Evening star., 1940-11-24

Haskell, who is represented here by
an etching of one of our gigantic
American forest trees-a monarch
of the forest, straight and tall and
strong. Few have ever etched trees
as did this master.
Coming to the present day, the
representation is larger and more
diversified The choice of prints
has been exceedingly well made to
impress this variety in subject-mat-
ter as we'll as mode of expression
John Taylor Arms, president of the
National Committee of Engraving,
is seen at his best in his recent
etching of one of the doorways of
Chartres Cathedral, entitled TN
Memoriam," which exhibits his re-
markable facility as an etcher and
also his ability to manifest in such
a work profound emotion.
Ernest David Roth is seen here
in an etching of "Queensboro
Bridge" which is rendered gravely
but with his usual skillful and
knowing touch. A flight of BLACK
Ducks" by Frank w. Benson, dem
onstrates the power of swift, cor
rect vision with which this painter,
etcher and sportsman is endowed,
as well as his perfect understand
ing of the essentials of perspective,
design and craftsmanship.
From Heintelman has come, as
fully representative, portrait study
in dry-point of wrinkled old man,
"Vigneron," which evidences to an
extent this modern masters debt
to Rembrandt, not as copyist, but
as student across the years and
fellow artist; tender toward the
very young and the very old, and
their able interpreter.
Very appropriate to the occasion
is the etching by John Sloan enti-
tied "Connoisseurs of Prints" hui
morous and enormously clever in
rendition, so that even those ridi-
culed must have had to smile. There
are here excellent dry-prints by
Cadwallader Washburn, who, by
the way. has Just returned to this
country from Teneriffe, the Canary
Islands, where he has been work.
ing for some time; Martin Lewis,
who rather specializes in city pic
lures with human interest, and
Clifford Beal who finds his sub
jects on the New England coast
widely divergent in style and man
ner of rendition, but all very accom-
plished. AS, for that matter, are
also Mahonri Young, Winkler and
Partridge, all of whom are seen
at their best.
Notwithstanding the very excel
lent work of our American etchers,
it is in another branch of the
graphic arts that we. in this coun-
try, have made most original con-
tribution to the art of the world.
This is in wood engraving. which. so
years ago, Timothy Cole and Henry
Wolf carried to heights heretofore
not dreamed of, much less reached.
The full measure of this achieve
ment is evidenced in the exquisite
little engraving "Cornfield." by Cole,
a copy of a painting by Constable,
a work so fine that it seems in
credible that it could have been
done on wood by the white line"
process. Here is craftsmanship of
the most expert order. But it
should not be forgotten that both
Cole and Wolf chiefly practiced
their art in it's reproductive ca
pacity and not in the making Of
originals. Cole reproduced the
works of the old masters, Wolf
chiefly those by contemporary
painters; in so doing, both inter-
preted spirit as well as facts, subor-
dinating their own personality to
that of the painters whose works
they copied.
The seed they sowed, and which
lay so long in the ground that it
was thought dead, has, in this late
day, sprung into. life, possessed OF
new vigor and potentialities. A
group of wood engravers has come
into notice, endowed with gift and
showing themselves capable of
finding, through this medium.
forceful and artistic original ex-
preston.
Among the foremost of these
wood engravers of today is Thomas
w. Mason, who is represented in
this exhibition by very fine, dra-
matte and effective print entitled
Summer Storm" Asa Cheffetz
shows likewise an engaging work
in this medium-"Spring Rains,
Vermont" - and mention should