Evening star., 1947-10-12
Art
and
Artists
Cuban Couple Shows
Works of Character; :
Elisabeth Ellicott Poe
Memorial at Phillips
By Florence S. Berrymon

ANA>AAAoA I'LL 0I AAAAAApO
By Florence S. Berrymon
A beautiful exhibition OF paint
ings by two Cuban artists, Oscar
Garcia Rivera and his wife, Silvia
Fernandez Arrojo, opened Monday
in the foyer Of the Natural History
Building, United States National
Museum, under the patronage of
the Ambassador of Cuba and
Sonora de Belt.
As most exhibitions In Washing
ton in recent years by Cuban (and
other Latin American) artists have
featured works of markedly radical
character, extolled as having cap
tured "the soul of Cuba" or wher-
ever, the present show, comprising
traditional work of excellent quality,
should serve to restore some balance
in our ideas of the contemporary
art of Cuba.
Young Artists of Competence.
Senor and Sonora Garcia Rivera
are young artists in their early
thirties. She was born in Havana
ne In Pinar del Rio, Cuba. Both
attended the National Academy of
Fine Arts, Havana; he graduated in
1889, she the following year. Both
won many prizes during their student
years. Sonora Garcia Rivera, in fact.
made the highest student record in
the history of the academy, and on
her graduation was awarded the
scholarship for foreign study regu-
larly given to the best student of
each class. Several years ago, she
won in competition a professorship
IN her alma mater, where she now
teaches. Her husband is professor
OF design at Industrial Technical
School, Rancho Boyeros, Havana.
Both have won prizes in art ex-
hloltlons in their native country.
Although the paintings by these
artists look well together, they are
oy no means similar in character.
Sonora Garcia Rivera who continues
to sign her work with her maiden
name, specializes in portraits and
figure studies, while Senor Garcia
Rivera paints the people of Cuba, in
colorful sltuations-dances, markets.
carnivals, mass and other scenes.
Subjects Made Individualistic.
Sonora Garcia Rivera in her por-
traits of young and beautiful Cuban
women. has succeeded in most in
stances IN obtaining individuality
to the extent that these look like
actual people and not like magazine
covers. In several three-quarter and
full length portraits, the petulant
expression of one young woman, the
dreamy, listening look on the face
Of another, and the graceful ballet
dancers pose of third, together
with quiet but attractive color
schemes, give variety to what might
easily be stereotyped work. The
artist is also represented with paint
ings of children, old men, still life,
and a few small landscape sketches.
Senor Garcia Rivera's paintings
are more impressionistic than those
of his wife. Although he has
number of large, carefully done
portraits and figure studies Gnclud-
ing a portrait of "Silvia"D the ma
jority of his 48 paintings and
sketches depict groups in the color
full tropical background of Cuba,
some in brilliant daylight, others
night scenes. He is successful in
getting feeling of movement into
his groups, and in capturing mo-
mentary expressions and gestures.
One obtains from his work, vivid
picture of the land and it's people.
This exhibition will remain
through the month.
Bible in Wood Engraving
Wood engravings by Letterio
Calapai are on exhibition in the
Division of Graphic Arts, United
States National Museum, Smith
sonian Building, through October 26.
The artist, born in Boston in 1902,
studied at the Boston School of Fine
Arts and Crafts, and at the Massa-
CnuSeCCS 0cHOOl OF ATC.
A majority of the 81 prints on
view are from Calapai's portfolio of
As wood engravings comprising the
Negro Bible. Samson, the finding of
Moses, Cain, Abel and other Bible
personalities are depicted as Negroes
in strongly-cut blocks of illustrative
character. There are also a number
Of illustrations for Look Homeward
Angel" A few engravings are ends
in themselves. unrelated to literary
tllemes-such as the landscape,
Along the Mohawk" A number of
very large prints are in black and
white and one color.
Six important museum collections
own engravings by Mr.. Calapai. He
has been the recipient of various
awards and prizes and was included
in Fifty Best Prints of the Year
1914"
Elisabeth Poe Memorial
Washington art circles will miss
Elisabeth Ellicott Poe, whose death,
September 20, was reported the next
day in the news columns of The
Star. It was unusual for a profess
sional writer on art to be also an
artist of unique gifts. But Miss Poe,
who was art critic of the Times
/ Mf-=>s,Al& II