Evening star., 1944-10-15

disagree violently as to how good
it is. Some artists hold that pho
Biography has removed the necessity
for attempting a close likeness and
that the painter can be content
with a remote likeness, vouchsafing
only one small detail, such as an eye
brow, to identify the sitter.
But most Of us still feel that q
portrait, to be good, must bear q
close resemblance, must record not
only the subjects bone construction
and contours, but also the elusive
something" including character
istic facial expression, that gives
him uniqueness and individuality. II
is obvious that Mrs. Kaufman has
the ability to pin down these quail
tiles, but she has not succeeded In
doing SO in every instance.
The writer is acquainted with, or
has seen often enough to recognize
80 of the 90 portrait subjects
Eighteen of the 80 stand out as real
captures: Senator Austin, Director
Of War Mobilization James F.
Byrnes, DR.. John Dewey, Secretary
Hull "a very simple black crayon
outline), Admiral Leahy, DIR. Mac
Leish, John Marin, painter; Gen
Marshall, Senator Norris, Chief JUS
tice Stone, Raymond Gram Swing
the Vice President and DR.. Zook
to mention few. On the basis OF
this sampling, one Is confident that
well over half the portraits in the
exhibition are good likenesses. Had
Mrs. Kaufman had less ambitious
program and more time, her record
of hits undoubtedly would have beer
greater.
She has worked in various media
Water color, black crayon, colored
crayon and chalk, pen and wash
pencil and other combinations
Naturally. she has concentrated or
the heads, sketching in figures anc
hands, in some instances, very hur-
riedly, so they are little more than
suggestions. On the whole, the por-
trait sketches in crayon impressed
the writer as best from the artistic
standpoint.
THE American Century" is a pri.
vate project Of the artist. The por.
traits, each accompanied by a bio
graphical sketch by Dorothy Can
field Fisher zone of the few women
portrayed, will be published in book
form next year. In view of the real
merit OF some of the works, one
feels that the collection would gain
in strength and authority if it were
carefully edited and pruned.
Anniversary Exhibition
Ample opportunity to study the
contemporary art of Latin America
has been offered Washingtonians in
recent weeks. The Whyte Gallery's
Mexican exhibition in September
and the Corcoran Gallery's current
showing of Latin American prints
are now followed by an exhibition
of paintings by Candido Portinari OF
Brazil, to open this afternoon at the
Barnett-Aden Gallery. This show
celebrates the Gallery's first ami
versary.
H. E., the Ambassador from Brazil
has contributed an introduction, and
DR.. Robert c. Smith, curator of the
archive of hispanic culture at the
Library of Congress, has written q
foreword to the catalogue Of the
Portinari exhibition. These COM
mentators are well acquainted with
his work, for examples OF his mural
painting are permanently installed
in the Brazilian Embassy and the
Library's Hispanic room.
In considering Candido Portinari
one is confronted with an artist re-
garded by many Of his countrymen
as their greatest, and one who
arouses extravagant enthusiasm In
many Americans of authoritative
opinions. The writer regrets being
unable to see eye to eye with these
people, so far as Portinari's later
work is concerned.
The present collection of IL oils
dates from about 1910. These paint
ings include two distractions, four
fantastic compositions involving
scarecrows, several women's figures
and few groups, such as Carnival
The largest painting on view, "Ffg-
ures in Landscape" Is q sinister
scene of natives at work in. q field
Watched by rows of birds resembling
turkey buzzards. The artists color
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