Evening star., 1937-03-06
Bv Leila Mechlin.

exhibition of water colorS and
drawings by Louis M. EllShemluS
~ now on view in the print rooms
of the Phillips Memorial Gallery. The
artist is one of the old geniuseS of our
age, but embodies in his person char
scteriSticS common to all. He has in
almost equal measure great Self-eSteem
and vast humility. These traits are
to be found, if one looks deep enough,
in all gifted artists. The source of the
conceit is in such case, most frequently,
profound belief in the supreme i'm
portance of art and amaZement at
results attained beyond ones modest
expectation. The difference between
Eilshemius and some of his colleagues
is that he has with complete frankness
given expression to these dual and
conflicting emotions.
The Art Digest in recent issue
gave, in connection with a review of
q one-man exhibition of paintings by
Eilshemius in the Valentine Gallery,
New York. a biographical account OF
the painter. from which the following
facts are cleaned. His saga" began
at Cornell University in 1862, After
having been at college two years he
decided that his professors had MOTH
ing to teach him, and that he would
become not only painter but one OF
the greatest Three years later, after
studying with Kenyon Cox, he ex-
hibited his first picture in the National
Academy of Design. Then he went
abroad and had a year of study under
Bouguereau at the Academic Julien
in Paris, followed by 20 years OF
travel in Europe, the South Seas and
elsewhere.
In 1917 Eilshemius sent a picture
to the Independents Show in New
York and priced it at $50,000. Marcel
Duchamp, whose Nude Descending
n Stair" had caused a furore in the
Armory Show, happened to be in New
York at that time, saw the painting,
and declared it worth the money.
How really serious was such valuation
on the part of either Mr.. EllShemluS
or M. Duchamp no one will probably
ever know, but both, it would seem,
enjoy a joke or a hoax. Since 1922,
when the Societe Anonyme gave ELL
shenius q One-man show, his place
In American art seems to have been
secure. The merit of his work has
been widely acclaimed by the leading
critics and works have been purchased
by art museums and private Collec-
tions. No one can deny that they
have childlike simplicity and charm,
rs well as in some instances loveliness
OF color and line.
In 1888, an exhibition of oil paint
ings by Louis EilShemius was held IN
the Phillips Memorial Gallery and
from it several canvases were acquired
for the gallery's permanent collection.
Since then, other public institutions
have followed that lead.
Eilshemius has not. it is said,
painted for 16 years, and for the past
few years he has been confined to his
home in New York as the result OF an
automobile accident. He is. how
ever. a tireless letter writer, and his
letters are particularly characteristic,
half in earnest, half in jest, with
boundary slightly demarked. For ex-
ample, following review OF his ex-
hibition of oil paintings at the Phil
lips Memorial Gallery, the reviewer
received from him the following
epistle:
ITO the Art Critic on Washington
Star:
Dear Art Critic-I read your nice
review of my works at Phillips Me-
mortal Glad you liked them, espe-
cially Samoan. When painted them
Gauguin and La Forge vert unknown
to me. That proves that it is the
scenery that inspires the execution
Of a painting.
What amused me were the lines
on AK les Bains.' Well, the pencil
drawing I made on the spot (Kursaal
6quare) is 'parfait.' Nothing child
ish there. You must know I painted
1t five years after in my New York
studio. I wanted to get the Neo-Im-
pres. nistic School beat. And that
Is the reason dashed in the cabs and
people. I won. In fact, I did the
whole painting in three-fourths hour.
Glad to hear from you.
Sincerely,
LOUIS M. EILSHEMIUS."
December 6, 1888.
More lately he addressed to the Art
Digest published in their issue of
February 20, 1880, the following:
"PicaSso is a $3.50,
Marin is hobo!
Dear sir: Well. how can you print
such stuff as Marin and that Cubist
disgrace of PicaSso Woman Reading
q Book For the devils sake show
the public fine art.
MY art!
(Signed) "MAHATMA.
Obviously, If Eilshemius takes him.
self seriously. he toes not mean that
others shall. Here is, indeed, unique
and intriguing personality.
The collection now on view in the
Phillips Memorial Gallery comprises
Il water colors and 20 drawings. Some
date back to the artists sojourns in
the South Sea Islands and in Switzer-
land, as we'll as MS travels In many
parts of the United States. The draw
ings are chiefly notes for his own Use.
but will for this reason be found OF
special interest to students. The water
colors are in his usual vein. No one
has probably ever painted and drawn
more as the spirit moved him or to
please himself than he. Perhaps for