Evening star., 1937-12-12

Hoffman's subtle mask in wax Of Paw
Iowa in the Corcoran Gallery-which
it resembles.
And still the half has not been told.
Who. having once seen. will ever for
get the portrait Of Marie de Pouldu
painted by Gauguin-presumably in
the early years of his career, hung on
wall of a small center gallery with
portrait Of dignitary Of many CEN
turies ago in China and in conjunc-
ton with sculptured head Of an
Asiatic whose expression is identical
with her own.
The sculpture in this exhibition is
fully as engaging as the paintings
and perhaps even more rare. Like
the paintings it originated in different
eras and has come from many gen.
erous lenders.
A word too should be said for the
drawings, seen in the original and
in excellent reproduction. Especially
one recalls two by Ingres, and one a
self-portrait done in his youth, by
Raphael
Obviously one may not admire all.
Soutine's Child in Red" is far from
lovely; there are other strange con-
ceptions, or misconceptions,-but it is
for the visitor to pick and choose. Ex-
planatory labels point the way to un-
derstanding of the reason for inclu-
sion. Photographs and moving pic
lures bring the record to date but after
feasting on the works Of the masters
Of unmechanized art, these latter-days
achievements leave one rather cold
like departure from the cathedral Of
Chartre for the railway station. But
obviously, they. too, have their place.
This exhibition. unique of its kind
SO auspiciously opened and handsomely
shown, will continue through January
3. That simultaneously there should
be in progress great exhibition Of his
torical portraits of distinguished Amer
leans of 100 and more years ago in
the Corcoran Gallery of Art, and q
rare collection Of portrait sculpture of
pre-Columbian era from South
America in the National Museum, both
of which supplement the thesis on
portraiture, Is a most happy coinci-
dence
Astounding Exhibition of
Ancient Art From
South America.
TOO much cannot be said in praise
Of the exhibition of pre- Columbian
art now set forth In the foyer Of the
National Museum under the auspices
of the Ambassadors of Peru and
Ecuador and the Minister of Vene-
zuela. It Is an exhibition Of rare in
terest and quality and should be made
much of by lovers of art as well as
students of history. The exhibits
shown are so remarkable in point Of
time and character that they literally
sweep the observer OF his feet and
open vistas heretofore undreamed Of.
In particular is this true of the
sculptured, or modelled portraits from
Ecuador with which two cases at the
end of the foyer are filed. Some Of
these are little more than an inch in
diameter, others are or I inches,
but in every instance the portraiture
is obviously authentic. And in the
production, these Ecuadorlan artists of
ancient time, illustrate the existence,
then as now, Of currents Of feeling and
conviction, strongly influential. Stand
ing before them, one must be impressed
by the stability of culture which en-
dures against all odds, as well Is the
fact that nothing is actually new fun
damentally in the experience of man,
save his own individual experience.
The majority of these little heads
are archaic. simple, in some instances
primitive,-but under cover, for be-
meath the simplicity is great sophisti-
cation. individuality of character is
delineated-real people are set before
us even when in miniature. What to.
day we would call "stylization"-more
properly conventionalization-has been
resorted to-as q shield perhaps, de-
manded by society, or resorted to by
the artists to hide their own short
comings; more probably the former.
Even 50 they are very remarkably per-
sonal Is are some of the sculptured
heads Of ancient Egypt.
In the midst of all this engaging
material there is gem-a mere fraa-
ment OF face. forehead, eyes, nose
and part of the upper lip-a frag-
ment which might well be held on
the palm of ones hand-so wonder
fully wrought that it instantly pro-
claims itself the work Of great mas
ter. This bit might well have come
from the hand Of one of the greatest
OF the Greek masters In the Golden
Days"-so sensitively Is it modelled
and so knowingly. There are eyes
within the eye sockets which while
blank seem to see-the little fras-
ment i a1uiver with LIE, and has