Evening star., 1938-12-04

rom the Cabinet of American Illus
From the 1906 to the 1s2os he was
reckoned among the greatest that
America had produced. He was one
OF the few whom the late Charles
l.. Freer included in his collection:
and enumerated in the catalogue of
the Freer Gallery of Art are no
less than "a oil paintings, 8 pasuels
and silver points by him. In the
Gellatly collection he is also gen.
erously represented, and one of
his larger and more important can
vases is included in the William T.
Evans National Gallery collection.
Mr.. Dewing specialized in paint
Ing women, graceful, refined, but
lmpassive, in interiors of esthetic
simplicity and loveliness, in which
they fitted to perfection, as would
a vase on a table or a bit of drape.y
thrown over chair. The compost
tlons are charming, the color
schemes exquisite and the render
ing skillful in the extreme. Mr..
Freer likened these paintings to
the glaze on a rare bit of Oriental
pottery and delighted in them ac-
cordingly; others saw in them an
alogy to violin obbligato; and their
loveliness does not fade, but they
belong to another world than that
Of today, even as do Queen Victoria
and her five dutiful daughters.
At the time the Freer Gallery
opened, the works of Dewing were
given whole room where, as Royal
Cortissoz then put it, he had "the
unique privilege of seeing his pro-
ductions held up at full length be-
fore the world while he was still!
alive-and there to stay forever"
1t was privilege indeed. for Mr..
Freer was an astute collector and
knew what he was about. but while
the Dewing paintings are still un-
der the Freer Gallery's roof, only
few are at any time on public ex-
hibition, owing to lack of space and
the rule Of rotation.
On what basis, some will ask,
was Dewing's reputation established?
First and foremost, the integrity of
his art, which, while inspired by
Vermeer and Whistler, was as sound
and sincere as any art can be- Sec.
ond, because of its intrinsic beauty.
He had both technic and style. To
again quote Mr.. Cortissoz, "Dewing
had touch; the ineffable gift which
lends to brushwork what Kreisler
lends to the mechanics Of violin
playing" 1t is hard to define
"all you know is that under the
necromancy of touch paint is, as 1t
were, dematerialized and made an
expression of impalpable loveiness.
On these terms it becomes very
delicate, very fowerlike and, above
all things, very personal" There
is no drama in Dewing's paintings;
he summons presence-that is
all-and creates for it a completely
satisfactory environment. He does
not even hint at story. It is BEAU
tiful painting, subtleties rendered
with inimitable grace-but no more.
How little accord there could be
between such painting and that of
the present day, which aims at
reality and rejoices in power to
shock-which is loud and often
course and forgets that life is many
rather than one sided.
No artist of the immediate past
Is more outmoded than Dewing by
present-day trends; but we do not
stand still, and often when we
think we are following new paths
are led back to the place from which
we started. The ceiling which he
painted years ago for one of STAN
ford Whites buildings has probably
disappeared, as has the great golden
piano which once stood in the east
room Of the White House, the lid of
which Dewing decorated, but his
paintings in the Freer Gallery will
always be there and available for
Inspection and comparison, even if
not on view. To them we can 70
for the enjoyment of the elements
they possess in large measure
integrity, sensitiveness, beauty-and
for this we can be thankful. We
should not wish all art to be the
same-in its variousness lies much
of its charm and wonder. The
passing Of Dewing emphasizes this.
as well as our Indebtedness for his
rare and invaluable gift. It was
q great coteie to which he be-
longed-Thayer, Tryon, Brush, Mel
chers, Metcalf and Hassam--and
happy thought on the part of Mr..
Freer to memos1alize them in his
collection.
Dry Points of Polo Ponies,
Broncos and Their Riders
By Palenske at Smithsonian.
The third exhibition of the
Graphic Art Series for the current
season opened in the Smithsonian
Building on November 28 and will
continue through January 2. It
consists Of IS dry points and 5