The Washington times., 1936-01-04
Smithsonian
Exhibits
Prints

The D Division of Graphic
Arts of the National Museum
ushers in the new year with
an exhibition of the prints Of
Franz Geritz, of Los Angeles.
sixty-two prints of four diff
ferent types are in the exhibi-
ton, which opened yesterday
in the Smithsonian Building on
the Mall.
Mr.. Geritz' work is divided into
four categories-his block prints,
consisting Of linoleum and wood
cut, his etchings and his litho-
graphs.
His most artistic work appears
In his etchingS, all Of which are
portraits. He demonstrates q GER
tain fineness of touch in the
etchingS which lifts them head
and shoulders above his other
work. Portrait work has always
been his great love, and although
the first so or so blocks he made
were all portraits, he appears to
reach the highest point in his
skill in his etched portraits.
A Free Hand
Among the etchings an exhibi.
ton which are particularly well
done are those of his father and
mother, another entitled "A
Magyar" which is self Dor.
trait, and still another entitled
I'VE Two" a study of his wife
and himself.
The artist draws with a broad
and free hand, which creates a
very interesting effect.
OF his block prints, "Craters,
Mona Lake" was selected by
Rockwell Lent for Fifty Prints Of
1927, and also won q prize at the
San Diego Fine Arts Museum in
1928.
The color block print, Clouds"
was awarded the bronze medal at
the Pacific Southwest Exposition
in 1928 and also won the pur-
chase prize of the Los Angeles
Art Association at the exhibition
of the American Color Print
makers in 1884.
In addition, Mr.. Geritz illus
trated four recent books, is illus
trationS and the frontiSpieceS Of
which are on view In the exhibi.
ton. The books which the artist
Illustrated are Spanish Arcadia"
by Nellie Sanchez; Gold Days"
and THE Great Trek" by Owen
c. Coy, and "Oxcart to Airplant,"
by Rockwell D. Hunt and William
S. Ament.
OvercOmeS Handicap
Mr.. Geritz was born in Hun.
gary in 1895 and come to the
United States with his family in
1904. The family wandered
through the South, later stopped
in Chicago and finally settled in
Richmond on San Francisco Bay.
In 1910 while playing football,
young Geritz suffered an injury
which crippled him for life. Faced
with this obstacle, he turned his
attention to art. In 1882, he was
forced to have his leg amputated,
and while convaleScing he illus
trated several children's books.
His first professional work was
as a free lance artist, making
sketches for newspapers of trials,
movie stars and fights. He later
worked on the Los Angeles Times.
At the present time, he is an
instructor in block printing at
the University Of California,
where he has been since 1922.
His prints are on exhibition in
the Brooklyn Museum, San Diego
Fine Arts Gallery, California
State Library, Los Angeles Public
Library and other public and
private collections.
Modern Art
The Museum Of Modern Art
exhibition Of paintings and sculp-
ture will be shown tomorrow at a
private view, with the public
opening scheduled for Monday.
Thirteen oil paintings from the
collection of Lille P. Bliss will
be exhibited at the Studio House,
TWenty-first st. N. w., with the
sculpture to be shown at the
Junior League Of Washington
House, 1901 Massachusetts, Ave.
N. w. The exhibitions will con-
tinue through January 10.
Mrs. Roosevelt, a member Of
the washington committee Of the
Museum of Modern Art, who
visited the exhibition several
times when it was on view in
New York, announced she will at
tend the private showing tomor'
row.