Evening star., 1936-11-28
By Leila Mechlin.


NAINTINGs and drawings by a
- group of artists who have been
commissioned by the Art
Section of the Procurement
Department to execute murals for
Federal buildings in Washington con-
stitute an exhibition at Studio House
which opened last Sunday and will
continue until December 81. This
showing supplements and was pur-
posed to re-enforce the comprehensive
exhibition of mural paintings set forth
under Government auspices In the
Corcoran Gallery of Art at this time.
The artists represented are those
who have executed or are executing
murals for the Department of Justice
Building, the Post once Department
Building and the Federal Warehouse
in which the Treasury Art Projects
have their headquarters. In almost
every instance they are men who had
previously won reputation. In some
instances commissions were given
them through the medium of linn
tied competition, but more often on
the recommendation of a widely rep
resenta tive advisory committee.
The pictures now on view at Studio
House have no actual relation to the
murals which have been or are being
painted, but presumably they do reflect
the point of view and achievement
Of the artists-their ideals and equip
ment The artists themselves made
the selection and the works have come
directly from their studios. All Of
which gives the exhibition exceptional
importance and interest.
1t is the murals by some of these
artists, especially those in the Depart
ment Of Justice Building, which have
been most adversely criticized. and
quite naturally one seeks in the cur
rent display explanation OF choice and
reassura nee of ability. But without
success, for the paintings shown by
these men give no evidence Of out
standing ability or equipment for work
Of . monumental character. They
have individuality, they are in q meas
ure unique, but not in single in
stance do they seem to possess in
terpretative power or vision. 1t is .
depressing array.
TWO Of the artists are represented
by self-portraits - John Steuart
Curry and Henry Varnum Poor, while
George Biddle has sent a portrait Of
his wife, Helen Sardeau, who works
IN sculpture. The portrait of Curry
vas painted in 1929 and shows, in an
oval mirror. the painter seated before
his easel wearing a blue and black
plaid jacket, and with bright red cans
holding brushes beside him. The face
Of the painter is toward the observer
and the expression Is frank and
friendly. But there is nothing engag-
ing in the composition, nothing which
makes appeal either in the painting
Itself or the manner of rendering. The
art which has given the worlds great
portraits immortality is conspicuously
absent. We learn from this painting
how, in 1929, Mr. Curry looked-but
no more. This is the painter of "Bap-
tisn in Kansas" The Tornado" and
other much-discussed canvases.
The portrait of Henry Varnum Poor
by himself is less conventional. Seated
In q low chair he leans forward with
face in hand and looks toward the
observer with q quiet, challenging in
sistence The coloring is brown and
gray-the foreshortening in none too
eood-but there is, back of the face,
vitality.
Mr.. Biddle pictures his wife seated
in an armchair, looking squarely be-
fore her with an aloof, somewhat per-
picked expression. A little black dog
crouches beside her and lends en-
phasis TO the color scheme, which is
rather pleasing; but the figure slumps
and the hands are much exaggerated
In size as in photograph slightly out
Of focus.
The only other painter represent
ed by q life-size figure Is Maurice
Sterne, who more than almost any
other has Influenced, by his teach
ing and his work. painting today, and
yet has made his own highest score
in the field of sculpture. He shows a
portrait study Of q young girl in blue
"Assunti" painted, it Is said, during
his Antioch period Of some years ago,
quite generally reckoned as his best 1t
has sculptural quality and promise,
but 1t lacks refinement in drawing
and that most precious quality Of
texture. which the masters never
overlooked.
Doris Lees THE Widow" a woman
trying to hold two restive horses with
Ill success, and Symeon shimin's
"Men on Sidewalk" are both bad
dreams, fantastic, haunting, but dis
tinctly unreal and unpleasant; to COM
prehend or give them raison d'ete Is
impossible. But we should not forget
that these artists are so represented
by their own preference.
7 ESs pleasing still, although thor
oughly understandable, Is Para
mount Picture" by Reginald Marsh
who has chosen frankly to show us
the vulgarity Of contemporary life
without amelioration. To whom car
such prove pleasing? Themes Of thi.
sort can only be rendered by q mas.
ter who sees and makes US see beneath
the surface.
Three Of the artists are represented
by landscapes or outdoor pictures
Leon Kroll shows the landscape or
Cape Ann, high pasture and low
lying plowed meadow. which served
as the setting for his prize winning
picture at Pittsburgh recently. VIII
liam PalHer's Rough Pasture" is 9