Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-12-22
Christian Art Is Exhibited

Ho1Durd University Displays
Works Assembled By Cura-
tor.
Timely and interesting is an ex-
hibition of Christian art which has
been all this month, and still is,
on view in the art gallery of Howard
University, sponsored by the school
of religion of the university and
assembled by Alonzo J. Alden,
curator of the gallery. This ex-
hibition. the purpose of which was
ito focus attention upon certain
great achievements of Christian art
rather than to attempt to give a
complete survey of it's development"
was borrowed from various col
lectors here in Washington and
elsewhere, but space was limited,
as we'll as means to cover or permit
large outlay in cost, hence only an
inkling could be given of the rich
ness of the field.
Quite rightly, attention was
focused upon eight paintings of
religious subjects by Henry o. Tan
IleI, OllS VI lllC III 81 1NCSIo al
to attain international distinction.
Born in Pittsburgh in 1859, Tanner
studied first in the Pennsylvania
Academy in Philadelphia, and then
in Paris under Laurens and Con-
slant; was accepted and acclaimed
by all and is today represented
in some of our leading art mu-
seums. Practically all of his paint
ings were of religious subjects and
to insure accuracy both in spirit
and environment he journeyed to
Palestine and painted for some time
there where, many years before,
the drama he represented on his
canvases was enacted. Through
1.-THE Friends of Art" of Howard
University this gallery has secured
one of his paintings-and the hope
is to add others as opportunity
affords.
Tanner must have had a gentle
spirit as well as indomitable will,
for his paintings are very reticent
and his subjects timidly approached.
He must have gone to Paris when
the impressionists' school was at
its height and to some extent been
Influenced by it, as for example
by his paints in thick Jumps rather
than smoothly and aiming for at
mospheric effect. 1t is difficult to
keep so rough and broken a sur.
face clean and, furthermore, the
colors then used were not always
permanent, therefore certain de-
probation has taken place in SOM
of Tanners canvases which should
not be reckoned as evidence Of
artistic weakness.
Influenced by Paris.
It is interesting to be able in thi
exhibition to compare the works o
Tanner with those of Augustus Vim
cent Tack, who is no less deepl,
religious, but also primarily a col
orist as well as dreamer. Four o
his paintings have been lent by tn
Phillips Memorial Gallery, which j
fortunate in possessing not onl
them but also series of wall deco
rations-purely abstract but mos
lovely and significant. He, toe
studied in Paris and fell under tn
influence of the school headed b
Monet. His Madonna OF the Ever
lasting Hills" is painted in dots G
color, which seem to have lost som
of their original brilliancy but sti
exert a mystic charmA Mr.. Tack
not, as was Tanner, a realist seekln
confirmation in fact, but an inter
pretor who read into his painting
not only the drama of the momer
but, obviously. his own emotion.
Contrasting with the paintings
Tanner and Tack cye one each b
two contemporaries-Max Jacobs.
Frenchman, and James L. Well
American, member of the Howa1
University faculty. The form'
shows a picture of Christ in
Boat" latter Flight Into Egypt
both of which are modern in mar
ner; impressions boldly set down b1
not carried to completion and