Evening star., 1938-05-22
By Leila Nechlin.

small COlleCtlOn nlgH III Hleii1
and well displayed, is often more sig
nif1cant and enjoyable than the large
one, which, from the quantitative
standpoint, overwhelms the visitor.
All of which is apropos of showing
of drawings and water colors by Eugen
Weisz in the Public Library this
month.
Mr.. Weisz is an instructor in the
Corcoran School, conducted by the
Corcoran Gallery of Art, and gives
the major portion of his time to
teaching. but he has exceptional git
and intelligence, which show in his
work Born in Hungary. without. to
his knowledge, those antecedents from
which talent comes as inheritance, he
found his way to this country and an
art career over a rough road and has
developed his ability not as a result
of the encouragement of others but by
his own determination and effort.
Not content to produce unknoWingly,
he has acquainted himself with the
art of the past. and has sounded its
depths of meaning. He has not only
read extensively and taken every pos
sible opportunity to see what had best
be seen, but he has thought deeply.
Few, employing the spoken word. make
better use of the English language
than he, to whom it is not mother
tongue. In the same way he has
gradually perfected-and is still per-
fecting-his expression in art, never
catching up to his ideal but always
striving for proficiency. And Withal,
Mr.. Weisz has something to say when
opportunity offers for the saying.
The collection of drawings and water
col rs now on view in the Public
. Libl lry represents his latest achieve
ment-and his best. They are strong
and individual well rendered and I'M
pressive, but what is more, they have
the quality of permanence which
much of the present-day work lacks.
The drawings are done in two
meda-lithograph crayon and a
coarse pen and black ink. The for
mer have much the appearance OF
Autographs and are very broadly
handled, with a fiat, angular stroke
which derives in a measure from
cubism. But rightly employed it is,
as in this instance. very effective.
Especially notable is this method of
handling in study Of iris, set forth
almost without accent and in a man.
ner indicative of the delicate. perish
ability of the flower. Willow in
Spring is a lovely rendition of
young tree coming to life and bursting
into LEAKAGE. the pattern of which is
at the same time pleasing to the
eye. But especially interesting and
successful is Mr. Weisz's drawing Of
Church at Anandale' "a simple
country church surrounded by grave
yard, depicted when the trees are bare
OF leaves, and yet very engaging. How
is it that a subject so homely and
unattractive in itself can become so
alluring through transcription? 1t is
hard to say. but it is true that into
his Interpretation the artist has put
that which appealed to him. and so
skllfully that others see it and feel 1t.
Obviously his drawing is excellent
but it is something more than the sum
of its technical virtues which gives
this work superiority.
Mr.. wE1sz has always been ex-
ceedingly successful with water
colors as medium, painting broadly
with full and very wet brush, main
tanning both richness and sparkle
in colorful effects. In his stlll-llfe
studies. exhibited in the Corccran
Gallery of Art and elsewhere this
quality has ben particularly remarked.
Outstanding in the current showing
is landscape entitled "Plowed Field"
which has this same lusciousneSs of
color but more capability in handling,
maturity and grasp of essentials in
composition and atmospheric effect-a
most brilliant achievement.
Quite in different vein is portrait
study in silhouette done on blue gray
paper with black and yellow, the color
of gold. This is handled with great !
lightness Of touch and with evident |
delight in line as well as mass. There !;
Is in the work of this artist no lack /
of variety, nothing which savors of |
dullneSs, or suggests waning enthu- |
siasm; each problem is apparently |
attacked with fresh interest and vigor
Such work. in the aggregate consti- i
tutes very stimulating exhibition.
Benefits Accruing From
International Exchanges
OF Art.
THE exhibition of the art of Sweden,
which opened in the Corcoran
Gallery of Art last Tuesday week and
will continue through next Sunday. is
proving very popular and attracting
wide attention. In connection there
with especial interest attaches to a
catalogue which has come, by chance,
to the reviewers desk, of an exhibition
OF American art sent to Sweden and
set forth in Stockholm March IS to
April Z, 1890, under the distinguished
patronage of the Crown Prince of
Sweden. and the auspices of the Amer
lean Scandinavian Foundation, the
American Federation of Arts, the
American Institute of Architects and
the Swedish-American Society
This exhibition, consisting of about
lis paintings and so architectural
renderings was assembled under the
direction of George William Eggers,
then director of the Worcester Mu-
scum, in cooperation with Julian c.
Levi, architect. of New York 1t was
an exceptionally we'll balanced collec-
ton, including works by early Ameri-
can painters in sufficient number to
give background, of painters who were
outstanding in the 1905 and early
1900s, and the innovators whose an
cestry was as recent in inception as
the Armory Show of 1912. John Alex
ander. Cecilia Beaux. Frank Benson,
Chase, Hawthorne and Redfield; Sar-
gent, Seyffert and Tarbell: Tryon, Wy
ant and Whistler, were represented. as
well as Bellows. Burchfield. Carroll,
Dubois, Henri, Hirsch. Karfoil. Kent,
Kuhn, Marin, OKeeffe, Sterne and