Evening star., 1933-12-24
~H HE Library of Congress has lately placed
4 on view . collection Of original iuusra-
~ tions by the late Arthur l. heier ana

~~~
~ a comprehensive collection OF etchings
hv r,onald shaw Mclaughlin The hlustra-
t;or. ore in cases in the so-called South Curtain
gallery. where also are to be seen about an equai
n,,mber of original illustrations by the iate
william r. Smedley. The Smedley liiustiationo
were the initial gift to cabinet OF american
Illustration lately established by the Library oi
Congress- They were given py the afIS' "'1o"'
ss were also the Kellers
Both Smedley and Keller were exuemey
popular in their day and were very proouctNe,
ther work constantly in demand by authors
and publishers and held In hlgn regaTo ny uieiA
colleagues and the pubhc
THE Smedley illustrations, largely in wasn'
are comparatively small In dimensions, ciSpy
randered concise subtle produced undoubtedly
with the new method of reproduction in mlno'
and with a real understanding of the hmita-
tions as well as the potentialities OF the liustra
tor Keller worked more broadly, producing IN
what might be termed pictorial Vlen r1iS
compositions in many instances are very ~ e.auo-
rste his pictures emphaticaliy three-
dimensional.
The prerogatiyes of illustration are much
discussed and variously defined. There are
those who hold that an illustration must De
sufficiently fine. according to the STANDARDS ot
great art, to stand on its own merit; without
r-lation to accompanying text. There ase
oyhers who feel that the ideal Illustrator mus1'
70 the contrary. bend every effort toward grasp
i..y and correctly setting forth the Ideals OF the
a.:thor to whose work he gives pictorial inter-
n etation It is invariably a struggle between
two dominant personalities. but certainly an
will agree that the illustrator should keep strioe
Y th the author and endeavor to see through
b's ewes. Whether Keller did this or not, those
Who visit the present exhibition and who are
f-iniliar with the tales illustrated must judge
for themselves Certainly he set forth with
great vividness striking scenes-scenes which
involve the story. Indeed, examining these
illustrations by Mr.. Keller one Is conscious OF
locking deep into the lives of many persons o.
the drama of life enacted on many stages
cuite a number of the illustrations shown
are from well-known books by distinguished
.uthors-G -Galsworthy, Locke. Mary Austin. Mary
ROBERTS Rinehart Hopkinson Smith and many
c.hers A few. placed in the first cases. are
81 present unidentified and these present an
interesting problem to the visitor. What are
these vivid scenes and to what story do tney
b,long? Can one, from the picture, rightly
identify characters and incidents? In some
cases. quite probably.
Mr. Keller used not one but various methods
OF expression, for which reason his work has
interesting variety. But there Is, in spite OF
tins fact, . certain sarneness to 1t throughout,
caused perhaps by . uniformity Of merit. But
one must draw very well, must be very COM
pctent artist. to place figures so accurately and
so satisfactorily in different environments, and
to Undue them with so much vitality. The hs-
ures which Mr.. Keller portrayed are by no
means puppets; deep human passions are ex-
pressed not only in their faces, but in their
attitudes.
It may be true that great illustration cannot
b, divorced from the authors text. but these
illustrations of Keller's and also Of Smedley's
are representative Of . particular phase OF our
Contemporary art, and that art at its best They
have . sincerity and dignity which is occasion
for pride; they have . simplicity and charm
inherent in the life Of the time in which they
were produced. To see them again, and to see
them in the originals is not only pleasurable,
but stimulating q real boon.
III 140 in rumber represents selection from
~ a complete set of 80 Of his plates to
date, assembled for his wife and lately pre-
ssnted by the etcher, in her memory, to the
Library of Congress.
These prints, occupying q series Of cases in
the first long gallery assigned to the art depart
ment on the second floor Of the Library Of
Congress. have been arranged chronologically,
snd therefore represent to an extent the artists
progress, or at least the road he has both
laboriously and happily trod. The earliest
undoubtedly reflect the influence of Rembrandt,
Whistler and Meryon, whose works he diligently
studied in his youth; the later ones reflect more
truly his own personality and fancy.
It often happens that an artist suddenly az
riyes. stepping from immaturity to maturity,
as it were, overnight and that although as
years pass greater technical facility is achieved,
the high level of the early productions is never
excelled. Such, II one reads this exhibition
correctly, was the case with McIaughlan. His
genius blossomed early, but its blossoming has
been continuous. He has etched since 1898,
when he produced his first plates en- xinc.
Paris. At that time he was just 20, having
been born In Canada on November 9, 1876.
After studying for four years In Boston he went
to Paris where he entered the Ecole des Beaux
Arts and worked in the atelier of the painter