Evening star., 1942-04-26
Art
Notes
Arts Club Exhibit
Is Mirror of Life
Here and Abroad
By Leila MechHn.

WHICH tney were PARTED pfoFlneo
setting.
One group comprises portraits OF
rooms In an old house at Fort
Hunter. near Harrisburg, Pa
the main portion OF which was
erected in Colonial times but to
which during the Victorian era an
addition was made. A few years
ago the descendants of the original
owners decided TO turn this family
homestead into folk museum, and
adding TO the furniture on hand, bit
by bit, as opportunity afforded. re-
created the atmosphere OF other
dayS, when IL was inhabited by those
who In their turn helped TO build
America.
The dining room Is seen TO be es-
ssntially Colonial but the living
room Ia Enthusiastically Victorian:
hideous perhaps, but beautiful no
doubt TO other eyes and even now
honey" Most interesting is "por-
trait" OF a bedroom with the old
fashioned That" bath, set ready for
use and occupying the major por-
ton of the floor space. In its day
such tubs we're az much Injuries as
are their aris.ocratic porcelain sue
cessors. And that was not so very
long ago. OBVIOUSLY Victorian taste
IN It's American manifestation did
not afford large ground for hope OF
artistic native development, and the
wonder is not, that in production,
we had since done so badly, but so
well. From furniture by Chippen-
dale and his contemporaries TO Vic
torian whatnots, ottomans and
fringe trimmed chairs seems, as we
view 1t now, longer and more haz-
ardous leap than from them to the
ultra modern Of today, destined, no
doubt, 10 future ridicule no less
biting.
The group Of six portraits" of
stately rooms in mansions In France
and italy, painted abroad some
years ago. is labeled in the cata-
logue, by the artist. Nostalgia
Europe" and none can see them
without a tightening of the heart
strings and mental inquiry concern
ing the perpetuity of the life for
which they witneSs-its dignity, its
grace, Its culture.
The painter Of these Room Por-
traits Elaine Drake. Is an interir
designer, and with her transcript
tions of rooms of other days she
shows some of her own designing
for clients Of today. in which she
has drawn upon the past to enrich
the present. The impression coll
lectively made upon the observer Is
of the wealth of material available
and Of the Importance Of art in this
field. because 1t Is still o living art
and most close 10 the people.
Sculpture By
Elizabeth Randolph Gardner.
While landscape paintings by
Daisy Erb, formerly Of this city, now
of Florida and North Carolina, oc-
cupy the gallery at the Arts Club
and the Room Portraits" and in
terror designs by Elaine Drake OF
New York hang on the walls OF the
reception and dining room, space
has been found for the display OF
sculpture by Elizabeth Randolph
Gardner, formerly of Philadelphia,
now of New York. These are works
both in relief and the round and
instantly proclaim the gift and
training of the artist. Seldom does
one see relief handled with more
sensitivenesS and knowledge. In her
portraits in this medium her touch
Is very light, the relief exceedingly
low-so low at times her outline Is
almost lost IN her fat background
surface, but the elusion is well
maintained, the effect is vital and
stmospheric-very charming.
OF the forty-two statues that she
did for the Church of the Annuncia-
ton, New York City, she shows three
full-length models, one in oak, one
In bronze and the third In plaster
they are respectively Of st. DOM
inic, st. Elizabeth and St. Francis
Of Assist. In modelling these, and
the thirty-nine others in the series
Mrs. Gardner was given complete
freedom OF expression, and after
studying at length the lives OF hel
subjects she gave each, as 1t seemed
TO her, fitting individual interpreta'
ton, following, however, Gothic tra'
dition. such, for instance. as thu
elongation OF figure. There is some
thing very delightful in these sta
tues OF SaintS-Somethlng spritua
and at the same time human. They
are well modelled in the round, sta
tuesoue and plastic.
There is exceptional variety II
Mrs. Gardners works in sculpture
which gives indication OF adaptabil'
ity and understanding of require
Yneuts in each instance. AS has beel
sasd her reliefs are modelled with
Light touch; in her statues for tn
Church Of the Annunciation she ha
not lost sight of decorative effect a
well as religious significance. bu
when one comes to her work in tn
round, exemplified by her portrai
bust in bronze Of her husband, Rob
ert Waterman Gardnet, the strengt
and power manifested is quit
astounding. Here Mrs. Gardne
follows Roman tradition rather tha
French-and with equal felicity.
Elizabeth Randolph Gardner
the daughter of DR.. and Mrs. Ma
thsniel Archer Randolph OF Phlls
delphia, her father being connecte
for years with the University
Pennsyivarais- She went abroad
study sculpture when she was on
rs and stayed four years in Pari
working first with a Swedish sculI
tor, Froken Ida Nation, and the
ut the Academic Julien under Verle
and finally with Rodin. Before n
turning home. however, she spel
o year In Italy and travelled els;
where In Europe and Great Britai
she has exhibited extensively in IN
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