Evening star., 1935-03-31
By Leila MeckIin.

ing the past week among art
| events and has been much discussed
| and commented upon. There Is great
divergence of opinion among lay
| visitors concerning the merits Of the
works set forth, but professionals
seem agreed that the show as whole
is extremely representative.
Certainly the exhibition is creating
view on the evening Of March 20 over
| 5000 persons were in attendance, and
it was not only difficult to get within
the doors, but, once within, to see the
pictures. The same was true of Sum-
day afternoon, when over 5000 were
admitted between 2 and o'clock.
| In many respects this is q bewilder-
Ing display-the paintings shown are
done in so many different ways-the
ideals are apparently SO confused. In
some instances the painters seem to
have chosen the dreariest, ugliest sub
jects for transcription and to have
made no effort whatsoever to discover
and manifest beauty hidden therein.
This is the amazing thing about con-
temporary art. The artists seem to
have lost their vision and with 1t their
power to exalt. Almost any one can
learn to put paint on canvas, but that
ability does not make an artist. This
Is what SO many seem to forget.
| Albert Sterner, who is represented
In this exhibition by an engaging fig
ure study. Minerva in Pink" SAYS. in
an excellent article published some
months ago in Harper's Magazine, that
the present chaos in the arts is, in
comparison with arts long history, of
very recent growth and attributes it
principally to "the announcement of
the cult Of riotous self-expression." He
has in his philosophy no place for the
bungler, particularly for the willful
bungler. There is, he insists, an in
trinsic beauty Of pigment, which de-
pends preponderantly on the way it
is applied to canvas mysterious
marriage" Of the content Cor ideal
with the material, or concrete presen.
tation. In the works of the great
masters this is indeed that which al
lures and holds attention, at times,
spellbound. The good painter" he
says, knows very well that his ma
terialS must be so used as to make
them appear finally magnif1cently
spontaneous" A painter, he claims,
to attain to great achievement must
have strength. with grace and
charm and fine craftsmanship" The
bald. realistic reports of actualities
which I'LL our exhibitions today are,
he declares. useful and valuable docu-
ments, which, however, belong to
history. In the paintings that reflect
current social changes and trends he
sees only scientific data. Only the
poet creates great art, according to
his belief, 'the art that encompasses
the spirit of the mysterious enigma
of life-bearing order and serenity
into the passing chaos" It is well to
be reminded Of these things at such q
time as this by one who is q dis
tinguished artist. a painter and etcher
Perhaps, had this current exhibition
been hung according to schools OF
trends rather than as a color COM
position, it might have been easier
to analyze. Perhaps, had it been less
comprehensive and contemporary, ii
might be less confusing. There is
always the difficulty of seeing the
woods because of the trees. But after
all 1t is interesting to do ones own
thinking, to voyage forth on personal
adventures.
In the same gallery wherein hangs
Albert Sterner's painting Is q picture
by John E. Costigan. MONDAY Rest, "
which is modern in its expression and
at the same time embodies the quail
tiles of great art. 1t shows q man
and his family, his wife and baby, a
little girl, on hilltop. surrounded by
their f1ocks and cattle, homely
scene but so dramatized and exalted
that 1t takes on a feeling Of that
which Is sacred, sublime. CoStigan's
technique is very individualistic-h
is self taught-but it is adequate fol
his expression, subservient to it. and
his whole complicated composition is
drawn into a complete and unified
whole. Frank Jewett Mather has beer
quoted lately as saying that no one
can look at a painting steadily fol
more than five minutes, but the
longer one looks at this painting the
more pleasurable and significant II
becomes.
In an adjoining gallery are two
large figure studies which make in
teresting contrast, "Apparition," BY
Alexander Brook, and The Striker,
by Julius Bloch, the former obviously
painted because of the light effect anc
sense of drama and the other as 9
purely realistic transcription of in.
trinsic interest, and yet neither is 9
great work of art. In fact. curiously
enough, both have certain photo
graphic characteristics. The photo
pictorialist could have, in each in.
stance, delivered the same message.
Less interesting perhaps from the
subjective standpoint, but possessing
young Woman in White" by Ann'
Goldthwaite, equally distinguished O.
an etcher; "The Morning Newspaper.
by Isabel Bishop, and a child portrait
Penny Chaplin" by John r. Folinsbee
No one of these Is carried very fal
but in each case the artist has sue.
ceeded in transferring to canvas hi
creative concept without loss of Spon
taneity-it is all there.
In different way, and more studi
ously, Maurice Molarsky has, in twt
small canvases, achieved the sam'
result. These are both interiors will
a figure each, Spanish Dancer" ans
: I'm the Studio" both are rich in color
excellent IN tone and carried to com.
pletion. But they, too, have spon
taneity of expression. There is nj
evident effort on the part Of tn
; painter. no intruding sense Of paint
John r. Conner's "St. Francis" which
hangs on the same wall as thes'
paintings by Molarsky, is in an en-
tirely different vein-a work illustra'
tive and decorative, which in its color.
ing and nat treatment harks back Il
Puvis de Chavanne, and less jostlet
by the contemporary crowd woult
appear very significant.
The atrium of the Corcoran Caller!
is apt to be considered as the "Botan!
Bay of these great exhibitions, bu
in the present instance some Of the bes
paintings catalogued are to be fount
hung therein. Such, for example, o.