Evening star., 1943-04-04
Through an Open Window of Art

lamities most to be feared. The
power to appraise and value the
things of the spirit must not be
lost. Nor will it be- Beauty is of
many kinds and may be found in
many places. The spur to artistic ex-
preston is inborn. Artists from the
days Of Phidias have quested for
beauty and upon discovery made it
manifest. Through their vision
and labors the world has been en-
riched beyond belief.
The Corcoran Gallery's biennia!
exhibition of paintings by contem-
porary artists, now in progress, gives
poignancy to these thoughts; the
more SO because it is unquestionably
representative of the art of today
well chosen and well displayed
Smaller than the exhibitions held
two, four and six years ago, it is
distinctly better and may, therefore
signalize turning of the tide, not
outgoing but incoming.
In spirit the works shown are
American. The French post-impres-
SlonlStic influence seems to be fad
ing, but the general atmosphere is
as joyous as one might wish. When
nearly decade ago the first exhibit
tlon under Government auspices was
shown in the Corcoran Gallery of
Art. in an attempt to lessen the
hardships which the depression had
brought upon artists. remark was
made on the cheerfulness of the
showing. There is little that is light
hearted or gay about the biennial
exhibition now on view. Is it the
war, We ask ourselves?
Portraying Beauty.
Art is not a lucrative business save
in exceptional cases All but the
few who make 1t a career are but
poorly rewarded. The market for
contemporary work is extremely
limited. Prices today are not what
they were in the nineties or the first
decade of the present century. To
live by art means often meager liv-
ing and what the artist paints is
often what he daily sees.
Not every one has the power to
find beauty even in ugliness and
make it visible That is genius But
when our American landscape school
was at its height artists were in
duced to paint by an inner urge to
show to others what, to them, was
beautiful, and their endeavor was
to interpret this beauty so that it
might be shared with all. To this
end they strove to attain technical
proficiency.
Why perpetuate ugliness? That is
the question-and to it there seems
to be no answer. Why paint a rotten
apple rather than a good one, a dead
tree rather than one living. degrad-
ed and sad human beings rather
than those in whom is mirrored the
image of God?
1t should not be thought that only
paintings of this sorry sort are to be
found in the current exhibition
There are some which fully illus
trate the windows which Mr.. Msbie
had in mind. Such. for example, as
Bald Eagles" by Frank w. Benson,
painted with the keenness OF vision
of an Oriental and the skill of a
great artist, a village picture
Spring in Devon" by George Elmer
Schofeld; Redf1eld's painting of his
wife standing on cold winter
morning before broad, sunlit
South Window" in which category
undoubtedly belong still life paint
ings by Mathilde Leisenring and
Nan Watson; Karfiols Jolly "John
and Pony and Young Mother" by
Leon Kroll, in which there is both
tenderness and subtlety.
Others might likewise be enumer-
ated. but they will be found to speak
for themselves, as, in greater meas
ure do the works of past masters
which have lightened the way of
many weary travellers, in days no
less grim than today.
Choice of Subject.
To be sure it is not what one
paints which counts eventually but
the way it is painted. Championing
the tory-telling picture, Kenyon
Cox has said that, in the first place
the story must be worth telling-not
trivial-and, secondly, it must be
told well. This is applicable to every
kind OF painting. The way paint is
put on canvas may charm others as
well as Gertrude Stein, but this in
itself is not sufficient, the theme
must be one which justifies distinc-
ton. The choice of subject lies with
the artist and reveals his, or her,
sensitiveness and inherent taste, as
nothing else, although craftsman
ship gives facility and goes far
toward high achievement. This is a
matter with which the public must
concern itself, for the artists will
give us what We want If we ask it.
Art reflects life, and life today is
very far from happy. War creates
a tendency to tear down rather than
build up-thought is directed toward
misery. Nature alone is undisturbed
and unafraid. To be socially con-
scious' is interpreted too often as
conscious of woe, whereas it equally
applies to the sharing of joy. It is
this that the world needs and that
art can give us. Let us have open
windows not only in our workshops
but IN our homes as well.