Evening star., 1936-10-10
By Leila MechHn.
TINE Arts Club of Washingt'


such notable collections as
u those of paintings by Freder-
lex ]. Mulhaupt and etchings by
Samuel Chamberlain with which to
iuaugurate the current season. OF
the 81 paintings hung on the walls
Ct the gallery, each and every one
has intrinsic beauty, and among the
"a etchings displayed in the recep-
1lon room and hall are considerable
.uumber which attain to the high
est standard-works comparable to
the best that have been produced.
Painters and public in these later
years have come to fear beauty as a
badge Of weakness, but Mr.. Null
haupt's canvases have strength as
well as beauty, his brushwork is Wig
orous, his works are structurally
strong. He has painted commonplace
things and places, but he has found
in them an element of loveliness
which gives them universal signif1-
canoe and lasting worth. After all.
what is art for if it is not to open
our eyes to the beauty which sur
rounds us and preserve it to us for
ell time? Merely to set down things
seen, things factual, is the part of a
reporter rather than an artist. An
artist, to fulfill his destiny, must have
vision as we'll as insight, must be a
prophet as we'll as leader. This con-
ception of art and the artist seems
IN danger of being lost.
To be sure, Mr.. Mulhaupt has
painted things near at hand-streets
and wharves, snowclad hills and bare
roadsides-but he has found beauty
in them and made it manifest. He
las not caricatured nature or man,
he has not concerned himself with
what may be termed qualification"
he has not set forth the horrors Of
modern industrial development and
its effect on life. nor has he con-
cerned himself with the common
man-he has, to the contrary. painted
what pleased himself and what he
himself found pleasing, with a good
measure of enthusiasm, with all the
competence he possessed and with
evident delight in the doing-and by
SO doing he has, perhaps unconscious
1y, made real contribution.
Why, some will ask, are these
paintings so pleasing? Because the
subjects are we'll chosen, the COM
positions good, the color charming,
the effects of light and shade we'll
rendered, the result competently
achieved. What is more, 'they ring
true. Perhaps they are not great
works of art, measured by the great
est Of the past, but they are essen
tally good and sincere, they make
neither boast nor evasion, they have
distinct and very welcome message
and if there we're more of the same
kind we should be infinitely bet
ter of.
The first painting one sees on en-
tering the gallery is of Gloucester's
Main street in Winter A sledge.
drawn by a team of horses, is seen
in the foreground; there is an evil
dent crispness in the air; the little
turning street with its heterogeneous
architecture has a homely look. but
engaging This is an American
scene" which does not awaken scorn
or derision, but engenders loyalty
and admiration-at least, it is our
own. Evidently Mr.. Mulhaupt has
an equal fancy for Winter in New
England and for the boats Of Glou-
cester as they lie either in the har-
Dor or at the wharves, and he paints
them both equally we'll. OF conspic-
uous merit is his large canvas Of q
Logging Camp in New Hampshire, -
which centers the long east wall. But
equally pleasing are "Old Mill, New
England" Late Winter Afternoon
and February Morning, N. H.. in
each of which one finds varied in
terpretation Of light, beautiful de-
lineation of bare trees and an effec-
tive use of foreground shadow. Among
the boat pictures one Of the most in
teresting is "Fog-Bound Harbor," In
which the fishing schooners are a.
ghosts, wrapt in veil Of mist. But
each canvas has its individual in
terest and charm.
An interesting feature Of this dis
play is a group of small paintings. II
oil, but approximately 10 by IL inches
In dimensions, and priced proportion
ately low. Mr.. Mulhaupt's large can
vases sell for as much as $1,000. bu
these little paintings, equally meri'
torious and most suitable for a home
can be had for as little as SIS. Ger
tainly this puts them within the reach
Of many.
Rare Etchings BY Chamberlain.
nF THE Chamberlain etchings,
~ print collector will find 1t dificult
10 speak with moderation. They ar
delightful beyond words-technically
10 brilliant that they dumbfound tn