Evening star., 1934-05-27


The exhibition in the Freer Gallery COM
prises paintings in oil and water color, pastels,
drawings etchings, hthotints and the Peacock
room with its elaborate decorations. The late
Charles L. Freer was a devoted friend ana
great admirer of Whistler and the latter's work.
therefore he spared pains in getting to-
gether a comprehensive and fully represen-
tative collection. But in leaving it to the Ma
ton he stipulated that it should not be added
to, by loan nor should it. in whole or
part be lent. CurOuSly enough, it was this
Extensive Whistler collection which delayed for
"son1e time and almost prevented the accep-
tance Of the prinCely Freer gift, owing to un-
certainty it was said whether or not whistler 5
fame would prove enduring and his work merit
SO great a distinction. In the light OF what
has since passed, this query seems more rea-
sonable today than when it was made, not
because the value of WhiStlers work has gone
down. but account of the violent changes
that have taken place not only in manner
and methods, but also attitude to art.
Whistler was himself an innovator and he was
hated for his innovations, but he recognized the
stabliizing quality of tradition and never dis
carded it, Furthermore despite his eccen-
, tricities, he accomplished craftsman
with a keen sense of color values He took his
art seriously (perhaps at time too seriously)
and was peculiarly sensitive. These qualities,
together with an innate love OF beauty-sheer
beauty distinguish all his work and, we may
now believe assure it permanency of interest.
And after all Whistler is not so out-of-date
as some may have supposed. One OF the
''modernist stunts" has been to paint scenes
and objects the artist looks down upon them
from a high viewpoint. Whistler. We find
now. did this before the word modern" as an
appeilation has been coined. Also design (the
spacing of a compositiOn) upon which present
day painters put such stress, was held by
Whistler to be of almost paramount impor-
/. tance hence the title Arrangement in Black
and Gray" which he gave the portrait of his
mother-alas, badly mutilated in its postage
stamp reproduction. No, notwithstanding
changing conditions Whistler has not become
out-of-date But no really fine art does.
There are two rooms at the Freer Gallery
comprising at this time oil paintings by
Whistler. devoted to water colors and
pastels and one to etchingS and lithotints.
Among the oil paintings are portraits figure
studies, interiors with figures, nocturnes, sea
pictures, ranging in proportions from life
size, ful-length, to a panel not much larger
than mans hand OF special note because
of the relations of the sitters to the painter,
are portraits of Charles L. Freer who as
sembled this collection, and of F. R. Leyland
for whom the Peacock room was painted.
Artistically more engaging, however, are the
Little Lady Sophie of Soho-Rose and Gold"
. and others done from models for the delight
of color scheme to which the personality
lent itself-a red cap, a green cap, red fan,
a red glove, as keynote.
And here is a remarkable group of nocturneS,
"Blue and Silver -Battersea Reach" Blue and
Silver -Bognor," Blue and Gold-Valpariso"
representing a characteristic phase of his art,
and also recalling vivid chapters in the artists
life, such the famous Ruskin libel trial,
when some of his Might Pieces" were dragged
into court and proved valuable witnesses,
though much derided, and the remarkable trip
= Whistler took to South America, on the i'm
pulse of a moment. from which is said to date
yrIi ito Ionb in lie hoi xxhi iOh hopo
a badge of defiance.
Then, of course, there is THE Music Room
with little Annie his niece, in white seated
to the left Miss Boots" in black, standing
to the right, and the musician at the piano.
seen reflected in the mirror-an fitted-in
with the f1owered chintze hangings in a deco
rative composition. In fact in this particular
trick of using things and people as motives in
a patterned design Whistler preceded Matisse
and did it much better
Some of WhiStler'S paintings are in a rich
dark tone, but not a few are to the contrary
high keyed-for example a whole series of
figure studies such White Symphony"
> Caprice in Purple and Gold" and Others In
"The Balcony-Flesh Color and Green" one
sees the influence derived from acquaintance
with the works of the Japanesea printmakers
it also appears in his ''Nocturne- -Battersea
Bridge" in the British national collection
But how extraordinarily charming are the
little pictures in this exhibition SO sensitively
painted ana SO utterly unaffected! In these
Whistler the artist is at his best. Here is a
picture of surf on the seashore, "The Great
Sea-" only few inches in dimensions out
as big as the subject itself and inexhaustable
in its loneliness. And, passing to the water
colorS and paStelS, what exquisite nudes, rem
dered with appreciation of beauty in line and
proportioni
Among these little pictures are delightful
souvenirs of visits to Venice and Paris and
Holland, ghnts of things seen which thrilled
on the instant the observer, and thrill still:
imnreSSinnS oarnerad b.! tho artiSt