Evening star., 1936-06-13
Bv Leila MechHn.

admit, bring forth artists whose Gre
ative ability, power and individuality |
are unequaled in the present day. |
There were not so many artists then |
as now, but those who attained dis
tinction seem to have risen to very |
great heights. Those, for example, |
were the days of Saint Gaudens in |
sculpture. of La Fargo, Whistler, |
Sargent, Winslow Homer and Thayer |
in painting. each of whom made |
signal contribution to the art of the
world.
Abbott H. Thayer was born in BoS-
ton in August, 1849, but was reared
In a country home in Keene, N. H.
In his early teens he was taken to
Brooklyn and there began his study
of art, which he later continued in
the National Academy of Design. In
1875 he went to Paris and entered
the atelier of Gerome with the in
tention of becoming an animal
painter. Later he went to the Ecole
des Beaux Arts, where, it is said, his
ability as a craftsman attracted much
attention both among his fellow stu
dents and instructors But what is
most remarkable is that his rather
extensive experience in French schools
left not the least trace upon the
character of his own art, which, from
first to last, was quite as individual
and no less American in flavor than
was that of Winslow Homer, the re-
doubtable hermit-painter of the Maine
coast. I'VE have never had any one
more original in character, richer in
imaginative genius than Thayer,"
says Royal CortiSsoZ, adding, He was
a remarkable spirit and a remarkable
painter"
Scanning the history of American
painting, certain great works in
stantly come to mind as for all time
outstanding, such as La Farge's
mural of The Ascension" in the
Church of the Ascension, New York;
Homers "All's Well in the Boston
Museum of Fine Arts and Thayer's
"Caritas," which has found permanent
placement in the same institution.
The quality of Thayer's work was,
happily, recognized during his life
fame has steadily increased and
found universal acceptance.
He was not prolific painter. When
In 1922 a memorial exhibition of his
work was held in the Metropolitan
Museum of Art in New York, only
70 paintings some of which were un-
finished, were catalogued. Under
these circumstances it is very re-
markable, and a matter of consider
able congratulation, that no less than
81 Thayers are in the permanent
collections of art museums in Wash
ington. Sixteen are in the Freer Gal
lery collection; IS are included in
the collection left to the National
Gallery of Art by the late John Gel
latly, two are in the Corcoran Gal
lery of Art. And among this number
are some of his greatest productions,
such as The Virgin" of the Freer
Gallery, the Virgin Enthroned,' the
stevenson Memorial" and Angel
in the National Gallery.
ONLY five of the sixteen Thayers in
the Freer collection are now on
view, but these fullynanifeSt the genius
Of the painter. THE Virgin a magnifl-
cent canvas representing his elder
daughter leading her younger sister
and brother out into the great world,
clouds in the background taking the
form of wings, hangs in the center OF
the main wall of the American gal
lery and dominates it.
This is the theme upon which Mr..
Thayer most frequently played, giving
It new significance and dignity. Its
beauty to him seems to have been in
exhaustible; he was always, as it
were, plumbing its depths, finding new
meaning "CaritaS" was the first OF
the series, painted about 1889, and the
others followed in comparatively quick
succession. In it a noble figure of
woman is standing like Greek carya-
tide with protecting arms held over
two children-a boy and girl of ten
der years. The Virgin Enthroned," in
the Gellatly collection, is much in the
same spirit, except that here the Vir-
gin is seated on a dais and the chill
dren kneel, in alteration, to right and
left. The Virgin" in the Freer Gal
lery is less statuesque and more nat
uralistic, but also idealized-beauti-
fully so-while in fourth of the Sc
ries-also in the Gellatly collection
the title has been dropped and the
designation is simply MY Children"
: But this, too, is treated as design,
an epitome of something spiritual. Fo-
liage forms the central column, a |
wreath of laurel leaves held in the
Virgins hands supplies the symbol
In all these paintings it is the theme
of the Madonna which painters of all
times have loved, but reinterpreted |
as from a fresh font of inspiration. |
To this conception of spiritual moth
erhood. ineffable in its strength and
beauty, he turned again and again.
using as others have noted, "the large |
utterance of the early gods
Thayer was a mastery painter, his
works have sculpturesque quality of |
modelling and strength. his color great |
richness and depth of tone; he created |
superb surfaces, but he was sometimes
impatient in the rendition of unessen-
tials once the central idea had found |
expression. Oftentimes portions of
his. canvases are barely covered-but
the effect is magnificent-the mean
ing conveyed.
MEMBERS of his family were his
chief models, and he painted
his children again and again. The
Gellatly collection comprises a double
portrait study of Gerald, born in 1888.
and Gladys, born three years later,
whereas in the Freer Gallery they are
seen each on separate canvas. And
what charming models they and their
elder sister Mary made with their
brown hair, dark eyes and other ex-
pressive features! Almost always Mr..
Thayer painted them, it will be seen,
In dark cloths or drapery, olive green
or brown, deep toned, resonant. There
Is great dignity in these child nor.