Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-03-03

Davidson, textiles and pottery. photo
graphs and posters to be seen in other
parts OF this great building.
The P. w. A. p. was to large
extent a relief measure, economic
rather than primarily artistic, and
therefore the works produced under
it could not, and cannot, be judged
in the same way as those produced
under normal circumstances. When
collection Of p. w. A. P. paintings
was exhibited in New York last year
Royal Cortissoz, one Of the foremost
art critics, said that at least 1t proved
that no great talent had been pre-
viously overlooked, for through this
interesting, Nationwide, open-door
experiment none had emerged. Pass
ing from picture to picture now hang
ing in the corridors of the Labor De-
partment this comment is recalled and
the fact impressed that the art here
displayed is essentially that of picture
making for and by the less intellectual
and cultivated classes Of society. The
interest in these pictures, most of
which appropriately refer to some
phase of labor, is subjective. The
painters have, with a reasonable
amount Of accuracy, set forth things
seen, but without, in almost every
instance, a ray of inspiration or the
least glimmer of understanding that
art Is not what is done. but the way
1t Is done-the way paint is put on
canvas, the way effects are produced,
the way a theme is interpreted. To
understand Just what this means let
the visitor compare these paintings
by, for the most part, artists who had
not attained distinction up to the
time the P. w. A. P. gave them ex-
ceptional opportunity with the prints.
on view on the upper floor, by artists
Of established reputation and &C
knowledged gift. Even the uninitiated
will see the difference.
1t is an interesting thing that in
this day and generation, when the
tendency of the so-called advance
guard" in art has emphasized the alb
stract and intangible, We seem now to
be turning to the subjective, illustra-
tive, realistic. But the most realistic
o0SJCSSo may NC 81 1CAASCACu CAAdt LkACy
not only delight the eye but exalt the
thought of the observer. 1t is no
compliment to an artist to say that
his work looks exactly like something
that we have seen. 1t is compliment
to say that it reveals to us some beauty
or significance in things seen or life
itself, which we have not heretofore
realized. There is no doubt that labor
and machinery today provide splendid
material for artistic Interpretation
therefore, to have it set forth without
imagination, clumsily, drearily, de-
bases both the laborer and the theme.
Joseph Pennell saw the wonder of
Work" and made it manifest in his
Autographs. So did Jonas Lie in his
paintings of the Panama Canal and
shipyards. So did Thornton Oakley
in his pen and ink illustrations and
Autographs, and the late Gerrit
Beneker in his portraits Of industrial
workers. 1t has been and 1t can be
done. Let us not lower the standard.
Turning to the current exhibition,
note should be made that some Of
the paintings shown have q naive,
simple quality-such for example as
Winter Afternoon, Central Park" by
Carl G. Nelson Of New York, and
others q strength and vigor which
singles them out, as Building and
Construction" by Joseph P. Meert Of
New York. In some instances there
is q CLINT Of the comic, as in Misha
Reznikoff's 1.-THE End Of the Horse,
or the New Deal" Quite obviously
the comic supplement has exerted an
influence, es have the Currier and
Ives prints Of the Victorian era which
have lately had revived vogue.
There are, to be sure, some paintings
In this exhibition that are by painters
listed in the American Art Annual
and regular contributors to the 'ead-
ing exhibitions, such as jerome Myers,
Charles Rosen, Ross Dickinson Mar
tin Henning, who gave works a. tan
gible evidence of approval and appre-
citation Of the recognition given the
artist by the Government. These raise
the standard, but are unfortunately
offset by such repulsive works as
The Farmers Kitchen" by Ivan Le