Evening star., 1938-04-24

"Woman OF Brittany" By /
ture 1DQS recently presented to
Col. and Mrs. C.. c.. Schifeler.
1875. 1t was then and in this ca
| pacity that he originated the donkey
as a symbol of the Democratic party,
which clever stroke has often errone-
ously been attributed to Thomas Mast
| The next year, we are told. he went
/ to London, where he remained a year
and had the pleasure of meeting all
the best-known illustrators of Eng
land Of that era. He was away
year and then upon his return joined
the group of illustrators working for
Harpers Weekly-among them Ab-
bey, Reinhart, Alexander and a host
of others, the majority of whom later
won distinction as painters For
tunately for Frost and for American
illustration, the position of cartoonist
for Harper's Weekly at that time
was filled by Mast, SO that to him was
given the field of sport, which in
later life he broadly extended. Frost
continued his work for the Harper
Brothers for 20 years. From 1895 on
he worked independently for other
leading publishers. From first to last
he met with success.
FROsT's adaptability is evidenced
strikingly in the exhibition now
in the Library of Congress. With
equal sympathy and understanding
he seems to reflect all classes-the
aristocrat and his chauffeur-the
grand dame and the farmers wife
whites and Negroes. He had a happy
attitude toward his fellow-man wher-
ever he met him. He could Jest with
out offending; he could sympathize
without becoming sentimental. Fur
thermore, he was to a great extent
typical of the school to which he be-
longed-the school of American illus
tration, of which we have every reason
to be proud
Reviewing the history of this school
in 1911, Royal Cortissoz in the Amer
ican Society of Illustrators Annual
said: Il we'll remember the atmos-
phere enveloping the world of illus
tration in the 80s and 90s. The men
in it we're energized by keen sense
of the richness of their opportunity.
Theye were not engaged merely in
supplying the picture to go with the
text; they were engaged in fashion,
ing works of art of which they were
very proud and about which people
talked as they talked about the ex-
hibltions at the Academy of Design"
It is not only the work produced
but the spirit in which it was done
that Mr.. Cortissoz emphasized-the
artists themselves went to their task
with zest and lavished upon it ut
most pains in order to attain re-
suit which was fine, the public did
not hesitate to manifest enthusiastic
approval, a new work in this field
was greeted as an event, there was
abundant opportunity for originality
in expression without self-conscious
straining in that direction and, strange
as it may seem, the source of mate
rial seemed inexhaustible. No won-
Ger that under such circumstances
and conditions so much good work
was produced and work which, as it
is commonly agreed, can claim as its
particular virtue that of being alive. |
Architectural DRAWINGS by
University Students Make
Interesting Shouting.
IN THE Art Gallery on the seventh
floor of the new Interior Depart
ment Building an exhibition of archi-
tectural drawings by students in 70
universities in the United States may
be seen at this time and throughout
the month of April. The drawings
which constitute this collection were
assembled by the Association of COL
leglate Schools of Architecture and
form a travelling exhibition which has
already been displayed in IL univer-
sites and has 3 more to visit after
leaving here. It derives especial i'm
portance through the manifestation
made collectively of tendencies domi-
mating today teaching as well as
practice in this field
Each school represented has its
own separate section which enhances
interest and makes possible correlated
study. All of the exhibits are ap-
parently carefully prepared. Taking
them all in all there is, one NAV
judge, no cessation in the teaching
OF tradition, the various orders and
styles are studiously presented, but
there is also a surprising prevalence
of inclination to the so-called mod
ernistic; the eye of the college stu
dent evidently is turned to archaic
types and extreme examples of what
may be termed monumental simplicity.
Is this, the visitor must ask him.
self, the backwash of a world move-
ment or desire on the part of youth
to be in the advance guard? Sim
plicity in design has always been an
objective of the greatest architects,
but it is also automatic that design
shall accord with use and adapt itself
to materials which serve as media A
playhouse which resembles tomb is
not good architecture. This is the
kind of misf1t that some of these
schools Of architecture are displaying
among their examples of student out
put. Naturally the question arises in
the mind of the visitor whether the
fault lies in the teaching or In those