Evening star., 1938-02-13
TIME exhibition of water colors by
Eugene Weisz now to be seen
in the upper atrium Of the
Il rorooro~ Go1lery 0f Art iS In


Eugene Weisz, now to be seen
in the upper Atrium Of the
Corcoran Gallery Of Art, Is In
terestine not only on account Of the
admirable quality of the work set forth,
but because of the fact that 1t illus
trates extraordinarily we'll the ad-
vance made in recent years IN the art
Of water color painting.
The majority of the 20 pictures in
cluded in this exhibition were painted
last summer. when Mr.. Weisz and his
wife made trip, by motor, to the
Gaspe Peninsula. This Is q particu-
larly picturesque bit of country, and
Mr.. Weisz has interpreted it with all its
strength. vigor and beauty. To do SO
he has used strong color and a full
brush. His work is skillful and know
ing, but If Mr.. Weisz had lived IS
years ago instead of now and been
obliged to use water colors. which came
in little cakes and had to be ground
with water, it would have been i'm
possible for him to have transcribed
such effects.
The art of water color painting in
its infancy either meant work done
with comparatively dry brush for
illumination or miniature portraiture,
or else drawing in color" which was
literally tint applied to drawing in
black and white. Later came into ex-
istence the modern Dutch school, now
comparatively outdated, which en-
ployed, not transparent wash, but
opaque color and the so-called scrub
method. It was this school that for
the first time put water color painting
on a par with oil painting, and Ger
tainly the paintings made by such
masters as Israels. Mesdag, Neuhuys
and others went far toward demon
strating the potentialities of the
medium. Their works were toneful
and charming.
A S AN of1shoot of this school were
the paintings done in gouache on
gray paper, which In many instances
gave the impression of pastels. Childe
Hassam and other impressionists
found this medium particularly adapt
able to their uses. It was also en-
ployed most skillfully by F. Hopkinson
Smith and a score of other popular
painters back in the 90s.
Some credit is due to the manufac-
turers of artists materials who have
in late years improved the quality of
both oil and water color paints, and
have made the former comparable in
substance and richness of quality with
the latter. No longer are water colors
ground In saucers or dipped from lit
tie pans with a moistened brush. They.
too, come in tubes, are squeezed out
and are of a similar consistency to
oils: therefore. when transferred to
paper, have depth of richness un-
dreamed of heretofore. However, medi-
um only signifies in accordance with
its use. Every facility in the world
cannot produce work of art-minus
the artist.
Mr.. Weisz has a particular gift for
water color painting. His single still
life-a bowl of fruit-shown in the
exhibition, was pronounced by Mr.
Smell, foremost teacher and water
colorist, as fine an example of water
color painting as one could find. Mr.
Weisz has not only good sense of
form and feeling for design, but also
an extraordinary appreciation of ele-
mental beauty in COLOR his paintings
in water color fairly sing; they tell the
observer of the richness of the earth
and the beauty thereof
1t Is interesting to note that this
factor completely redeems three home
ly industrial themes which he has
chosen at this same time to set forth,
by title, Gasoline Tanks at Tadussac,"
Industrial Washington" and The
Brickyard," no one of which has in IT.
self beauty, but through transcription
attains it. The gasoline tanks at
Tadussac happen to be a gorgeous
red and to occupy the foreground of a
composition with which they admirably
accord; industrial Washington" and |
the "Brickyard" are no less homely
in fact, but, through light and color,
take on charm not inherent, yet quite
their own.
WITH these water colors, Mr. Weisz
W is showing two landscapes in black
and white-drawings-and two por-
trait studies, also in monotint, all four
Of which evidence the foundation Of
craftsmanship upon which his art
rests. There are today many who are
Of the belief that it is possible to paint
without first learning to draw, but
in every instance those
artists who have achieved greatness
have been craftsmen par excellence.
Eugen Weisz was born in Hungary
In 1890. He came to this country in
early youth and in 1917 became q
citizen Of the United States. He studied /
at the Corcoran School of Art, Pennsyl-
vania Academy of the Fine Arts, Phila-
delphia and the Albright School Of
Fine Arts in Buffalo, N. Y. He is a
of the Society of Washington
Artists and is vice principal of the
Corcoran School of Art. He has be-
come we'll known in recent years as a
lecturer on art and has conducted |
lecture courses at George Washington
University and elsewhere with much
success.
An example of his work in oils, a
portrait Of q child. entitled, Mary
Potter" is q temporary exhibition in
the American section, on the second |
door of the Corcoran Gallery Of Art.
Karl Frees Murals in
Post Office Department of
Historical Interest.
TWO new mural paintings have been
placed recently In the Post Once
Department Building. These are by
Karl Free and occupy panels in the
south lobby on the seventh floor. They
represent, respectively, French Ex-
plorers and Indians" and Arrival of
Mail in New Amsterdam" and are
AlA tora "a cov,n osytSov,s As,ohre cjro MI .