Vile Close
ConcArneau, France" In this etchine
q bridge occupies the center OF inter
est. Boats with sails dropping are ir
the immediate foreground: beyond In a
gate tower with clock faces. outlook
and weather vane. At a glance the
boats and the architectural design at
tract attention, but as one looks longer
one discovers numerous figures, HUI
man interest. men leaning over the
hy{AWA To kM Far ar
in little boats under the lea of the
quay. men drawing a boat up an in
cline, a costermonger I'm a horse-drawr
cart, group of gossips. and beyond
a. ones eye seeks distance, rises tina,
amazing medieval city set on a hill
Here is an extremely complicated com
position rendered with the utmost ap
parent ease and simplicity: a cross
cut. one might say, OF life I'm Con
carneau. but 10 rendered that II,
beauty In insistent. II IL Ia this etch
ing that one finds the ghost o.
Ptranese.
Somewhat similar in style 10 hi
etching OF st Jean. Pied de Port
France" This, too. represents {
stream. d bridge. a group OF houses o.
ancient design. Again close inspec
ton displays the scene well peopled
but the human interest here il essen
tally subordinated. The etcher wa,
undoubtedly moved by the beauty Of
line and mass. the disposition OF ligh
and shade on the quantity varie<
rears Of these balconied old houses
The treatment Of sky in this etc,ins
10 Of interest. the smoke from IN.
many chimneys mingiing with tn.
clouds, and the emphasis of light ant
shade 10 beautifully placed. the sur
faces are admirably rendered.
From France Dir. Giddens has trans
ferred himself and the activities o
his etching needle TO this country. /
IL said. and truly said. that probabl,
the greatest contribution that Amer
1cAn art has made 10 the world dur1nI
the past 100 years In our sky-scrape
architecture. 1t In the great building
Of New York and Chicago that Mr.
Glddens has lately etched, finding /,
them congeniai subject and opportun
ity Tor the expression OF his art. On
very successful plate In Of Tower
from Central Park. New York City.
In The foreground IN the park with
nfue winding stream crossed by
tiny arched bridge. Between tn
stream and the rnany.windowed strut
tures 10 mass OF foliage gtyin
strength TO the composition and ilar
ply permitting transition from til
Journalistic foreground to the perpef
nicuAr OF the building iires--home
0uiH 70 touch the sky, a strange va
beautiful creation of our own day an
generation.
Yet some are of the opinion that tn
best OF Mr.. Giddens' works In his etcE
Ing Of the new Tribune Building
Chicago, a building which I'm itself I
q nsagnined tower, a building whic
81 L.
grandeur found I'm the Gothic cathS
crsls. Bis point Of view Ia from tn
water. His foreground Ia occupied b
a flight Of stairs leading from the wa
ter front To the street level taKain
touch Of piransse), Femarkabi
sense OF balance. again n boat Intro
duee1. a group Of faurss-~iifs, acti'
ity--and beyond, up in the sky. higi
or than the kky-seTs ping tower. q sui
gssted flight Of birds. This etching
remarkable for its detail and at Nh
same time for its elimination Of d.
fsH. Where the light strikes til
great tower the windows are lost.
the center of the design one finds III
highest light and the darkest shad0y
just enough of each. with q sugge
ton a beautiful suggestion, u surfsf
textures. Such work sx this rsfits
the frequent charge that artists tods
are not willing 10 take INFINITE pair
In the ms tier Of production.
Mr.. Gidd@ns' work strikes o. ne
note ami constitutes an intsrestin
exhibition.
AT the Arts Club. 2eI7 / street, II
a work If Two members IL now 4
view. Upstairs, one sses water c0lo
by Charles 4. II, Dunn; dswnsiair
paintings In OIL by Garnet Jex.
Dir. Dunn In a pupil III Eagsr n!
snn Of Hawthorne aud n member
tire Eoriety ~ Washington Artist
The water enloFs which he IN shown
at The Arts Cub were made last Sur
YneF abroad and are quick, briiiiaI
impressions Of things seen on Il Sun
r-sr holiday Mr.. Jsx. who IN q mel