Evening star., 1936-02-02
In fact. if anything, it has acquired

LII ldCG, IL dIiS tIlillS, ~ 1Ido dSQuAl GU
distinction.
1t is a fine and charming work,
and it takes its place with dignity in
the distinguished company wherein it
has now been placed. Mr.. Baker is a
Bostonian by birth and studied under
De Camp and other Boston masters in
the Museum School of Fine Arts.
When E. c. Tarbell was made principal
of the Corcoran School of Art, he in
vited Richard Meryman and Burtis
Baker, both New Englanders, to ac-
cept instructorships under him and
his invitations were accepted. Mr..
Baker has also been teaching in the
art department of the George Wash
ington University and for some years
he has maintained studio at 1916
G street.
When the Corcoran Gallery of Art
accepted his resignation as a teacher
in its school last Summer. it was with
the understanding that Mr.. Baker
wanted more time for individual work.
This does not mean, however, that
Mr.. Baker has been idle all these
years-far from it, for he is repre-
sented in numerous public collections
and he has executed many private
commissions. His portraits are to be
found in the Harvard Law School,
the New Hampshire State House, the
Nationa, Academy of Design, the Vir-
ginia Theological Seminary, the
Georgetown University law school,
the Washington Loan & Trust Co.,
and he has exhibited regularly in the
Corcoran biennials and with the
Society of Washington Artists, as we'll
as in exhibitions held in the larger
cities.
A few years ago the Corcoran Gal
lery of Art gave him a one-man
exhibition, devoting one entire gal
lery to his work, which appeared to
excellent advantage. Mr.. Baker is a
good craftsman, a sound painter, but
above and beyond this is the quality
of delicate perception of values so
subtle that they may be called spir-
itual. which distinguishes much Of
his work in general and the painting
just acquired by the Corcoran Gallery
in particular.
This painting, which is in rather
high key, represented a young woman
standing in front Of dressing table
seen by the observer in profile. OBJ
viously it is pictorial composition,
but so exquisitely is it rendered that
it takes on a lasting interest and
value. This is the kind Of subject that
the majority of contemporary painters
are afraid Of. In less capable hands
it might degenerate into mere shallow
prettiness. But here it does not.
Instead for all time it testifies to the
fact that, according to the old saying,
Beauty is more than skin Deep" it
is not superficial and that beauty so
interpreted has great emotional power.
as well as being pleasurable.
IRON the Boyer Galleries in Phila-
delphia collection of paintings
by Philadelphia artists has come to
Studio House, to be exhibited therein
from February to 18. This is, in q
measure, q return courtesy for an
exhibition of works by artists of
Washington and vicinity. selected from
the showing in the Phillips Memorial
Gallery a couple of months ago and
lent by Studio House to the Boyer
Galleries.
| Included in this exhibition are
paintings in oils and water color,
drawings and prints. Several of the
artists are already known here, others
are newcomers. Among the former
are Hugh Breckenridge, an instructor
in the Pennsylvania Academy Of Fine
Arts and head of the Breckenridge
School of Painting at Gloucester;
Harold Weston, who is very well rep
resented in the Phillips Memorial CAL
lery, and has been spending some
time here this Winter. and George
Biddle. who is said to have suggested
the P. w A. project to the President
and is now producing large mural
in true fresco in the Justice Depart
ment Building.
The paintings here run the gamut
from Breckenridge's distractions to
an extraordinary imitation Of an