Evening star., 1937-01-02

Street Wharf" The former sets forth
a group of four persons. three men
| and woman. string quartet" rem
dering with great inensity of interest
a musical composition. The latter
shows group of Negroes making
merry. Both have vitality and are
skillfully handled.
Phenomenal Success
OF Local Painter.
ZANE C. STANLEY'S Social Life,
Georgetown" a well-peopled street
scene in the Negro section, is a we'll
rendered composition. and Thomas S.
Bakers Afternoon, Pigeon Cove" for
lighting effect, as well as composition,
will be found to have much to COM
mend it. One of the outstanding
works in this exhibition is painting
by Elisabeth E. Poe. entitled Lone
Lake" which is purely an imaginative
composition. but so powerfully rem
dered and with such decorative effect
that it more than carries realistic
conviction.
Miss Poe has been known for years
through her association as a journal
ist with one of our Washington papers.
Only lately has she taken up painting.
Wisely knowing professional limita-
tions, she has boldly essayed to find
expression for her dreams through the
graphic arts, and her success has been
v,t at 80
her water colors accepted by the Phila-
delphia Water Club for display last
year. but it was purchased by the
Pennsylvania Academy for its perma-
nent collection. She has made steady
progress, until now in Lone Lake" her
technical competence matches her
imaginative force. This is remarkable
achievement by a road seldom trod.
Another newcomer to this exhibition
is Walter Bruce Howe (best known in
musical circles to which his talented
wife makes large contribution as both
composer and performeD, who has
sent to this exhibition little picture,
Tahiti" sympathetically rendered.
So far as current trends go. the gamut
is run from Prentiss Taylor's painting
entitled "The Service Club" which
would seem to be sur-realistic, to the
genuinely realistic paintings by Benson
B. Moore. "Haunts of the Fox" and
Winter on the Canal Road" both Of
which are very pictorial transcriptions
Of nature. Puzzle pictures may have
their interest-undoubted they do
but If the puzzle is impossible Of solu-
ton 1t soon ceases to amuse. And after
all what Is the use Of expressing one
self If the language used Is unknown,
unintelligible?
Vogue for
The UnloUely.
OBVIOUSLY there are in this, as in
all other exhibitions OF current
work, considerable number of paint
ines Of things seen which are unlovely;
paintings which would seem to stress
only ugliness and that which is dis
pleasing, from choice or bravado; to
say nothing Of compositions so badly
drawn that one suspects on the part of
the artist imperfect, uncorrected vision,
but such works are not dominant here.
In fact, they are in the minority. But
unfortunately they are not sufficiently
counterbalanced by strong, colorful
works Of a more inspiring sort. 1t Is
in the apparent timidity of some of
the painters. who presumably follow
tradition that present-day confusion
is most clearly registered.
There is nothing weak in Robert
Franklin Gates Waiting for the
Thaw.' but certainly the old tractor
which plays the chief part in this COM
position is not a beautiful object even
in the midst OF a snow covered field
But neither is there weakness In the
two colorful. illustrative. If you will,
out very charming paintings in gouache
by Gertrude A. Kay. Village in the
Pyrenees" and In a Basque Town, II
by which this capable Ohio artist. who