The Washington times., 1935-11-08
. NOW
Trends in Art
- Startling
NEW BETTING
BY HELEN EssARY

trends OF cocktail conversation, OF
fashion, of profanity.
Trends of art are generally 10
exhibits ahead Of me. So while
showing visiting firemen around
the Corcoran Art Gallery Il wish
somebody would move those plas-
ter casts from the gallery entrance
into q remote student section and
place some original work to greet
the SightSeers), accidentally
happened into an exhibit OF
murals. Murals that have been
submitted and accepted in part
for the new Federal buildings.
Swell, thought. Now I'll see
what trend modern art takes TO-
ward Justice.
Well, saw and shivered. Jus.
tice evidently brings to the mind
of some modern muralistS thoughts
of Squalor, misery and murder.
Certainly squalor and misery in
heroic size, exemplified by dis
agreeable people, animals and
landscapes will greet the visitor
who climbs that fire rallied chro-
MUM stairway in the splendid
new Department of Justice Build
ing.
One of the designs for the Jus.
Eice stairs, which will be enlarged
to height of Is feet, shows some
tubercular women and rickety
children working at sewing ma.
chimes and ironing boards, against
0 background of a dozen or so
dresSmakerS forms. You know
the headleSs kind that stood on
iron stands seamstresses by the
day used to like.
CLOSE to this inspiring interior
Is a railroad track where a mother
with her child at her bosom
walks dejectedly. I might say pre-
cariously. Nearby a grandmother
with tin cans and an empty flower
pot at her feet, saws wood. Be
hind her, shirts, pants and aprons
hang dank on a clothes line. An
inscription says THE tenement
and sweat shop Of today can be
the life planned Of Justice to
morrow"
The next panel shows the
planned life of tomorrow. An un.
pleasant looking family in shirt
sleeves and gingham aprons is
helping itself to a cottage dinner
from a frying pan and coffee pot,
while Q woman and child saw at
the boards Of the dining room
floor.
This is probably meant to be an
interior view of life on a farm.
For close by is jam Of live stock,
including the rear Of big white
horse, a knock-kneed calf and a
COW nobody would ever think was
anything but a cow. GlimpSes of
smokeStacks and railroad ties com
plete the picture.
These little views of Justice
were done by Mr.. George Biddle
Of Philadelphia, brother Of Mr.
Francis Biddle, Chairman Of the
Labor Board.
The panels intended to frame
the door where Mr.. Stanley Reed
administers the office of Solicitor
General of the United States are
also graphic.
They show huge prison cell:
and an evil looking criminal II
handouts being led behind the
bars by a mean-eyed warden.
In the second panel the Grim
inal is being let out Of Jail anc
his wife is hugging him. I sup
pose it's his wife.
Other light-hearted S sketche!
submitted for the Department q
Justice show electric chairs
Gangsters, a man killing his wifi
with q whisky bottle, and thu
American Legion going to HEAVIER
with wings on it's uniforms. Chic
Justice Hughes is for the momen
seated in a cloud. A man with
monocle with Abraham Lincolr
extended over his head, dictate'
to a secretary with a permanen
wave. w
There are some other nice littl'
scenes which are meant to eX
emplify Justice. OF snakes bur
rowing around houses, Of womel
with no teeth and a big ia
figure of Justice with one arm
missing.
"Who would have though
Justice was like any of these pic
lures" said woman sightseer.
'It's just a trend in art"
said. "But it's too bad to max
Justice look so vindictive anC
evil right in the Department o
Justice Building"
Dear Helen ESSary:
You said the other day tina
all dictators wore hip boots. Yo'
are wrong. know a dictator VIII
wears carpet slippers. Also
kitchen apron. Her sword Is
stirring spoon.
(signed) Stepped On.
Here's a long shot that pays bet
ter than the Irish Sweepstakes
Bowie, Laurel or Pimlico.
A group of reporters on New
York's most solemn paper have ar
ranged it. In each newspaper OF
flee, you know, there is a depart
ment jauntily called "the morgue.
Here, on file, are clippings abou
most prominent men and women
Ever so often the sporting re
porters (they actually all are il
the sports Department. put thC
SNaYaaG If nqch pnrSon ia fhI