Evening star., 1937-01-16
Bv Leila Mechlin.
@HE Phillips Memorial Gallery

has acquired a notable paint
ing by Francisco Goya, the
u great Spanish painter OF the
latter half Of the eighteenth and
early nineteenth century, one Of the
greatest of all time.
It Is a "Repentent Peter" and Is
representative Of his last period. That
the Phillips Memorial Gallery already
possessed another painting Of this
subject by a no less famous artist Of
Spain, Ell Greco. increases the in
terest. Both are now hung in the
library at short distances one from
the other, and the contrast Is very
great. FL Greco (1545-1614), who lived
and painted approximately 200 years
before Goya (l746-1s28). emphasized
the ascetic In his paintings of all
saints and especially this one-whereas
Goya Is seen to stress the humanistic.
El Grecos Peter Is all spirit, Goya's
Of the flesh.
In the newly acquired canvas, one
sees square-faced, bearded man OF the
people, capable of SHINING much and
ISpCIlOlll6 uNCp1y-SbA OAA6p AAfAsAoANSS -
little coarse, but powerful, an old man
suffering. His hands are clasped IN
supplication, his eyes raised to Heaven.
Before the rock on which he leans
lay the keys OF Heaven. Goya Is said
to have been not only an impression
ist, but the forerunner Of expression
ism, and certainly there Is something
very modern in the technique of this
painting, something quite at variance
with his earlier and more distinctly
suave style. One sees in it more than
q trace Of the influence of Rembrandt,
who, with Velasquez and Nature,
Goya claimed as his only teachers.
Goya, it will be remembered, made
his appearance after a period OF over
100 years Of negligible attainment IN
art in Spain. He was peasant born,
from Aragon, and his life was series
Of escapades and excesses. He was
no friend of the church, and twice had
20 fee, once from Madrid, and once
from Italy, to escape the inQuisition.
But In 1899, he was appointed painter
to the Bourbon Court. He had the
creative gift in extraordinarily large
measure. Not only was he a master
painter, but an etcher and aquatinist.
In the latter field his work was
largely social and political satire OF
the bitterest sort, but, as a distin-
guished etcher Of today has said,
ats qualities as pure art lift It to
the high plane" He was a prodig1ous
producer. His "Caprices," etched IN
1898, are 80 in number; his 'Diasters
of War;" g. diatribe Of profoundly
stirring character, comprise 81 prints.
His courage was dauntless. But first
and last, Francisco Goya was an artist,
and whatever he painted or drew or
etched testifes to this fact. With
him, subjective matter, regardless OF
import, never outweighed artistic con-
alterations. Underlying everything he
did was his power to grasp and use
those fundamentals upon which all
great art Is based.
The st. Peter, which the Phillips
Memorial Gallery now owns, Is a we'll
known work, having been In the col
lection Of Don A. Pidal Of Madrid,
and illustrated In works on Goya by
Calleja and by Beruete. It Is a valu-
able addition.
Alice r. Huger Smiths Water
CoIors at the Arts Club.
MO ONE who loves art or has had
= ' the good fortune to visit the old
rice plantations OF South Carolina can
fail to find great interest and pleasure
in the 80 water colors by Alice r.
Huger Smith Of Charleston, now on
view at the Arts Club. To the max
ing Of these water colors, Miss Smith
has brought not only artistic skill and
keen perception but a knowledge OF
her subject, both personal and ira
ditional, which makes for authenticity
and accuracy. In the preface to the
book. "A Carolina Rice Plantation OF
the Fifties," in which these 30 paint
ings are reproduced in color-and ad-
mirably, Miss Smith says:
Throughout my life have been
trying to paint the rice planting Sec
tion Of South Carolina, that long
strip of fiat lowlands lying within the
influence Of the tides which extended
to about 40 or so miles from the sea.
T.che marshes, the fields, the forests,
tac canals, "tae settlements" aao the
many oGhc- MARI OF great i.oUJrry,
have been no1ee down by ne tc- >aa.J
,HasS. ..aNe Sas:. .aLc.. o. ~ e-i2.
cesr aaG tie remnants are vanishing,
year by year. Therefore, have
brought Ito a sequence So::.e G. ::.:::y
.otes and sketches for those who may