Evening star., 1938-01-16
By Leila Mechliu.

-
~HE Washington Water Color
Clubs forty-second annual ex-
hibition, which opened in the
L Corcoran Gallery of Art, Is
not only held up to very high
standard but full Of delightful pic
lures. we'll painted. Such an exhibition
as this is both reassuring and refresh
ing. for it witnesses to technical COM
petence and. on the part of the
painters, high ideals.
The art of water color painting has
passed through many interesting
phases in the last so years, and ad-
vanced extraordinarily. While the
medium has potentalities all its own,
as well as shortcomings which must
be recognized, it has now taken its
place with oils, both in strength and
flexibility. The current exhibition, as
sembled and set forth by the Wash
ington Water Color Club, embraces
works which have great variety in
handling as well as subject, but there
is practically no work included in
the collection which does not meas
ure up to the best in its field. Ex-
hibitionS generally for some years,
have shown confusion on the part
Of the artist, experimentation, and
have been largely taken up with what
In science would be described as
laboratory work" the artists exploring
new seas, and little doubtful, ap-
parently, as to their direction. This
feeling has no place in the exhibition
now on view in the Corcoran Gallery.
Throughout the collection there
seem to be breath and clarity of
vision. From the standpoint Of color,
the show. as whole, Is engaging
On the instant Of arrival it delights
the eye, and upon closer acquaintance,
appeals to the intellect. A fair pro-
portion of these works come from
out Of town, and that this should be
Is we'll, for, after all. one great ad-
vantage OF an exhibition Of this sort
Is to give the artists and public op-
portunity to measure merit. Out-of-
town work, when it is Of the best, pro-
vides such measure and when, as
In this instance, local productions
stand shoulder to shoulder Herewith
1t gives occasion for local pride.
THERE are more subject pictures
in this exhibition than usual, pic
lures which, in a measure, might be
illustrative in intent, but which are
set forth with such painterlike quail
ity that the way they are done tram
scends the story they tell.
The place Of honor on the long
west wall has been given to q still
life painting by Seward Hume Rath-
bun, president Of the club It repre-
sents group Of Chinese objects most
cleverly put together and skillfully
Transcribed. One can well UNDER
stand the delight that an architect,
such as Mr.. Rathbun, would take in
such an assemblage Of objective
beauty and oddity, but there are none
of the earmarks Of the architectural
rendering in this work. Technically
and artistically it is an unusual
achievement. Interestingly enough,
Mr.. Rathbun Is represented by an
other and utterly different painting,
one of two men, backs toward the
observer, on rocks in swimming
pool. Dark trees and dark water
make the background. The figures
and their environment are rendered
with great breadth and simplicity. It
seems almost impossible that two
works so utterly opposite could come
from the same painter.
On either side of Mr.. Rathbun's
still-life group hang two charming
paintings by Gertrude A. Kay, one
Of Wheat Merchants of Bosnia" an
elaborate figure composition, the other
Of q Town on the Dalmatian Coast"
seen at distance through branching
trees. Another very exceptional con-
tribution from this same artist has
been given the central position on the
south wall. 1t represents "Dubrovnik
From the Walls" a most elaborate
piece Of craftsmanship, q whole town
laid before the observer, every house
and each color note fitting into the
rest, and all seen beneath an ex-
quisitely painted summer sky.
Three very interesting and out-of-
the-ordinary paintings are by Martin
Ga1nbee; one pure landscape en-
titled "The Three Sisters" depicting
ons Of the wonders of our Far West;
one q ranch scene entitled BUSY
Day." graphically set forth: and the
third, q picture Of Red Barns" not
lovely in themselves but charming in
richness Of color and manner Of
presentation.
THE club is honored by the privi-
= lege of showing two of Marjorie
Garfield's admirable interiors, Pine
Room-Houndsmoo and Kitchen,
Wayside Inn" Miss Garfield is one
Of the instructors in the Art School
Of the University Of Syracuse and
has made speciality in recent years
OF period rooms. She is most happy in
her lighting Of these and most skill
full in her craftsmanship.
Russell Train Smith, head Of the
art department Of the University of
North Carolina, at Chapel Hill, is
Represented by very well-executed
but realistic paintig of section of a
little town. "Hani-North Carolina" :"