Evening star., 1948-01-04

w op1lI1lS1OAA, 4OA tAao 6AOAp Va "a
fists, among whom, however, are
former Washingtonians Wells M.
Sawyer and his daughter Helen
(Mrs. Jerry Farnsworth), still well
known here.
10th Century Groups
The Corcoran Gallery of Art re-
Gently hung in it's members room
a group of 18th century American
drawings, 1947 accessions, acquired
through the generosity of friends Of
the gallery: r. M. Kaufman,
trustee, and Robert G. Mcintyre
and Norman Hirschl, both of New
York
BY the earliest artist, David Clay
poole Johnston (1799- 1869 there
are two pencil drawings, one of
which, entitled I'VE Won't Discuss
It." enlightens the observer as to
WHY Johnston was dubbed "the
American Cruikshank." In his day
he gained considerable renown as
caricaturist; his publishers, it is
said, often quailed before the pub
lie indignation his work aroused.
Born in Philadelphia, he became an
engraver, also made caricatures,
line illustrations and drawings for
Autographs. He was best known
through his annual publication,
Scraps, first issued in 1880.
The best known of the three art
lists whose work is on view, is Will
liam Sidney Mount G807-68) in
whose work interest has been re-
vived by the def1nitive book about
him written several years ago by
Bartlett Cowdrey and Herman War
ner Williams, ir., director of the
Corcoran Gallery, and such exhibit
tiors as the comprehensive one
held last summer at the Suffolk
Museum, Stony Brook, Long Island
mentioned here August 24). Mount
is now regarded as the foremost
genre painter of his period.
Six of his drawings are on view
at the Corcoran, including two Long
Island landscapes, delicate pencil
sketches, single figures and groups
in pencil and pen. These are init
mate studies made for his later
use, as revealed in a notation on
one of them, Figures must be my
study" and on another, the color
of a woman's jacket.
The most finished drawing, "On
the Doorstep" by Robert w. Weir
(1803-1889), is a romantic study in
sepia wash. of a young woman in
costume of a century ago, and at
her feet a man (clad in Elizabethan
doublet and hose) playing man
dolin. Weir was a New Yorker,
who studied abroad in Florence
and Rome. He and Mount were
members of the National Academy
of Design and for 40 years, Weir
was professor of drawing in the
Military Academy at West Point.
He is said to have excelled in "cabi-
net genre pictures among which
ION the Doorstep should be classi-
fed
Sculpture Reinstalled
The Corcoran Gallery has re-
opened one of the sculpture rooms
on the first floor which was closed
some time for reinstallation. Be-
sides many works previously on ex-
hibition, there are several which
will be new to the public, some be-
cause they have not been on view
for many years, and others which
have come to the gallery only re-
Gently.
Most important among the for
mer, by 10Th century American
sculptors, is an arresting granite
head of a woman, by William Rim
mer 1816-79), one Of the few sculp-
tors of his generation whose works
will probably survive, yet whose
career was a tragic one of frustra-
ton and neglect. He was physi-
clan in little settlement of quar-
rymen near the granite pits of
Quincy, Mass, and also had pa
tients in Brockton factories. The
Corcoran Gallery's bust was carved
direct in this native stone, one of
the few pieces so produced in that
day. 1t is said the artist wept with
physical and nervous exhaustion
while he worked on one of these.
But this head is among the few
serene works by him; many of his
sculptures and drawings are DOM
mated by tragic symbolism, accord
ing to Albert Gardner of the Metro
politan Museum, who did consider
able research on Rimmer a few
years ago. Rimmer, like Audubon,
was reputed to be of royal ancestry
(the lost dauphin).
A small marble statue by Horatlo
Stone 1808-1875) of Gen. Baker,
dressed in a costume incredibly
foolish to present-day eyes, lent to
the gallery years ago by Robert j.
Stevens. is again on view. Stone
was instrumental in organizing the
Washington Union Art Association
and indirectly brought about the
establishment of the Art Commis-
sion in 1859 under President Bu-
chanan, facilitating recognition for
individual artists working on the
decoration of the Capitol.
Pecent1y acnllired works are the