Evening star., 1939-04-02

and his associates got together
through careful choice. Not that as
chairman Mr.. Sterne may be sup
posed to have dominated the jury,
but without doubt he, himself, ar
outstanding figure in the art of
today, represents the attitude of
those of his schbol toward current
production.
Let it, in the first place, be re-
membered that Mr.. Sterne is not
merely a painter, but an accom-
plished sculptor, etcher and teacher.
Born in Russia in 1877, he came to
New York in 1889 and has fully
identified himself with the art of
this country ever since. But in
spirit he is alien to it. Back of him
are the traditions of the Old World
and, although he was pupil at
one time of the National Academy
of Design in New York, he has
travelled much and lived for long
periods in foreign countries. Ed
ward Bruce met him in Italy when
he, himself. was fresh from China,
stepped in the tradition of Chinese
art, and fell under his influence.
Duncan Phillips before then had
recognized his force and ability,
added one or more of his works
to the Phillips collection. and held
q comprehensive exhibition of his
paintings.
This was, if we are not mistaken,
before Mr.. Sterne won in 1930-3l
the first w. A. Clark Prize and the
Corcoran Gold Medal for painting,
a still life entitled After Lunch" !"
which caused much discussion and
found little favor with the public,
but was later purchased for the
Corcoran Gallery's permanent COL
lection. That particular exhibition
marked the turn of the tide, the
advent of the art of today, q COM
plete change in spirit and style and
an utter reversion in ideals. This
change is foreshadowed in the draw
ings by Maurice Sterne now on exhi-
bition, but reckoning from those
dated it is clear that the movement
was then far from new. What is
this movement and from whittier
does it come? Certainly it is not
sprung from ignorance and neither
is it bred by self-content.
OF the % drawings in this special
exhibition, more than half of which
have been lent by the San Fran
cisco Museum of Art from the Albert
Bender Collection, four at least are
masterpieces of craftsmanship.
These are Man Working Man
Threshing," Reclining Nude and
Harvest F'rieze," the last dated
1909, the others all 1910. All concern
themselves with the human body,
especially the first three, and are
not only very true, but sensitive of
line to degree rarely attained save
by the great masters. To draw as
these are drawn one must be con-
summate draftsman-a great artist.
The Harvest Frieze" is different
in character, monumental in the
matter of composition, a study per-
haps for a great mural which may
or may not have been painted. It
is perfectly balanced and 1magina-
tive as well as real. Here is evidence
of the knowledge and ability upon
which Mr.. Sternes art is founded.
But having done so much, he did
no more, and that which he had he
seems to have buried deep in his
Inconsistencies and as far as pos
sible forgotten.
The drawings he made in Bali
and is now showing are structurally
strong, but brutal; a blotch, smear,
a suggestion of something sensed-
adequate notes, perhaps, but no
more. Quite evidently he can draw,
and beautifully, but he does not care
to. It is the dissonances which in
terest him-arms at sharp angles,
bodies contorted, hands and feet
like Jumps of clay or poorly cut
stone. Obviously they hit harder,