Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-02-02


Of the celebrity of the artist and TIL
significance of the theme. is the grou
of paintings by the late H. Siddon
Mowbray, illustrating events in the lif
OF Christ. placed on view in the Cor
coran Gallery of Art last Monday.
These paintings, which have bael
placed on the walls of the south CALLER
to the left Of the main entrance, through
which one gains admission, on the frs
floor, to the Clark wing, may perhap
have been done as studies for mura
decorations, or with the expectation d
reproduction as illustrations for Life
Of Christ" They are comparativel,
small in dimensions, are painted Will
oils on canvas and have in every in.
stance decorative borders-the appear
ance of being matted, but the mat il
this instance is a part of the picture
To some extent these works suggeS
paintings done in miniature for the or
namentation and illustration of ancient
missals. although they are many times
larger And they also show a kinshir
in style. If not in character, with the
paintings by Boutet de Monvel illustrat-
ing the life of Jeanne D'Arc, which are
included in the Clark collection and
hung in an adjacent gallery.
According to the catalogue, Mr.. Now
bray painted this series of pictures fol-
his own special delight and enjoyment
But doubtless somewhere in the back
of his mind was the thought of later
utilization-a book decoration, a wall
painting.
Collectively, these works show strong
ly the influence of the early Italian
school, the effect of Mr.. Mowbray's
study of the paintings of the italian
primitives. Fine in color, simple In
pnV4aVNNcfffOrz fvaao oiT fhoxy foil ha
tween the ancient and the modern. No
painter of Mr.. Mowbray'S day could
recapture the naive simplicity of the
primitive painters, to whom art was
indeed religion, and who wrought pri-
marily with arduouS missionary spirit
q desire to manifest Christ through the
vehicle of visual expression.
Mr. Mowbray has brought to bear upon
his task knowledge of technique and
the principles of art acquired, not by
one, but by many successive genera
tions, knowledge which inevitably per-
mitted greater fluency of expression.
His color Is good. his themes well COM
posed, his brush work Skillful. But
while his attitude is undoubtedly rev.
erent, one canont say that these works
have been produced with fervor. They
are lovely, but they do not, save in one
or two instances, grip the heart or stir
the emotions. They belong essentially
to the period in which they were pro-
.duced, and they represent a distinct
epoch in the history of art They should
be seen and studied, not merely as an
isolated and chance happening, but
rather as a link in the long chain ex-
tending from the days when Fra An
gelico painted sacred subjects on the
walls of his monastery to the present
time, when art seems largely to have
become an instrument in the hands of
industrialism, but still has the power
to save.
Mr.. Mowbray was not only a painter
of murals, at one time director of the
American Academy in Rome, but was
the painter member of the National
Commission of Fine Arts appointed by
President Wilson in 1921 and serving
seven years until his death in January,
1929 He was the fifth painter in the
succession which began with Francis d.
Millet, appointed by President Taft on
the creation of the commission by Con-
greSS in May, 1910, who was followed
successfully by Edwin H. Blashfield, j.
Alden Weir and William Sergeant Ken
dali
Charles Moore. chairman of the COM
mission, in a tribute to Mr. Mowbray,
written since his death, says: Rarely
did he miss a meeting. He took pleasure
in association with the members, and
he reliShed having part in the upbuild-
ing Of the National Capital. This was
The thankleSs task of reporting adversely
on portraits of Presidents and other
statesmen, or pictures of historic scenes
painted on speculation and sponsored by
persons Of influence who. while profess
ing to know little about art, generally
were confident they had discovered a
genius and his masterpiece. Happy he
was to find an acceptable work, and
whole -hearted was his welcome of such.
Where he could not approve, his deci-
sionS were convincing and his manner
was considerate, so that he left no
scars"
It was Mr.. Mowbray who after re-
peated efforts, hit upon a shade of color
that would keep the cast-iron dome of
the Capitol as nearly as possible in har-
n1ony with the painted sandstone center
and the marble wings" He was espe-
cially interested and rendered valuable
service in the Standardization of the
United States nag undertaken by the
Department OF Commerce during his
term Of office, with the cooperation of
the Departments of War and of the
Navy. He stroye, with the Bureau of
Standards, to obtain fast colors and
better colors than had been used hereto
fore, arguing that by the use of these
particular shades the flag would gain
vital quality which would cause it to
carry further. He was ALWAYS an ardent
supporter of the plan of 1901. quite
unassertive and unassuming, at the
same time firm, full of knowledge and
actuated by the feeling of an artist, Mr.
Mowbray's usefulness" says Mr.. Moore,
as a member Of the commission was OF
the very greatest"
y X
he %
two contemporary artists more differ
ent in style and character than the
paintings by Mrs. Hawthorne and Miss
Hollerith now on exhibition at the Arts
Club.
Marion c. Hawthorne of New York
and Provincetown. the wife of Charles
W. Hawthorne, one of our leading Amer
lean painters, uses for her paintings in
oils whist might be described as a water
color technique-comparat thin
color broad strokes. loose treatment. On
the other hand. Miss Hollerith employs
to great extent the technique invented
by the French impressionists of short
strokes, pure color broken surfaces a
technique which suggests embroidery
rather than painting
But the French impreSsionists used
almost entirely color in high key, and
the purpose Of their litt,a dots and
dashes was to recapture the illusion OF
light. atmosphere. Miss Hollerith's
palette Is low in tone. her color in many
instances dark, and the effect is by nc
means luminous, but it is ri"h and tone
full. For her flower and still life piece
IL is extremely satisfactory. For sub
Jects such as Fishing Boats. Honheur,
"Tunnv Boats. Concarneau" and Rue
Notre Dame du Champs" it serves wei
enough. But for portraits it is far from
pleasing.
Art is, of course. not imitation. Blu
there is q charm in surface texture