Evening star., 1936-02-02

than a little. Upon his return to this
country he accepted business po-
sition in Florida becoming art direc-
tor for a real estate firm. Then he
went dashing back to Geneva as Of
fetal artist for the World Press Con-
gress.
Finally. in 1927 and '28. he travelled
in the West. spent some time in
Glacier National Park and in the
Canadian Rockies.
Wherever he went, he found some
thing to see and to learn. His trips
to Europe he turned to good account
by visiting art museums and galleries
especially studying print collections.
In the West he etched. and some OF
the plates made there are still among
his best. 1t was they that made his
reputation Not only were they we'll
etched, but they gave, better than had
been given before. in prints or paint
ings, the sense of spaciousness which
is most characteristic of this section
of our country. Invariably he intro
duced figures to give scale and human
interest. and likewise without excep-
ton they took their place perfectly.
seeming to belong to the picture of
life and land. Lone Butte" Heavy
Going" Mountain Sleet" and
"Huskies" are among these very typi-
cal and fine plates.
So popular did Mr.. Vests work of
this sort become and such high prices
did it bring. that it is very remarkable
he did not fall into the habit of re-
poatinr himself But he did not. A
"Levon West" does not signify any
one kind of subject and by no means
necessarily Western scene. He con-
tinues to travel and observe and to
grow.
Four years after he took up etch-
ing his agent in New York published
an elaborate. illustrated catalogue of
his plates. in which all that he had
produced to that date we're illustrated.
An introduction to this volume was
written by Miss Elisabeth Luther Cary.
the able art critic of the New York
Times. But even this early, and.
seemingly. easily earned regard. did
not spoil this talented young etcher
and withal he retains not only his ad-
venturous spirit but his modesty. In
recent years he has taken up water
color painting and produced some
works of very distinct merit. painting
broadly and with evident understand
ing Of the limitations of the medium.
When an exhibition of etchings by
American etchers was held in London
some years ago in the Victoria and
Albert Museum. an etching of West
erner sitting beside a lone pine was
reproduced as poster and displayed
in all the stations of the London "un-
derground" railway.
The exhibition to open here to-
morrow will continue throughout Feb
ruary.
AT THE Arts Club exhibitions Of
drawings and Autographs by D.
Putnam Brinley and paintings in oil
and pastels by Alexander Clayton
open this afternoon. Mr. Brinley is
mural painter, among whose best
know work is the mural illustrating
the STORY of Huckleberry Finn" in
the lobby, of one of the great New
York skyscrapers. For the Liberty
Memorial in Kansas City he did war
maps, he has designed a number of
stained glass windows, and he has
received from time to time, in these
different fields, much-coveted awards.
About year and a half ago, he ac-
companied his wife on a trip to the
Gaspe Peninsula, the result Of which
was a book by Mrs. Brinley, Away
to the Gaspe." with illustrations by
her painter husband This book has
had wide sale. and it is the originals
of the illustrations which will be ex-
hibited at the Arts Club.
Mr. Clayton, whose paintings and
pastels will be exhibited simultane-
ously at the Arts Club, is a local
artist. a pupil of Richard Meryman
and Burtis Baker, regular exfibi-
tor with the Society of Washington
Artists. To a Washington public he
needs no introduction.
AN EXHIBITION of paintings by
Sara Pryor Dodge (Mrs. Hunter
Kimbrough) will open in the club
room of the D. C. League Of American
Pen Women. the Burlington Hotel,
this afternoon, continuing daily from
2 to pm. with the exception of
February 4 and y to the 18th. The
collection will comprise both oils and
water colors, portraits, landscapes and
still-life studies. Among the por-
traits will be a three-quarter length
of Senator Pat Harrison, and one OF
the late Judge A. McC. Kimbrough