Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-11-22
BY PAULINE A. FREDERICK.

day there is time to be spent with a
husband and children, shopping to do,
meals to plan, housekeeping to direct,
guests to entertain, social engagements
to fill-and portraits to do If there is
any time left.
A busy life, however, has not left
Nine Veverka haraSSed by RESPONSE
bilities Instead, she is refreshing to
talk with and optimistic about the
present trends of life and especially of
the much-discussed youth of today.
IT do not condemn the younger gen.
Grafton" she said. Perhaps it is be-
cause I have a daughter of my own
who has definite ideas which I respect. :"
Nine. Veverka was sitting in the Ee-
tractive drawing room of the legation
with its ivory walls, Louise Philippe
furnishings and heavy rose draperies.
In this setting she made a charming
picture with her soft gold hair drawn
closely about a lovely youthful face,
and white and navy blue georgette
dress made on simple lines fitting her
tall, slender figure becomingly.
do you believe a woman can have
q career and home at the same time?"
she was asked.
1T see no reason why a woman
should stay at home and cook meals If
she wants to do something else was
her response. ''Of course" she fastened
on to say, where there are children 1t
is different"
And children do make a difference
to Nine. Veverka, who has two alert
ones of her own to care for. There's
Nella, Girl Scout, who loves to paint.
She wants to be a portrait artist like
her mother. Ferdinand is engrossed
in his studies with private tutor, for
some day he plans to be diplomat.
I1A- Lett fnv hn Ortiz IN
bat his bent is toward sculpturing
rather than painting.
The Veverka family like to do things
together. They often go to the CHEVY
Chase courts, where mother and son
play tennis against father and daugh-
ter. Although Minister Veverka was
a champion in Czechoslovakia he has
no easy competition in these matches
The Veverkas like to go to the moving
pictures in the evening, if not other
wise engaged. Nine. Veverka was
asked If she had favorite stars.
MY daughter knows them ALL" she
laughingly evaded the question. But
I do think" she continued, that the
trend in Europe as well as in the
and toward the moving picture houses,
for the latter offer such attractive
programs"
One has to talk with Nine. Veverka
only a short time TO discover her great
love for painting.
eff I couldn't paint in addition to
all my other interests" she exclaimed
with feeling, life wouldn't be worth
much. There is so much enjoyment in
art. It's like poems that you can put
In color on canvas"
Doing portraits" Is Nine. Veverka's
forte. Among some of the works from
her own brush are striking hkeneSSeS
of her husband, of Minister Veverka's
mother and of President Motta OF
Switzerland, all Of which hang in the
spacious library of the legation. She
has also recently painted spirited
full-length portrait of her son, and a
charming study of Mime. Skalicky, wife
of the counselor of the legation.
"a painting" she explained, sis not
a portrait unless it makes you feel that
you are looking at an individual with
mental and physical qualities. That's
what strive for-to make my pic
lures life-like."
And it seemed that she was accom-
plishing her purpose to q remarkable
degree. =,
SI'd rather paint men than women"
che confessed. Each time a woman
comes to sit her makeup and feminine
finery are arranged q bit differently
from the last time. Then, too, women
don't always like your work unless 1T
fatters them"
r n y
Nine. Veverkas interest In painting
does not merely extend to adventures
on canvas with a brush. Her concept
of art is more fundamental Grounded
firmly In the principles Of painting
through study in her native Prague and
later in Switzerland, and inspired by
the masterpieces she has viewed in the
great galleries Of the world, Nine;
Veverka has developed an unusual
knowledge Of the subject as well as
a deep appreciation Of it.
She spoke of some Of the masters OF
"Giotto. a thirteenth century italian.
dg the early master of all painters"
she said. "Some Of the best fruits OF
his unusual ability are the frescoes at
Assist and Padua. He is probably the
first portrait painter, as he was the
first artist to include in his frescoes
sroups of figures posed by his friends.
Dante appears in the fresco Paradise
In the Chapel Of Borgello at Florence.
"a little later" she continued, Van
Eyck of the Flemish school Of painting
Is important His work, like that Of
Giotto, influenced later painters.
Rembrandt, of course, ranks with
ing qualities has given us portraits that
are mystical. yet convincing and rich
in effect. He is essentially the inter-
mo group of portrait painters is
complete without Titan. His work has
a dramatic quality. In his portraits
1t is interesting to note how the 1ndl-
vidual stands out distinctly from tne
background yet how, at the same time,
it melts into it through subtle blend
ing of color One of his best portraits
IS Man With the Glove"
I'm Germany, Albrecht Durer de-
veloped his native art to a high degree
in about the sixteenth century. He
had color power as well as feeling for
linear charm. His Portrait OF the
Artist hangs in the Louvre"
Nine. Veverka spoke OF other por-
trait painters and their qualities. There
was Messina the realist and Raphael,
whose Portrait of a Young Man" is
marked by color contrasts. There were
works of ReubenS which had rich coll
ors and many curves sometimes border
ing on the grandiose, and the dramatic
Tintoretto, whose work is characterized
By effective technique and imagination.
y = +
what has been CZechoslovakia's con-
tribution to art?" was the next ques-
-s+El
Prague" sh= began, has often been
called the Florence of Central Europe.
although Czechoslovakia's art can
be traced as far back as the fourteenth
century, Skreta, who lived in the six
teenth century, was perhaps the FIRST
outstanding artist to arouse interest
in the subject at Prague. Following
MIN there was a period Of little
progress.
I'm the nineteenth century a feeling
of nationalism began, to assert itself
and with it came the desire for true
CzechoSlovakian art. Hellich and sew
eral others did some work but it was