Evening star., 1940-11-26
Topics and Technique of Works
In Art Week Exhibition Hit
Most of Paintings Deal With the ForIorn
Rather Than With Beauty in Nature

craftsmen-neither, it would seem
have they q vision. Most often they
seem to paint without purpose or
aspiration-for which reason their
works are literally dead.
Alexander Brooks figure Of a girl
in restaurant, which he prices at
$500 is clever study as is also
Nicolai Cikovsky's Girl from New
York." priced at $500, but both are
academic stunts done primarily. 1t
would seem, to test the artists own
skill and cleverness, and not because
they had something to reveal or say
Opening Spring" a plowing scene,
by Georgiana Klitgaard, priced at
$3.50, has good composition, but
shows crude technique and no SUBJ
tlety whatsoever in handling. Lone
ly Horseman" by K. Metzler has a
comic, childlike naivete, as has also
Herman Maril's Lone Horse" which
are priced respectively at $75 and
$50. How soon would such comedy
pail on the observer?
But worse still are such works as
Game of Bridge"-colored and
white persons playing cards on the
deck of boat at sea, by Irwin D.
Hoffman, $500; Windows Oil" by
Caroline Durjeux, 5000, and 'West
Side Chicago" $275, by Aaron
Bohrod, to say nothing of Song and
Dance" )" SIPS, by Don Brown-or for
that matter numerous others.
"Hod Carrier" by Daniel Rhodes,
is virile piece of work, but does
not, in. the least suggest the dignity
OF labor, as do Eugene Higgins two
cOntributlons-among the best of all
the works shown-"Laborers Rest
ing" and a canvas which might well
be entitled "Hunger"-a man search
ing for food among refuse in barrel
"a theme charged with tragedy, but
not revolving.
Stephen Etnier, who is an excep-
tionally successful seller, is repre-
sented by park scene cleverly rem
dered, for which he asks $3.50, and
Waldo Peirce, who is always flying
in the face of convention, shows
quite conventional sketch Of chill
dren on the seashore, which he
values at $780,
There are two delightful little
sketches in color, probably made for
stage sets, by Clifford Beal, which
do have charm, and there are flower
paintings by Ernest Fiepe, Marjorie
Phillips and Nan Watson, priced, re-
spectively, at $500, $400 and $500
each, which are pleasing because of
color and the manner of their in
depreciation.
Something may be said in praise
of John Steuart Curry's portrait of
himself, which, despite the fact that
it shows his face in shadow, is very
vital and self-revealing.
The Juggler" by Marion Junkins
is rather pathetic performance
distorted to no especial purpose and
pale and thin. Margaret Zorach's
Child Reading" is not much more
virile, but shows stronger line and
greater command of medium, as
does also the figure study by Isaac
Soyer entitled The Letter"
There are comparatively few land
scapes. Henry Varnun Poor, whose
much-diScussed murals are in the
Justice Department Building, shows
pale uncertain landscape entitled
Spring Haze; Herman Maril a
painting of Farm Near Deerfield, u
which should tend to make the city
dweller content with his lot, and
Cecil Lawson a winter picture, which
in contrast, has outdoor feeling and
an element of the picturesque.
Water COlors Liked Better.
Far greater in this field are the
contributions of water colorists. q
few of which are indeed outstand-
ing. Elizabeth Locherie's winter
landscape in the Western mountain
region, where she lives, is a bril-
liant piece of technique and a most
lovely picture. Eliot O'Hara shows
in clear color, with simple com
position and direct manner of rem
dering, water color entitled BE.
hind Santa Ritas," and Pause in
the Journey by Paul Moylan ha.
much to commend it. Frances Foy's
''Flaxen-Haired Girl" and Can
mas" are 10th original in handling
and attractive; from Milford Zornes
have come two excellent water col.
ors, one painted in Arizona, the
other in Tampa; M. D. Singleton ex.
hibits in this medium a very engag-
ing still life of Indian toys; Johr
A. Stephan has to his credit ,
painting of a tumbledown hut
which because of the manner ol
transcription has interest. These
exceptional works range in price
from $40 to $3.50.
The prints included in this 81.
gantic showing, embracing more
than 1000 items, are not numerous
but very good. John Winkler is well
represented by his etching OF. eva
terloo Bridge" made for the Amer
ican College Society of Print Col
lectors, and by three other plates
Benson Moore of this city exhibits
four of his admirable color etchings
of birds. There is a lovely drawing
or lithograph of a woman's head by
Leon Kroll.
Pigs seem especially in favor In
| this exhibition. There is painting
of two in pen with litter Of four
by Jennie Magafan Of Colorado, a'
$500, and two In sculpture. One Il
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