Evening star., 1934-10-14
Notes of Art and Artists
Continued From Fourth Page)

sparkle of its own under the light oi
the overhead chandelier. A touch
here and there tells the story, but
without distracting attention from
the central unit in the composition
the little girl with her pink hair rib
bons re-echoing the tint of the roses
on the table. Evidently Sargent held
in mind the great painters maxim,
Stability at the center, fexibi1ty at
the circumference" for he was not one
to follow rules More than most, this
delightful little interior demon
strateS the unreality Of that which
in good painting often appears real
and emphasizes the fact that it is not
what the painter does, but the way he
dose it which gives significance and
value to a work of art.
X x 49,
TWENTY FIVE etchings by Whis-
l. tier, lent by Julius Garflnckel of
this city, have been placed on exhi-
bition in cases in the upper atrium
of the Corcoran Gallery of Art. These
are all essentially collectors pieces
and represent exceptional taste and
discrimination in choice. Among the
more famous plates are brilliant
impression of "Rotherhithe," and
scarcely less notable impressions of
"Becquet, the Fiddler" THE Trag-
hetto," THE Forge" "Bibi Valentine"
and "Bibi Latonette." But the
great charm of this group as a whole
is to be found in the number of less
familiar plates indicative of WhiS-
tiers breadth of vision and diversity
of talent. The ma jority of these prints
date back to 1859 and 1860 and are
signed in many unSual ways with the
etcher'S Surname-SometimeS with
one or two initials preceding. Only
in a few cases does the butterfly ap-
pear. Also. in the earlier prints one
finds a more deliberate technique,
greater attention, less hghtness of
touch, witnessing to the fact that
even this genius had to know how be-
fore he could venture to forget.
In this collection are two etchings,
ia Marchande de Montarde" and
"Fumette," which bear the impress
of Delatre, Rue st. Jacques, I'll
CParis), who, in 1858, printed group
of etchings which Whistler brought
back as souvenirs from an Alsatian
tour and issued himself as "Douze
Faux Fortes d'apres Nature, par
James Abbott Whistler" The price
then was two guineas each and,
amusingly, thought quite enough, u
is said, for an etching that did not
reproduce popular picture.
1t is hard to realize that in re-
viewing the art of etching Whistler
was pioneer. Malcolm Salaman in
his excellent essay on Whistler, pub
lished by the Studio. tells US, 1T was
the youthful Whistler who, 70 years
ago, first found motives for the mod
ern etcher when he laughed his way
through Saverne by lamp light, or let
friendly light into dim corners of
humble peasant homes"
Whistler's power to discern beauty
in the commonplace is repeatedly ex-
emplifed in this collection in such
prints as The Rag GathererS" and
others. He in this field did not fol-
low. but made precedent.
unique item in this collection is
the cover for the French set, etched
by Whistler, with his own portrait
included in a group of figures and
inscribed in French to his brother-in-
law, Seymour Haden, with whom he
etched and quarreled. Here, too, is to
be found fine impression of his dry
point portrait of Annie Haden, his
favorite niece, by which plate he said
he would be glad to be remembered
Here, likewise and happily, is Read
ing by Lamplight," portrait of his
sister, etched, no doubt, not as por-
trait, but as a study in light and
shade.
Whistler. unlike many contempo-
rary etcherS, drew directly on the
copper, for which reason his plates
register frst-hand impressions, and
perhaps for this reason are particu-
larly vital. But the fact remains that
he was born with the etcher's instinct
and that whatever subject he under
took to transcribe he brought to the
work a full measure of enthusiasm.
One who once had the privilege OF
watching him at work has said: Il
felt that he enjoyed every deliberate
stroke in its spontaneously selected
position and that had it not been a
joy to him he would have been doing
something else"
No one can view this collection of
whistler's etchiugs, so wisely and de-
lightfully brought together, without
realizing, at least to measure, the
10Y of the artist in production as well
as his keenly sensitive, artistic per-
ception.
This exhibition will continue
through the month.
X y
AN EXCELLENT exhibition, chiefly
- of paintings, but including also
some drawings and prints, has been
set forth in the Arts Club, 2017 1
street, by the Landscape Club of
Washington, IAN organization of men
with mutual interest in outdoor paint
ing, in the pictorial possibilities of
Washington and its environs, and
of the promotion of general in
terest in art" Thirty-four oil paint
ings, moderate in size and also in
price. have been hung in the club
gallery, witnessing to the charm Of
our landscape as well as to the skill
and industry of the painters. AS a
whole the collection is delightfully."-
colorful, and individually the paint
ings are found to be rendered with
freshness and spirit.
Minor S. Jameson shows two gray
pictures, one of harbor, presumably
Gloucester, on gray day; the other,
saWipter Afternoon " SNOW covered