Evening star., 1939-08-06

sonably authenticated, fetching from
$4,000 upward And yet at times
etchings by Rembrandt are adver-
tised at trifling prices. These are re-
prints from old, worn plates, or
copies made long enough ago to have
attained the standing of originals.
There is no mistaking such, how
ever, for impressions of the clarity
and beauty of those in the Dunbar
ton Oaks collection. Neither can
this brilliancy ever be attained
through reproduction. The marvel
is that through the centuries they
have retained their pristine lowell
ness unmarried. Surely by some one,
or indeed several in succeeding gen.
erations, they must have been treas
ured and cherished.
Whistler as Etcher.
Between Rembrandt and the other
great print makers represented in
this collection there Is wide gap
in time, and it is a matter of gen.
uine pride that the next outstand-
ing was American born-James Nc
Neill Whistler-Who some claim was
not a good craftsman, but none deny
was a superlatively fine etcher. In
works of Whistler the Dumbarton
Oaks collection is especially rich.
Here for instance is beautiful print
of "Becquet' not only
as technica! achievement but as
interpretative portraiture. Here also
are to be seen in fine impressions
the we'll known and much admired
"Rotherhite," BLACK Lion Wharf,"
"Billingsgate" and Lime Burner"
none of which is subjectively beauti-
full or engaging in itself, but through
the artists Interpretation has be-
come so in very large measure. This
achievement we can only credit to
that subtle thing which we call art.
OF especial interest in the group
of Whistler prints are two of
bridges-"Old Battersea Bridge"
graceful arch, and "Old Putney
Bridge" with its jagged outline,
both of which undoubtedly evidence
the influence eXerted upon Whistler
by acquaintance with the works of
the japanese print makers brought
to Europe by Dutch merchants in
their trading ships. In these etch-
ings is reflected the art Of Hokusai
and Hiroshige without question-but
not imitatively.
Reminiscent of Whistler's Venice
sojourns are The Palace" and THE
Piazetta," both charming prints,
and prints which in turn must have
captivated and influenced Joseph
Pennell in some of whose works we
see a repetition or echo of their
sensitiveness and subtlety. Whistler
was indeed not one man, but many,
and for him the etching needle was
the most perfect medium of express
sion-willful and temperamental as
himself. How else can one explain
the subtlety and charm of the series
of slightly etched figures, THE Vel
vet Dress" Weary" Anne Seated -
Mother and Child" and Florence
Leland which make so significant
a section of this exhibition, brought
as they are in direct contrast with
a group of portraits and figures by
Anders Zorn as different in manner
and treatment as day is from night
and yet in their own right excel
lent. Art may be, and doubtless is a
universal language, but it is spoken
most variously and with many diff
ferent accents.
From Whistler we should pass to
the works of his brother law,
Seymour Haden, and of Charles
Meryon, both of whom are to be
rated with the great-in fact the
greatest-and are delightfully."- rep
resented. Haden, it will be recalled,
was a surgeon and etched as a
pastime, but with all the serious
ness of conscientious professional.
1t was on the matter of conscience
and truth that he and Whistler
quarrelled-but no doubt they both
had their own codes.
Wedmore said of Sir Francis
Seymour Haden that, dealing with
etching, he had wrung from it gen.
orally the effects most specially
vouchsafed to it; taking advantage
of its possible economy, of its power
of swift suggestiveness; and
asking from it its own fruits and not
the fruits which ripen for the elab-
crate line engraver," all of which is
true. Hamerton calls him pupil
of Rembrandt (meaning of course
of his work. but 80 thoroughly
modern that tradition never stands
between him and nature" Would
that this might be said of those
who claim to be modern today.
Seymour Haden was a great lover
of nature and his best plates are
of landscape subjects, especially
landscapes in which trees take an
important part. Probably his most
famous plate is Sunset in Ireland,
which is not in this loan collection,
but competing with it in interest
and charm is "A By-road in Tip
perary,' which, most Interestingly,
is shown in two states, a trial proof
being placed side by side with one
in the second state, wherein he is
seen to have concentrated his
shadow and accents in the center
of his composition and lessened the
detail in the extremities-always a
good rule to follow. This plate was
done originally in the park of Wis
count Hawarden at Dundrum, near
where he found his subject for
Sunset in Ireland" Strangely
enough it was lost and forgotten,
but turned up two or three years
after it's production, in a stable. 1t
was exhibited first in the Royal
Academy of 1861, and it proves be-
yond contention the correctness of
Hamerton's assertion that Haden
was "a master of foliage, drawing
trees magnificently, both as to wood
and leaves-and in this there was