Evening star., 1934-05-06


manner and feeling Five of the pic
lures shown are of railroad trains one
Is of a washStand pitcher and washbasin,
towel, washrag and soap. The title given the
last is Country Life but it is reasonable to
believe that it applied as tag after pro-
duction rather than intended slur. In fact,
the chances are that the artist painted this
subject simply because it interested him as q
stunt-a trial of technical proficiency. AS such
it could not fail to interest painters-the
problems of form, of light and shade, and
above all of various textures singly and COL
lectively constitute challenge But when all
is said and done-wel done as in this instance
it cannot be forgotten that mere skill never
produced work of art; only through the
vision and magic of the master artist can such
subject be so metamorphised And, after all.
what is the use of painting the commonplace
unless it is to manifest some subtle beauty
overlooked by or invisible to the majority?
Mr. Warmers railroad trains are more en-
gaging. Not only do they evidence command
OF medium. but also swift-seeing ability, the
power to grasp and indicate motion-speed.
And there is something picturesque and appeal
ing in the iron horse, steam driven, but man.
made and controlled. Viewing these pictures
one wonders if a few years hence the new
Stream-line trains, so like monsters of the
learth gigantic worms will be thought equally
picturesque and paintable. The day of the
iron horse is drawing to close. In another
HAL century tneSe paintings OF steam l0cOmO-
tives by Mr.. Warner will perhaps be regarded
as historical documents
But it was not such that they were painted
Their raiSon detre one finds in the title of No.
in the catalogue, steel, Steam and Speed"
In this painting the effect of speed is en-
hanced by the optical illusion of the small
houses the high bank beneath which the
train dashes. falling backward from the field
of vision OF all these railroad pictures the
most pleasing perhaps is THE Viaduct," in
which the composition is especially good.
There is an interesting contrast in this ex-
/ hibition between what may be called Mr.
Warmers old and new styles-pictures painted
in his manner of 20 years ago and now For
example, three small pictures hung as a group
at the end Of the gallery to the right, and two
landscapes and a nocturne hung on the left
wall. all of which undated and may be
contemporary. But there is something sensi-
tive and suggestive about these pictures of
nature which. while not fully declaring itself
on the instant insureS. it would seem, contin-
uing significance. "Old- Fashioned Garden"
Failing Snow" and The Ledge" have that
quality of charm which few of the so-caed
modern works possess. The Rutted Road"
and Riverside Birches" are presumably Of
later vintage-bolder, stronger very pleasing,
but not so unified in effect at one with them
Aselves, as are these little paintings Strength
and v1rility are admirable qualities. 1t is as
we all know, the ambition of the modern painter
to hit hard and deliver his message at a single
blow, but having achieved this end what re-
mains to compensate for the blow or continue
the allure?
Mr.. Warner made his reputation as a painter
of pictures Of New York-memorably one Of
Brooklyn Bridge-and houses in its vicinity.
His night pictures of Fulton and South" and
Early Evening-Peck's Slip" in this exhibition
recall these early honors and justify them
The writer owns through the generosity of the
10 mir of iroI, o;v,k1
, Mr.. Warner over 25 years ago which, despite
changing fashions. has never lost its original
charm nor ceased to exert the perennial fasci-
nation of lovelinesS, senSitively realized and in
terpreted
HE water colors of Maine. by Maurice Day.
which occupy the walls of the reception
room at the Arts Club at this time, are almost
without exception snow scenes. There are Al
In all, which Is too many for effective showing
In the available space. They are matted, but
unframed, and therefore not seen at their best.
While extremely simply and broadly rendered,
these small paintings have the appearance OF
intimacy, and both deserve and reward close
inspection. One of "Smelt Shantes on the Bay
-Damariscotta River is particularly engaging
because of its direct handling and color scheme,
as are Showed In," Patches" and other
typical subjects. Apparently the Winter as
well as the Summer landscape in Maine has
smalness of scale quite out of proportion with
its actual vastness
Both Mr. Warmers and Mr.. Days exhibitions
will continue until May 18
THE exhibition of members work which the
Society Of Washington Artists is now hold
ing in the galleries of the Art League of WASH
ington, 1903 Twenty first street. is interesting,
but by no means up to the standard of the an