Evening star., 1943-02-21
BY Leila Mechlin.

, Through the generous co-opera-
ton of the Weir family the Library
of Congress has acquired compre-
hensive collection of prints by J..
Alden Weir, better known as a
painter than an etcher but out
standing in both fields.
Weir'S father-Robert w. Weir,
was for 40 years instructor in draw
ing at the United States Military
Academy at West Point, and it was
there that he was born in 1852. His
brother, John F. Weir, his elder by
II years, was also an artist and
from 1869 to 1918 was director of
the Yale School of Fine Arts at
New Haven. The inclination to art
was strong in the Weir family and
has descended to the third genera
ton. Robert w. Weir's est-known
painting is 1.-The Embarkation of
the Pilgrims" in the rotunda of
the Capitol; John F. Weir's The
Gun Factory" one Of number de-
plctlng American industries. But
when the younger son and brother
took to painting it apparently was
for the sheer love of the doing.
With Twachtman and other young
men of his day j. Alden Weir stud
led in Paris under Gerome, from
whom he undoubtedly learned much,
but it was the upstart impressionist
school that exerted upon his art
the greatest inf1uence-the works of
Manet and Monet opening his eyes
to new roads to beauty and the sub
tleties Of its expression. 1t is in
terestlng to note, however, in this
connection, that despite this fact
Weirs outlook and manner were
extremely individual and at the
same time American. The subjects
he chose for Interpretation, whether
figures or landscapes, were inva-
riably typical of this country and
that portion which he knew best
New England. AS painter his
brushWork was assured but subtle,
his color high keyed but exquisitely
harmonious. His pictures are reti-
cent in rendering and tranquil in
effect-good to live with but not
what today would be called exciting.
Excellent examples of Weir's paint
ings are to be seen in the Cor
coran Gallery of Art, the National
Collection of Fine Arts and the
Phillips Memorial Gallery.
Strangely enough, the prints by
this painter-etcher, which the Lii
brary of Congress has acquired,
show quite a different side of his
talent and personality. So amaz-
ingly clever are they, so spontaneous
and brilliant that they literally
sweep the print lover off his feet
and leave him breathless with ad-
miration. Almost without exception
they are delightful and supremely
artistic. There are landscapes, fig
ures and portraits, none of which is
subjectively notable until trans
formed by the etcher's art. as in
definable as, paradoXically, it is OBJ
Vlous. This is the quality, encom-
passing both perception and rendi-
ton, for which one is ever on the
outlook-knoWing full well its power
to lit the spirit and assure immor-
tality to a work of art. To one who
has not known j. Alden Weir's
etchings this collection, now avail
able to all, is indeed a reVelation-a
rare source of pleasure.
Weir began etching in 1887 and
stopped abruptly for personal rea-
sons in 1894. His whole output
therefore is confined within these
seven years. 1t amounted to ap-
proXimately 122 plates. Impressions
OF SO of these are now in the Library
OF Congress. In 1919 Weir died,
and shortly thereafter an exhibition
OF his work was held in the Metro
polltan Museum. New York, the
prints then catalogued by zimmer-
man. In the spring of 1927, en-
couraged by Joseph Pennell and
through the cooperation of David