Evening star., 1944-10-29
Bp Florence s. Berrvtnan

Coming face to face with Amerl-
can heroes of the air Is the in
teresting experience which awaits
those who visit the exhibition by
artists of the Army Air Forces, now
at the National Gallery of Art. OF
nearly 100 paintings on view more
than so are portraits of aces, COM
bat heroes, commanding generals
of different outfits and outstand-
ing ground crew personalities, all
painted by Maj. Charles Baskerville.
Although four other artists are
represented in the exhibition, the
preponderance Of Maj. baskerville S
work gives a visitor the impression
that it is his one-man show. 1t is
undoubtedly his exhibition from the
standpoint Of subject interest, as
the majority Of us are probably more
engrossed with the likeneSseS OF
the young men who are playing such
fabulous roles in our history, than
with scenes at air bases and studies
of combat planes in flight.
Mai. Baskerville is veteran OF
World War I, during which he was
first lieutenant, infantry, Company
A, Rainbow Division, and received
the Silver Star, Purple Heart with
oak leaf cluster, the Conspicuous
Service Gross and Victory Medal
with four battle clasps. He volun-
teered for the present war and was
assigned by the commanding gen
eral of the Army Air Forces to paint
a gallery of air force personalities.
Famous Officers
In carrying out this assignment
Maj. Baskerville apparently visited
everv location where Americans are
fighting and flying. He has cap
tured likeneSses of such famous
commanding officers as 1t. Gen
Carl Spaatz, head of the Army Air
Forces in Europe, who reluctantly
granted the artist only IS minutes;
Mai. Gen. Claire Chennault of the
Flying Tigers" and 1t. Gen. James
H. Doolittle, whose Tokyo raid in
1912 had repercussions out OF all
proportion to its actual effects,
Fairly extensive biographical labels
adioin the portraits, affording a
comprehensive summary of each
mans exploits. One meets" Don
Gentle, a famous ace; 1t. Col
Philip G.. Cochran, the inspiration
for Flip Corkin" in the popular
comis strip Terry and the Pirates
Col Merton Cooper, whose activities
sound legendary, and whose home
is rather appropriately, one feels)
Hollywood, Calf, and others too
numerous to mention. The only
man who appears in two portraits
is Technical Sergt. Richard Ferrlll
whose body and arms are so law
ishly tattooed that he must have
been the most colorful subject en-
countered by Maj. Baskerville.
Without being able to compare
his portraits with the men who
posed for them, one nevertheless
is convinced by the individuality OF
these faces, that the artist has
achieved good likenesses. Nor does
he seem to have f1attered his SUBJ
jects. The fact that he has indi-
Gated outstanding ears, jutting jaws
crooked noses and other features
less than godlike on some of them
gives plausibility to the large num-
Der he has depicted as handsome
as dream men.
Wrinkles, one regrets to observe
are this artists Waterloo. He has
executed competently the smooth
boyish faces of most of our heroes
but when confronted with lined
weatherbeaten countenances such as
those of the aforementioned COM
manding officers, he has rendered
the signs of time so emphatically
that the men look as if they were
made up for stage appearance.
Noted illustrator
Maj. Baskerville is professional
artist of considerable experience
chiefly in mural and portrait paint.
ing and illustration. He has made
illustrations for Scribners Life
Judge, Theater, Vogue, Vanity Fail
and Harpers Bazaar AS matter
of fact, his approach to portrait
painting, as exemplified in the cur.
rent exhibition, appears to be tha
of an illustrator of graphic artist
1n1r H. l., ,xo1v s~,