Evening star., 1941-03-09
BY JESSIE FAINT EVANS.

A slender, youthful figure in trim
blue slacks. her naturally Wavy
brown hair bound close to her head
by a vivid green ribbon bandeau
that matched the handkerchief in
her tailored blouse, came forward
to give me a gracious welcome. The
open door of a great Sunlit studio
on the top floor of the Brazilian
Embassy. at 5000 Massachusetts,
avenue. framed her vivid silhouette
She was Nine. Martins. wife of
the Ambassador from Brazil, whom
the writer had met in the hand
somely furnished drawing room OF
the Embassy. amid the more formal
atmosphere of a diplomatic Wife's
''at home" to a contingent of WASH
ington society.
This time. the petite chatelaine
Of the Embassy wiped the last traces
OF wet modelling clay from the long
supple fingers that indicate her ar
tiStiC talent before We seated our
selves for the best vantage point
from which to view the serious
work in sculpture which is both
her vocation and profession.
Starts Her Work Early.
1t was nearly noon Yet. ac-
cording to her usual custom, Nine.
Martins had been hard at work in
this studio retreat of hers, high
above Massachusetts avenue. facing
the nearby woods in the rear, since
$50 o'clock. Often. o'clock finds
her engroSsed here. Proudly she in
formed us: This was the very first
addition made to this house. when
we took it over for use when we came
to washington, nearly two years
ago.
The blue painted steel girders
which span this loft, rafter-like
are in harmonious contrast to the
warm brown. natural coloring of
the fire-prooGed tiles which con-
stitute its walls.
Here this gifted Latin suffers
few Interruptions, save from the
Ambassador himself. their two
school girl daughters, Nora Yolanda
and Ana Maria, and an occasional
close friend. She seldom accepts
luncheon engagements and attends
teas rarely, that she may not be
diverted or pushed by a too strenu-
Gus social schedule.
Life can be very beautiful" she
declared. IF one is fortunate enough
to express ones ideals in the way one
SO hngt f1ttaI tr ;r
does not interfere with the hap
piness Of others.
Two Portrait BuStS.
Savoia, their gambolSome French
poodle. whom she described as my
very great friend" accompanied us
on our tour of inspection of the
studio and the compositions Nine.
Martins has either finished or was
at work on. AS we skirted blocks
OF wood and great boxes of model
ing clay, there was unmiStakable
evidence that this is truly a work.
shop, not the Whim of a society
dnettante.
Two excellent bust portraits in
bronze, one in the downstairs Ii
brary and the other in the entrance
hall of the Embassy, give evidence of
skillful, earnest modelling even in
her student days in Paris.
An unfinished but lifelike bust
Of the Ambassador still in wet clay,
indicates his purposefulneSS of char
acter and the ability for which he
is famous. At present it must wait
upon present-day world exigencies
before the Ambassador can take
the time for more sittings, even at
the hands of the artist, who is his
wife
Strikingly illustrative of Nine.
Martins artistry in woodcarving,
one of her favorite forms of eX-
preston, is a composition which
she deSignates After War" A
seated woman listlessly clutches a
meager bundle of old clothes. The
epitome of mute WEAKNESS and de-
spair. it is evident she had lost every
thing, even hope.
In terra Gotta and in wood, there
are several interpretations of old
Brazilian legends. "Yara," siren of
the Amazon, blond-haired Circe,
who enthralls lovers by her songs
and lures them to their doom by her
flowers of death, has been exhibited
in the Philadelphia museum.
Equally fascinating, is her ver-
sion "Xango," pronounced "Shango,"
the god of black magic in Brazil.
He is called upon, when one desires
the forces of evil" she said.
Interesting too, is her conception
of Adam and Eve, with Adam por-
trayed as the weaker of our COM
mon ancestors, as he leans upon
Ewes shoulder.
Into the model of a fireplace, which
is in order for a home in Brazil. Nine.
Martins is fitting a series of original
AL d mA