Evening star., 1933-04-02


time.
The artists wife is granddaughter of the
late w. w. Corcoran, who established and gave
to Washington the Corcoran Gallery of Art.
THIRTEEN paintings and prints were sold
from the Washington Water Color Clubs
annual exhibition recently closed record
number for even good times much less these
times. Members Of the club were greatly en-
couraged as well as gratified by the fact that
Mrs Roosevelt. without solicitation, visited the
exhibition during its closing days and made
several purchases among which were two
charming little flower paintings by Emma Duel
Rice, well known local artist.
TWENTY miniatures by Eulabee Dix of New
York were placed on view as a special ex-
hibition in the Corcoran Gallery of Art yes
terday. This exhibition, which is of exceptional
interest Eulabee Dix being one of the leading
miniature painters Of this country at the pres
ent time). is the direct result of lecture ON
Miniature Painting" given here by the artist
before the Washington Society of the Fine
Arts last month. at which some of the lecturers
own work was shown by request.
There is nothing, perhaps, more charming
than a miniature portrait. portrait which can
be taken in the hand and examined minutely
and intimately. Eulabee Dix has developed
new kind Of miniature. one which cannot only
be examined intimately and closely, but can be
seen effectively at q distance when hung on
the wall. She paints as rule her miniatures
on ivory, ski inches in dimensions, portraying
her sitters at full length, seated or standing and
with such exceptional strength and vitality that
the works when completed are as effective as
oil paintings many times the size.
A distinguished writer once said Of the great
miniaturist Cosway: mo one better under
stood than he the Importance of the tone Of
the ivory and the value of economy of work and
conservation Of energy. His miniatures have a
supreme position by reason Of their extraor-
dinary charm and the skill with which they
were painted" All OF which is perfectly and
equally applicable to tire miniatures of Eulabee
Dix.
Miniatures first came into vogue at the time
OF Holbein, who paitned them on vellum, and
have played large part in the worlds romances
ever since. Some Of the earliest were painted
on the cardboard made for playing cards, some
were painted on chicken skin. Then ivory came
into use, and the art received new impetus.
The discoveries Of Daguerre of q mechanical
process for making little portraits, and later
the development Of photography, caused for
many years the decline of miniature painting
But recently 1t has come back and steadily It
increases in favor. In this country, in Colonial
days. there were some excellent miniature paint
ers-Malbone, the PeAles. Sully and others. We
have excellent miniature painters in this coun-
try today. foremost perhaps among them being
Laura Hills Of Boston, Margaret Hawley, once
Of Washington and now Of New York, and
Eulabee Dix Both Laura Hills and Eulabee Dix
paint with exceptional breadth on ivory, using
their color In washes and with great strength.
Margaret Hawley makes less show Of technique
and works more closely, but with no less success.
Eulabee DIX came to washington for the
opening Of her exhibition, and viii execute
number of commissions while here.
pJORN EGEIL gives excellent account of him.
= self in the one-man exhibition which he IL
holding at the present time ct Gordon Dun-
thorne's, zoos Connecticut avenue. He Is q Nor
wegian by birth and had, 1t Is understood. his
first artistic training In Oslo. Coming to this
city three or four years ago he entered the
Corcoran School Of Art, and studied under Mr..
Meryman. Mr.. Baker and Mr.. Weisz, to whose
instruction he does great credit. It Is only for
this brief space Of time that he has been paint
ing portraits, yet he now shows work Of a thor
oughly accomplished professional character. His
painting entitled Cameo" received, It win be
recalled, the popular prize in the Corcoran
Gallery's most recent biennial exhibition He
has contributed quite generously to other local
: showings. On the strength Of his showing here
at this time at Gordon Dunthorne,s he has
been invited to hold . one-man exhibition in
the Enrich Galleries, New York, In the near
future
Among Mr.. Egehs works now on view are
portraits of DTs. Mitchell william Gerry
Morgan and Harry Kerr, all excellent like
nesses. Especially sensitive in its rendering
and vital IS the portrait of DR.. Morgan, in
which the hands are as significant as the face
Mr.. Egeh also shows very Characteristic por-
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