Evening star., 1935-01-13
By ROBERT CRAWFORD.

BY ROBERT CRAWFORD.
Opening last Thursday in the Ma
Gonal Gallery of Art. Smithsonian
Institution, is a most interesting ex-
tibition of water-color studies in Mex
leo and Observation-Disclosures a far
cry, eh?-which were made within
the past two years by Mr.. Alexander
Buel Trowbridge, distinguished Ameri-
can architect and perhaps best known
as some time director and dean of the
Collge of Architecture at Cornell
University.
Mr.. Trowbridge must have felt that
the lure of the wonderful skies and
colorful architectural landscape OF
Mexico would be brought into greater
relief by contrast with the sterner,
Puritan architecture and surround
ings of Massachusetts,, and so COM
bined in this exhibition the two most
diverse parts of America. The psy-
Geological effect is, however, all that
could be desired, and while one does
not love the precise New England and
the picturesque Berkshire Hills less.
he must confess to the intriguing fas-
cination and warmth of the Mexican
scenes In looking at the latter one
can but feel that Mr.. TroWbridge, like
every artist who visits Mexico, has
succumbed to that lotuslike. indefln-
able charm that seiZes one on crossing
the border. You know there was some
thing different and even exotic about
the way the Mexican officers played
polo up here last Fall.
Most of the scenes in the collection
are in and around Taxco and Cuerna-
vaca, that beauty spot on the southern
slope of the Cordilleras, which so
charmed Cortes almost 400 years ago
that he built there beautiful palace,
surrounded with wonderful gardens,
with the great barrancas and noun
tatns for setting. Just beyond Cuer-
navaca he built the sugar mills which
poured gold into his Golfers and whose
remains are still one of the sights for
the tourist. 1t was to that city that
the Inflated Maximilian resorted for
peace and quiet, and few miles away
built the quaint little chalet Mirimar,
where he lived with the lovely Aztec
maiden. But Cortes and Maximilian
must not steal the show from Mr..
Trowbridge. for he has brought back
charming and interesting reminders of
the town. and it is grateful that the
old churches and houses shown display
the craftsmanship of the architect as
well as the technique of the artist.
Two of the loveliest pictures are of
the "1glesia de los Tapetates," one in
the late afternoon, with that sleepy
charm that fills the air at the siesta
hour. and the other just before a
storm. when the surrounding noun
tains seem to come nearer and en-
velop the landscape.
A view In the Borda Gardens
famed for their beauty at one time
and a pretty study of the Bathing
Pavilion" in the gardens attract one;
also the picture of the Cathedral.
whose soft pinkish-yellow adobe walls
seem at times to glory in the bright
sunlight and then soften and melt
away in the twilight like yellow mist
The twilight hour is the time to sit
in one of the little covered seats on
the corner of the wall of the Borda
Gardens, and look out over the land
scape to the mountains beyond.
Mr.. TroWbridge. says Mexicans call
Taxco Jewel" 1t is surprisingly
lovely, and his pictures Twilight at
the Convent Plaza" THE Little Blue
Gate" General View from a Taxco
Hillside" all cause one to linger In
speaking of the New England land
scapes the artist says, They present
. contrast between the warm, brilliant
colors of Mexico and the cooler,
quieter colors of Massachusetts," THE
Little Red House on the Hill" at South
Egremont and "Jugend Mountain, 3"
loaned by Mrs. Crete Won Bayer, are
most pleasing.
On the opposite side of the National
Gallery-just across from the Trow-
bridge exhibition, collection of oil
paintings by Mr. Jacque of Notre Dame
College, Indiana, was being arranged.
Judging from the few canvases in
place, especially the three panels de-
picting scenes in the life of the Virgin,
which Mr.. Jacque has treated with
considerable discretion, the exhibit
will be most interesting.
The December number of the Amer
acan Magazine of Art, has an interest
ing article on the Mosaics of st.
Sophia, by Stanley Casson. The illus
trations by the author are clever. It
will be recalled that the Turkish gov
ernment several years ago granted to
the Byzantine Institute of America, the
privilege of restoring to the world the
Christian art in the Mohammedan
mosque, the famous San Sofia once
known as the Jewel of Christendom. j."
These mosaics, in which Christian
symbols appeared, are gradually being
uncovered.
There was certainly a gasp of dis