Evening star., 1936-01-12

THERE was a large attendance at
the private views Of the exhi-
billions of Modern Art held a week
ago in Studio House and the Junior
League gallery, and interest in these
collections of paintings and works in
sculpture has been widespread. In
merit and importance, the latter far
outstrips the former. Possibly the
modern idiom finds more suitable
expression in the realm of sculpture
than in that of painting. but even
so, as examples of the artiltS rep
resented. these sculptures are far and
away more satisfactory than the
paintings. Gauguin has done far better
paintings than either The Moon and
the Earth" or the Head of a Tahi-
tian," neither of which is pleasing
in color or interesting in line. The
former does not ring true, the latter
would seem to be- obviou-ly study.
Rousseau's Jungle with Lion" shows
much less competence in execution
than tie works which made his repu-
tation, and there is a childishness
about it which is by no means pure
naivete. Derain is far better repre-
sented in the Phillips collection by
"Mano. the Dancer" than here by
the clunlsily painted woman's head
or even by the two landscapes which
somehow fail to stir the emotions.
Degas' Race Horses" are pleasing and
show him to have been a master Of
his medium, but they do not compare
with some of his ballet subjects or
with Carriage at the Races" owned
by the Museum of Fine Arts. Bosto,.,
or his amazing THE Millinery Shop"
of the Art Institute, Chicago. much
less Uncle and Niece" in the perma.
nent collection of the same institution.
An interesting contrast is made BY
showing Redon'S loosely painted
"Et-uscan Vase" in which there is no
organization of design. in conjunction
with his cryptic head Silence" so
subtle that it seems fugitive in a
ghostly way-a way as far removed
from the tenets of modern art as
night from day. Matisse is represented
by single canvas, Girl in Green"
which completely lacks the beauty
of pattern that we associate with this
painters work at the best. Recall
| the still life in the Phillips Gallery,
or his "Odalisque," or half a dozen
other examples. Modigliani is prch-
ably at his best in the canvas shown
here at this time-certainly it has
his marked characteristics-and Of
| the two PicaSSos it is difficult to
| judge, a. they are both so far removed
! from the known. His Woman in
/ White" is monumental achievement,
witnessing to extraordinary compe-
tence in Craftsmanship. but in relation
tc other figures by this artist lacks
/ compactness and unity. Beca use of
the several excellent examples Of
WILLARD in the Phillips Memorial
Gallery. special interest attaches to
the single example here-the one
work not from the Bliss collection.
1t is entitled Mother and Sister of the
Artist" and is in quite a different
vein. The figure of the mother is most
/ Interestingly painted with a heavy
! impaStL and tonal richness such
as some of the masters of the past
employed, yet the design of the COM
position is thoroughly excentric-
bizarre. The figure OF the sister which
is precisely on the same plane as
the mother. disappears in a lowered
! curtain against which she stands.
| 1t should be remembered that, with
the exception of the last, these paint
ings, lent by the Museum of Modern
Art, were purchased by Miss Bliss for
her own private collection. Her effort
was to examine patiently" and judge
as fairly as she could the works of
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