Evening star., 1942-09-20
Art
Notable Works of
Costa Rican at
National Museum
Bp Florence S. Berrrman.

from Costa Rica
Miss Crespi is no stranger to the
United States, having studied ana
lived here. She is the granddaugh-
ter of DR.. Jose Maria Castro. three
times President of Costa Rica: an
uncle, Minor c. Keith. was a
founder of the United Fruit Co.
and the Costa Rican railroads.
Her father was English born,
mining engineer, and wanted her to
have an American education. She
studied at the Art Students League
of New York, under Henri, Luks and
Bellows, and travelled extensively.
The present exhibition (Which was
shown last spring in New York City,
comprises paintings of the past two
or three years and is concerned ex-
clusively with Costa Rica and its
people. Probably not many people
of the United States know this Gen.
trail American country; but those
who see Miss Crespi's work will de-
rive an impression Of pleasant and
colorful place. with picturesque con-
trasts to our own country. There
are 80 paintings in the show, in
cluding landscapes, village scenes
and figure studies.
II paint the common people Of
Costa Rica," said Miss Crespi, "be-
cause they are of the soil and still
cling to the old traditions and GUS
toms, which. although primitive,
make country distinctive"
One of these ancient customs, en-
bodied in her painting entitled
sPueblo" (Which is among the best
work in the exhibition, is the Costa
Rioan governments annual award
of prizes to the most beautifully
decorated peasant oxcarts. Pueblo
shows village of little red-roofed
white houses nesting at the foot of
a mountain In the foreground is a
procession of the gayly painted carts.
One learns, further, that peasants
select their carts for their song"
Each cart has two large round
wooden wheels, and the kind of
wood of which they are made, de-
termines the carts sound as 1t rum
hles along the oobblestones of the
village street. The natives soon be-
come acquainted with each carts
"song" and know its owners identity
as it approaches.
Another painting, entitled Milk
men" is a night scene with natives
on horseback carrying umbrellas
This mode of delivery might have
advantages here at the present time.
Paintings Of Costa Rican children,
of homes in lush tropic settings,
fishermen pulling in their nets,
people at mass. natives picking
coffee, washing their clothes in the
river and making tortillss, as we'll
as portraits Of types, give the visitor
q happy impression of this Central
American nation. One touching
little sketch, entitled Gift to
Heaven" depicts the funeral of
child, lying in AN open flower-filled
coffin borne by several children, to a
church across sunny field
Miss Crespis work is fresh in
color; the forms are simplifed and
slightly distorted in some instances,
to give them whimsical air. A
number of them might have been
painted for children. as they have
an atmosphere of youthful gayety;
and one is not surprised to learn
that the artist has written several
books for children. At present, she |
is interested In the study of Latin |
American mural paintings. She also |
makes the frames for her paintings, |
as can be seen in the present show. |
Each frame is carved of soft wood, /,
with a simple incised decoration.
District Of Columbia Theme
OF Library Exhibition.
Washington, the Nations City,"
Is the latest exhibition opened at the |
Library of Congress. and is displayed |
in the main exhibition hall, second
floor south side. It Is pictorial
presentation of the District of Co
lumbia from early times to the
present. The subject appeals both
to longtime residents Of Washing
ton, who have personal interest in
the city's inevitable changes, and to
newcomers eager to know more
about it.
The shows interest as an art ex-
hihition Is confined chiefly to the
material in the first two cases,
dealing with the city's beginnings
and the decades before the general
use of photography. The drawings,
Autographs and engravines of early
buildings served the same purpose
In their day, that photographs began
to take over during the Civil War
period. These early prints we're
purely utilitarian in purpose, made
ss illustrations for books of travel
or as single prints to be purchased
for small sums by people who
wanted souvenirs of places visited
and buildings and objects seen, Just
as travellers today buy picture post
cards. But some of the views" of
Old World cities were so beautifully
designed, so we'll executed. as etch-
ings or other types of print, that
they are now considered graphic
masterpieces, and are preserved In
museum collections.
Early views of Washington are not
In this class of great art; they were
drawn and engraved by artists
&lose names are unknown to the
average person, and the primary i'm
portance of these prints is historic.
Nevertheless, many of them are well
drawn, with careful attention to
architectural accuracy, and with
cloud effects. landscape surround
ings and incidental figures which
give the prints considerable charm.
A portrait engraving OF Capt.
john Smith opens the exhibition, as
ne was the first white man to sail UP
the Potomac and presumably to see
the land where nearly two centuries
later, the nations capital was laid
out. Clippings from contemporary
newspapers. relating to the planning
OF washington, and to the awards
OF premiums" for designs for the
main buildings (such as that by
James Hoban for the Presidents
House) provide background