Evening star., 1943-11-14
AT
Notes
Coast Guard aintings
AT Corcoran Gallery
Bv Leila MechHn.

" Atb" AVA = SFsss"s
A most impressive and engaging
exhibitions Is that of oil paintings by
Anton Otto Fischer depicting the
cruise Of the Campbell-a Coast
Guard cutter on convoy duty-which
now and until Thanksgiving Day
can be viewed in the Corcoran Gal
lery of Art. They are fairly large
canvases, the majority measuring
approximately SO by "a inches, and
present individually and collectively,
as have few others, one of the great
epics of the sea.
Primarily they were intended as
illustrations, but they are much
more than this, for they not only tell
their story, and we'll, but also with
artistic skill and feeling. The COM
positions are excellent, the scenes
set forth, once observed, can never
be forgotten because OF intense
vividness, yet there is no evidence Of
straining for effect. So might
Winslow Homer have recorded the
cruise Of the Campbell had he
viewed it as did 1t. Comdr. Fischer
from the cutters bridge.
Anton Otto Fischer spent eight
years of formative youth as a sailor
before the mast, shipping on mer-
chant vessels bound for ports on the
Mediterranean and Black Seas as
well as the. Atlantic and Pacific
Oceans. The impressions then gath
cred have proved profitable beyond
his early expectations. But he has
always loved the sea and specialized
in marine subjects. He ran away
from his first lucrative position
that of printers devil" to become
a sailor. and he gave up the sea to
study art In 1906, with all of his
savings-$600-he went to Paris and
entered the Julian Academy, study
ing there under Jean Paul Laurens.
Two years later he came to this
country and began his career as an
illustrator in New York. In 1916
he became an American citizen.
Meanwhile he had met and mar
ried Mary Ellen Sigsbee, daughter
of Admiral Charles D. Sigsbee of
this city. 1t Comdr. and Mrs.
Fischer now live at Woodstock, N. Y.
Loaned by Coast Guard.
The series of paintings now on
view in the Corcoran Gallery were
commission by Life magazine, in
which they were first reproduced in
full color with descriptive text. BY
the publishers of Life they were
given to the United States Coast
Guard which has now lent them for
display. 1t was through the cour-
tesy of Admiral R. r. Waesche of
the Coast Guard that the privilege
was extended and the work made
possible.
The subjects, in every instance,
have been we'll chosen and are found
full Of human interest. For exam
pie, one shows the passing of a
waterproof sack of confidential pa
pers from one cutter to another
with the sea running high and both
vessels draped in snow and ice.
Another pictures the business of
tallying the convoy, group of sea-
men looking out across the water
to the passing ships from very wet
and slippery deck. And what a
noble parade it is!
Tragedies are also commemorated.
A tanker is seen in flames, gallons
OF lOO-octane aviation gasoline 60
Ing up to the heavens in a glorious
column of fire. Also the Campbell
is pictured standing by sinking
vessel to render what assistance she
can, while in yet a third canvas
are shown boatloads of sailors be-
Ing conveyed from such a ship to
safety.
Just what it has meant to keep
the Atlantic lanes open is here made
plain. And yet in all these works
there Is an element of beauty
beauty of color, beauty of orderli-
ness, beauty of tone and, above all.
the supreme beauty, so strongly sug-
gested, OF sacrifice hallowed by cour-
age. In some of the canvases there
are fine effects of light. In almost
an, tonal values are well preserved.
These are records made by an artist
"NH0 ANAy lllS IHCQluIIl,
and having something to say, says
it extremely well.
WaIfer Titles Dry Points.
An interesting exhibition of dry
points by Walter Title of Danbury.
Conn, is being held all of this
month in the Smithsonian Build
Ing, under the auspices of the Di-
vision of Graphic Arts of the United
States National Museum. Mr.. Title
Is one of the most successful of
our contemporary etchers. Born in
Springfield, Ohio, in 1888, he studied
art IN New York under Chase, Henri
and Mora. He is a member of all
the leading print societies and is