Evening star., 1945-05-06
The Art Word
Washington Offers Many Fine Art Shows
AS Exceptional Season Draws Near Close
By Leila Mechlin

BY Leila Mechlin
At this time of the year the ART
season usually begins to show symp-
toms of drawing to a close, by a
reduction in the number Of exhibit
tions and tagging of interest on the
part of the public. To this rule the
present season is notable excep-
ton. Three outstanding exhibitions
will be in progress this week and
numerous smaller, but esscntially
interesting, ones are scheduled.
In the Library Of Congress there
opened on the first of the month
the third annual exhibition of orig
inal prints by American printmak-
ers entered in competition for the
Pennell prize awards. This will
continue until the first of July. On
May s, in the lobby of the United
States National Museum, a private
view will be given of an exhibition
of modern British crafts organized
by the British Council, London, and
widely shown in this country under
the patronage of American art mu-
seums. This will be open to the
public until May %.
Opening on the 10th, but unfor-
tunately lasting only three days,
will be an exhibition of acclesi-
astical art, unique in character, to
be held in the corridors of the crypt
of the National Cathedral on Mount
st. Alban.
The Corcoran Gallery announces
an exhibition of paintings Of Army
medicine, sponsored by the Abbott
Laboratories and shown under the
auspices of the War Department,
May 13-June 3, and an exhibition OF
Latin American water colors, lent
by the International Business Ma
chimes Corp, May 20-June 10, in
connection with which mention
should be made of the display of a
small collection of wood engravings
by Leopoldo Mendez of Mexico. in
the Pan American Unions building,
May l to 21 Nor does this COM
plete the list.
Paintings by Gustav Trois
Seventeen oil paintings and 33
water colors by Gustav Trois of this
city, now with our American Army
somewhere in France" occupy the
walls of not only the gallery but
the reception and dining rooms of
the Arts Club this month, continuing
until the 18th. Corpl Trois studied
first in the Corcoran School of Art
and later at the Tiffany Foundation
under Hobart Nichols. For a time
he devoted himself to newspaper
work of an illustrative character.
After preparatory service in three
Army camps in this country, he was,
at his own request, sent to England.
There he has painted over $50 pic
lures of Army life overseas, besides
doing mural for "Doughnut Dug
out" and a curtain for a CTS "Show-
house" Meanwhile, he has made
for himself and America many
friends, and exhibited widely in
British cities and towns.
Presumably the pictures which are
now on view at the Arts Club were
painted before going overseas. In
fact the majority seem to have been
painted in the vicinity of Washing
ton. There are landscapes-often
with figures-and still life subjects,
for the most part well composed and
pleasing in color. His still life paint
ings, more than his landscapes, evi-
dence the influence on his taste
and Imagination of Cezanne, who
apparently at one time he closely
followed. But no one can so reflect
another without temporarily at least
losing oneself.
Many Landscapes
This influence is less evident in
MIR. Trois' landscapes, which have a
homely simplicity quite their own.
In these he deals with mass effects
employing color broadly to attain
desired results. 1t is in the matter
of drawing that he falls short in
these renditions. His line is insen-
sitive-yet he can draw well when
he wishes. This indifference to all
but effect is a common shortcoming
of young artists of today. There is
of course certain Joy to be derived
simply from paint on canvas" as
Gertrude Stein has pointed out,
but that Is only when it is so skill
fully handled that the beholder for
gets that it Is after all only paint
The water colors, hung in the re-
ception and dining rooms do, on
account Of the character of the
medium, offend less in this par
ticular, but they are rather somber
in effect and sketchily rendered
notes" for future reference. Would
the artist, himself, have chosen
these for display had he made the
selection? Perhaps not, and yet they
are engaging In themselves (espe-
cially to his fellow artists and to
others because Of what they tell us
of him and his effort to discover new
fields, more direct crossroads to
Quelity