Evening star., 1946-10-06

"The Temptation Of st. Anthony" !"
an exhibition Of oil paintings by
American and European artists. will
be shown at Caresse Crosby's Gal
lery of Modern Art October 10 to "a.
This unusual collection had its in
augural engagement in New York
in September, and Mrs. Crosby's
presentation of it is the first show
ing on q national circuit under
auspices Of the American Federation
of Arts. The exhibition will visit
outstanding institutions throughout
the country: The Baltimore, Cleve-
land, Los Angeles and San Francisco
Museums, the Nelson Gallery,
Kansas City, Boston's Copley Society
and Detroit's Scarab Club.
1.-THE Temptation Of st. Anthony"
is a centuries-old theme, painted by
many old masters. 1t was REIN
terpreted by contemporary surreal-
lists In response to an invitation from
Loew-Lewin, whose objective was to
obtain an outstanding painting OF
the subject, to be used in their
motion picture Of "Bel Ami or the
History Of q Scoundrel," adapted
from De Maupassant's novel Of that
title, and scheduled for release at
the end Of this year. A prize OF
$3 900 was offered for the painting
selected for use in the film and $500
was offered to each Of the other con-
testants. AL Of the artists retain
ownership Of their paintings.
A distinguished jury composed OF
Marcel Duchamp, q pioneer mod
ernist; Alfred H. Barr, jr., museum
director and author, and Sidney
Janis, also an authority on modern
art, selected Max Ernst's version Of
1.-THE Temptation of st. Anthony"
to be reproduced in Technicolor In
the motion picture. That the deci-
sion and award were difncult win
be obvious to every one who sees
the exhibition. Indeed, many vis-
itors undoubtedly viii disagree with
the juryis verdict. 50 admirable are
some Of the other artists inter-
pretations. It is easy to see, how
ever, that the clean, bright colors
of Mr. Ernst's painting are par
ticularly. well adapted to reproduc-
ton in the flm.
Mr.. Ernst visuali2ed st. Anthony
as q soul-sick man, delirious with
his obsessions, which have been
externalized in symbolic forms of
hideous and revolving aspects. A
pioneer surrealist, Mr.. Ernst never
theless calls to mind in this paint
ing, works by such medieval artists
as Hieronymus Bosch and Peter
Huys.
Ivan LIE Lorraine Albright Of
Chicago, whose Picture of Dorian
Gray" was the focal point in the
Loew-Lewin motion picture of that
novel in 1945, has made st. Anthony
part of a mosaic of writhing, repel-
liant forms of women, monsters and
decay, executed with such objectiv-
ity as to have a three -dimensional
appearance, In q somber color
scheme with iridescent flashes.
interpretations Ranse
From Weird to Spiritual
Russian-born Eugene Berman's
version is perhaps the most baffiing
of all: A still life of scaly, en-
crusted and bubbling forms, rising
like a fountain Of putrefaction.
Abraham Rattner's Interpretation
Is the most remote and spiritual.
The late Horace Pippin produced
an uncluttered canvas of primitive
character, with a touchingly youth
full effect.
Interpretations by Paul Delvaux
Of Belgium, Louis Guglielmi and
Dorothea Tanning, while they differ
markedly from one another, never
theless have a basis which win be
most intelligible and obvious to the
majority of observers. M. Delvaux
expressed it most succinctly by say
ing. ITO me it has seemed that