Evening star., 1946-01-06
By Florence s. Berryman


will open this afternoon at the Cor
coran Gallery of Art, its fourth an
nual exhibition. 1t comprises more
than 40 works in the special eXhibi-
ton gallery: Six sculptures, the
others paintings in oil, water color
and tempera, and several cases of
prints and drawings in the atrium
1t is as good show as this re-
viewer has seen in the guilds series.
1t has strength, competence, variety
and no little beauty. The paintings
range from academic to abstract,
the prevailing character of the group
is closer to center than to left. There
are, of course, some works that do
not measure up to the standards set
by the majority, but that is to be
expected.
Andrea Zerega's large, handsome
still life, Happy Birthday No. O."
dominated by tawny chrysanthe-
NUNS with balanced blue and red
areas, has some admirable painting
of textures. Richard Lahey's beau
tiful Fruit and Flowers" is also
outstanding, and his little pencil
drawing Autumn in Virginia" Is
exquisitely done Nan Watson, who
maintains a high level of accom-
plishment, shows small but lovely
flower painting, Christmas Gift"
Laura Douglas has contributed
witty transcription of a Victorian
interior, Miss Bells Parlor," in
which the cluttered, stuffy feeling
of the room is heightened by some
what muddy colors. AN Artist
Lived Here" by Lois Mailou Jones,
has strong contrast between the
damaged with its abandoned piano
and easel, and the sunny seascape
seen through the door.
Portraits and Figures.
Several good unpretentious por-
traits include that of young naval
officer by Alice Acheson; Sybil Bon
bright's slightly -life-sized i'm
preston of herself, and Walter Car
nelli's "Vanessa." Jack Berkman's
satirical Miss Didsbury of Mile
End" has an unpleasant color
scheme of raw red, green and yel-
low.
Compositions with one or more
figures include Kenneth Stubbs
Red Cloth" cleanly painted, but
giving an impression that the two
women have no relationship other
than their presence at the same
table; they seem to be emotionally
isolated. Saul Levine's large group
of solidly painted, stocky figures In
o hot, mustard colored room has
nightmarish solemnity; its meaning
will probably elude most spectators.
1t. Mitchell Jameson and Sergt.
Paul Arlt are responsible for the
only paintings of war subjects, ex-
cellent combat water colors done
for the Navy Department and Mar
Inc Corps, respectively. Prentiss
Taylor, president of the guild, shows
a documentary painting, Lafayette
Square VI Night" His depletion OF
the jackson statue as larger than
life" and the dark areas of trees
and grass plots convey the impress
sion that these are permanent,
while the celebrating crowd curving
around them has an ephemeral
character.
Other Subject Groups.
Eliot O'Hara, whose painting has
become progressively more simpli-
fed, has reached height of abb
stract statement in his "Pelion
Upon OsSa" which makes it as easy
for the observer to view his next
objective, as for the giants to see
into Olympus. Jacob Kainen also
shows an abstraction, Landscape
Fantasy" with well-balanced angles
and curves.
Eugen Weisz's large, sunny land
scape, Snow in the Suburbs" has
the ingredients for popular appeal.
Houses and Tower" by John Ger
nand, Is romantic in mood, with
charming color and interesting il
Elimination, one of his best paint
tngs. Frances Ferry's fresh little
view of Sag Harbor," Aline Fru-
hauf's somber Red Houses" and
Margaret Gates Shenandoah Tres
tle," in red browns and gray, are
all worthy items in the compare
lively small group of landscape
paintings.
A familiar aspect of Georgetown
is seen in Carl Nyquist's Key Shop
on M Street." Ann Wolfe shows
"Munsterhof, Zurich" huddle of
earth red houses. Sarah Bakers
Evening" has something of the
seacoast's loneliness. Mary Wat
kins' fighting cocks achieve tense
ness by their angularity and diago-
nal placement on the canvas.
The small group of sculpture in
cludes Heinz Warneke's beautifully
simplified black Belgian marble
Tom Cat" an appealing baby in
bronze by Dorothea Greenbaum and
Sarah Silberman's reclining figure