Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1938-08-21

"The Blue JAR"
Lily" and an oil. Marriage Wreath
When Summer Has Just Begun" by
John La Fargo. as we'll As most
exquisite painting of Roses" by Abbott
H. Thayer. In the Phillips Gallery
may be seen no less lovely painting
of Roses In a Bowl" by j. Alden
Weir.
The Corcoran Gallery of Art owns,
among other distinguished works in
( this field, An English Cod by William
M. Chase, "Peonies" by Wilton Lock-
wood and The Brass Kettle" by Dimes
| Carlson, while to the National Art
Collection of American Paintings have
lately been added. through the munif1-
cence Of the Ranger Fund, a Still
Life" by Frank w. Benson and still
life entitled White and Silver" by
Dimes Cafsen, as fine in subtlety of
rendition and beauty of effect as any
thing of the kind ever painted. There
are others but these are outstanding
examples
John La Fargo was, it will be re-
membered, a mural painter of great
distinction. His painting of The
Ascension Of Christ" in the Church
of the Ascension, New York. is one
of the greatest not only of our time
but of all time 1t is illustrative and
naturalistic in treatment but above all
La Fargo had a decorative sense It
was to him that Richardson intrusted
the decoration-wall paintings and
windows Of Trinity Church, Boston,
again it was to him that Henry Adams
and Augustus Saint-Gaudens turned
for counsel and criticism when the
Adams Memorial, the latter's MASTER
piece in Rock Creek Cemetery, was
taking shape.
VET he could, as we see. turn to
painting water lily and formal
wreath of flowers with the same en-
thusiasm, awe and outpouring of genius
as he brought to bear upon these
| epoch-marking projects.
No one might see them, they were
not commissions, but their beauty
moved him to expression and that
expression was as adequate as he
| could make it. Undoubtedly La Fargo
was Influenced by the works of the
Oriental painters. such as the flower
paintings Of Sotatsu, so admirable
represented in the Freer Collection
But contact with these masterpieces
only strengthened his own conviction
and broadened his vision, hence his
mode of approach. All his life he was
! searcher for beauty.
Again Thayer was primarily figure
painter, one of the most gifted and
individual that America has produced,
but in transcribing bowl of roses he
brought to bear his full quota of
| genius, rendering them in spirit as
well as truth, with sensitiveness Of
touch and delicacy of perception-in
short interpreting their beauty with
such rare skill that all may perceive
it and be stirred by it. 1t was not
mere facts that these painters re-
corded but the true inwardness Of
things SEEN
1t has been said that their COL
league, Thomas w. Dewing likewise
generously represented in the Freer
and Gellatly collections. was in real
ity a painter of still life although his
canvases invariable present figures.
And in a measure this is true, for
those he painted were brought into
his composition for their loneliness
OF line or beauty Of attire, color notes
added to whatever else was shown, such
as bit Of Chinese porcelain or a
flower Had it been Chardin or Carlson
bunch Of onions might have been
added to enhance effect. They are
not human documents. their appeal
is purely esthetic. Vermeer in a meas
ure did the same, but in his priceless
canvases is is the play of light through
atmosphere within doors that creates
and determines values. Light and
shade are always determining factors
in successful still life painting. Rem
brandt knew it and made 1t known
as in later day did Monet and his
followers.
MORE realistic but also most skillful
as a painter Of still life was
William M. Chase His God" in the
Corcoran Gallery Of Art was the first
Of a series Of fish paintings that he
made and one of the most successful
1t was the beauty Of color in the God"
that attracted his attention and made
him desire to paint 1t and If to some
it carries unpleasant suggestion, the
fault is with the beholder, not the
artist. Far was it from his wish to be-
little his art or to hint at uglifcation.
To him this fish was beautiful. Some
very handsome fish paintings by Cad
wallader Washburn were shown at
the Arts Club last autumn and Lydia
Bush Brown has used fish motives
to great success in her silk murals.
1t is keenly interesting to find Frank
w. Benson, figure painter and etcher
of great prominence. essaying a still
fife subject, but the result is COM
mensurate in merit with that which
he has achieved in other fields. Again
1t was q question not Of what he did,
but the way he did It. It should not
be forgotten, however. that still life