Evening star., 1946-11-24
I. Art
and
Artists
Students and Alumni
Sales Exhibition at
Corcoran Has Variety
And Good Techniques
BY Florence S. Berryman

The Corcoran Alumni and Stu
dents Sales Exhibition, which opened
November 16 at the Corcoran Gal
lery of Art, endeavors to provide an
answer to the question: "What sort
of art will enhance the average hv-
ing room?" This faculty-sponsored
annual show has several objectives,
calculated to appeal to the public:
Good quality, moderate prices ($5
TO $500, size and subject of each
work suitable for the average home.
The exhibitors place landscapes
and flower and still life paintings
at the top of the list. Forty Of the
IA paintings and graphic arts shown
are about equally divided between
these two subjects. Ten works deal
with the sea, ships and harbors.
Half a dozen each, of street scenes,
portraits and interiors, add q little
variety. Animal themes would be
conspicuous by their absence, were
1t not for the little group of ceramic
sculptures.
One does not expect a show of this
type to be composed of masterpieces,
or even of important works. But q
goodly proportion promise to be
pleasing companions for the average
home. Flowers and still life domi-
nate the exhibition, because larger
number of them are colorful and
more competently painted than is
the case with other subject groups.
Helena Halls exquisite little bou-
quet, Oke Nordgren's charming
Mixed Flowers" also his CHEEKY red
"CrabappleS";' Frances Bruton's
substantial "Stiil Life" Robert
Willis golden-toned White Vase
and Fruit" Natalie Balls Mari
colds" and Summer Flowers"
Charles Goldsmith's stylized Tiger
Lily" Donald Nicholson's meticu-
lous blue and Pink" and Carolyn
Seymour's "Chrysanthemums," near
ly all Of which are painted in con-
servative techniques. impressed me
as works which would brighten q
room, or serve as keynotes for color
schemes.
Land and Sea Glimpses
Turning to landscapes, I found
Rene Ingham Beard had captured
q glimpse of Dupont Circle in a
quiet mood, when it was not a traffic
whirlpool; Thunderstorm" by Eliz-
abeth Cleveland, calls up memories
of lush dripping leaves and the beat
Of rain. Jack Lewis Maryland
Landscape" too, is stormy, while
Samuel B. Pratt's Light on the
Lake" is dark and romantic in mood.
Margaret Marks water color, "Coun-
try Road" more modern than the
foregoing. has pattern Of balanced
diagonal lines in telegraph poles and
other objects. Donald Robertson is
showing two of the picturesque little
scenes in Italy which he brought
back from his Army service there.
It is surprising not to find more
seacoast, harbor and marine paint
ings, since such subjects are endur-
ingly popular. Dorothy Shorts
San Diego Harbor, Sunrise" and
Gloucester" by Sally Osburn, have
the appeal of the picturesque. Will
liam Tenschert's water color of
boat, and James Cupoli's "Harbor"
would fare better if they were not
juxtaposed. Arvid Hedin's "Atlan-
tic" gains in size and menace from
the tiny figures gazing at it from
q rockbound coast.
Several of the interiors on view
depict stuffy, cluttered rooms which
look as if they needed airing.
Stewart Portrait Effective
Julia Wright Stewards pastel
portrait of a little girl with her
cat Is the most effective of the few
portraits on view. Mary Jane Corr
shows head Of a youth so unlined
of face and regular featured that
it leaves no margin for individual
ity. Mimi Du Bois Bottoms head
of a young woman is accurately
entitled "Rachel's Hat" for that
article overshadows the wearer.
Margueriate Kumm's linear etching,
Congressional Interlude," is the
only example Of caricature on view.
There are q few paintings in
which pattern is more important
than subject-among them Esther
Stewards Turtle" in a stylized
background, and Ernest L. Daly's
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