Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1948-08-15
A\rt
Heroes of : Wars
Share Glory at
National Museum
BY Florence S. Berrymon

officers and men who distinguished
themselves In World Wars I and II
are represented in the collection of
portraits by Joseph Cummings
Chase, recently opened in the foyer
of the Natural History Building,
United States National Museum, to
remain through August 20. The so
World War portraits belong to the
Division OF History, having been
presented by individuals and groups
identified on the name plates. If or
when the United States builds a
National Portrait Gallery, project
long cherished by many art lovers
and museum officials, these portraits
will doubtless become q part Of it,
along with others in the National
Museum and some In the National
Gallery Of Art
The World War II portraits, Just
completed, which before coming
here were exhibited in Radio Gen.
ter, New York, belong to the artist,
who I understand has expressed a
desire to present them to the Ma
tional Museum, to supplement the
earlier group.
Sureness and Variety.
Ninety-odd oil portraits Of men in
uniform sound rather monotonous.
Consequently was surprised at the
variety Mr.. Chase had achieved
through many different poses and
gestures. The portraits are mostly
half-length, and appear to be about
thirds life-size. The heads are
carefully and fully done, while the
figures in uniform are indicated
sketchily, but with q sureness of
touch that suggests the bone con-
struction under the cloth. There is
spontaneity and verve throughout
the show, the animation caught by
an artist who knew what he was
doing, but had to work under pres
sure and secure his subject in one
60. or fail.
Mr.. Chase has long been sue
ceSsful portrait painter. as we'll as
designer, writer. lecturer and art
educator. Born in Maine 10 years
ago. he studied at Pratt Institute,
Brooklyn: the Pennsylvania Acad-
envy OF Fine Arts and Julian Acad-
envy, Paris, under Jean Paul Lau-
rens. For nearly 20 years he has
been chairman of the art depart
ment of Hunter College, New York.
Before that, he was on the faculty
of Cooper Union.
Painting Elusive Sitters.
In 1918 Mr.. Chase was sent to
Europe by the Government to paint
portraits of officers and doughboys
in the American Expeditionary
Forces. This mission" occupied the |
latter part of World War I and
three months after the armistice.
Mr.. Chase drove 1000 miles around
the front, chasing elusive generals
and exceptionally heroic doughboys
and returned home with 140 por
traits. He related his experiences in
the last chapter of The Romance
of an Art Career published 1927,
one of eight Or nine books he has
written 1t is full of chatty anec-
dotes about many famous people
who had sat for him up to that
time and is readable and interest
ing throughout. /
Two portraits Of Pershing have
the most conspicuous place in the
current show. One was painted in
Chaumont toward the end of the
Argonne offensive, showing the gen.
eral serious. anxious, old and tired.
The other was done early in 1919,
at the Ogden Mills house in Paris.
In this portrait Pershing looks
younger, relaxed and cheerful At
the end of three-hour sitting
during which 10 Davidson, sculp-
tor, simultaneously made a bust Of
the American LEADER Pershing
studied the completed portrait. and
said, That's the way it is-just as
] am. I think 1t must be the best
OF your series Many visitors to
the current show who remember
Pershing as he was 80 years ago,
will doubtless agree that 1t is an
excellent likeness. /
I wish I could say as much for the
two portraits of Eisenhower. Mr..
Chase failed, it seems to me, to cap
ture the indeflnable something that
gives Eisenhower his unique indi-
viduality. Gen. Marshall, on the
other hand, has been successfully
portrayed in one Of his moods. 1t Is
interesting, too, to see portrait Of
young Macarthur in the World
War I series, and . second one as
he Is today.
Mr.. Chase paints as he did 30
years ago. Hence the two groups of
portraits would betray no evidence
of the decades between them. were
1t not for the subjects. Neither
group is superior to the other in
characterize types, or in presenta-
ton.
Displaying the World War I COL