Evening star., 1942-05-17

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tine Gallery in New York. AS is
generally known Maria is Senhora
de Martins in official life and a
great favorite in society. In her
art shows, however, she wishes to
be thought of as Maria, the sculptor,
for she says with all seriousness
that while she is really two persons
In one, it Is her wish that her art
exhibitions should not be thought
of as social affairs but should be
open to the frankest criticism by
not only professional critics but the
public as well. In spite of this it
is a draw when one attends a pre-
view of Maria'S work to decide
which receives the most attention.
the artist or her exhibition.
Partial to Famous
Woods of Brazil.
Senhora de Martins is very par
Sal to the woods of Brazil and other
South American countries as a
media for her work. For instance,
one of her most noted pieces is her
figure of the Christ which was ex-
hibited here at the Corcoran Gal
lery of Art during the winter and
now a part of the Valentine Gal
lery show. 1t is carved from jacar-
anda, very beautiful wood veined
with rose and highly valued in South
America for fine cabinet work A
genus of this tree is also cultivated
In hothouseS for its lovely blush
flowers and leaves used for foliage
decoration. Peroba, a hard rose
yellowish wood, was the medium for
her "Europe-Spring 194l" Red
wood-similar to that if not the
same as the California redwood-is
favorite wood with Senhora de
Martins, and several pieces carved
from poplar excited interest in her
show here last winter, as one would
not usually visualize poplar as lend
Ing itself to the chisel aid mallet.
The kindred arts of music, paint
Ing and sculpture have been a part
OF Senhora de Martins education
in both her native Brazil and in
the studios of Paris and Brussels -.
She is enthusiastic about Picasso,
thinks the Brazilian painter Portin-
ari wonderful :. Works in all sculp-
tural mediums, but she likes best
large figures rather than busts or
heads.
But, to 60 back to that fascinating
brochure on mahogany which brings
up visions of old clipper ships whose
beams and trimmings were of that
wood, Mr.. Lamb says there is a
romance in all natures products,
but none equal to that of wood, and
of the cabinet woods the story of
mahogany from its jungle home to
the antique, centuries old, is
glamourous.
He speaks of the mahogany in
dustry in America as being an old
industry, dating back to the earliest
sailing vessels-and one might add
to the leviathans of the 18th and
Goth centuries, such as the great
Normandie, which was rich in the
wood. Mr.. Lamb romances charm
ingly about the story of the 66 ships
of the Spanish Armada that were
sunk in 1888 and says the first large
amount of mahogany to approach
the shores of Britain still lies off
those shores in the hulls of the IS
ships.
Nottingham Castle. built in 1860,
the author says, was the earliest
record of mahogany used in build
ing in England 1t was used how
ever in the Escorial begun by Philip
II Of Spain in 1863.
In a book recently off the press,
"Kings and Desperate Men"-life
in the 18th century-Louis Kronen-
berger speaks of Chippendale furni-
ture, the Adamses, Hepplewhite and
other famous cabinet makers and
decorators of the time and their
influence on taste in art.
AS a part of his romance, Mr..
Lamb calls attention to the Declara-
ton of Independence which Jeffer-
son wrote on mahogany desk. and
Madison who used one in drafting
the Constitution of the United
States. And then the new S10,000,-
900 home of the United States Su-
preme Court, that gigantic archi-
tectural tribute to justice. in which
mahogany is used lavishly for the
bench and furniture in the chamber.