Evening star., 1949-08-14
cries; a friend of Thayer's who

peries; q friend of Thayer's who
saw the painting in progress,
asked him why he had dressed
his son in discarded paint rags.
But Thayer painted these curious
garments, also the wings and
Greek robes of others Of his works.
because of their pleasing mass and
color. Close to the Virgin" in
appeal, is the Angel" in the Gel
latly collection lovely child in
her early teens. with an excep-
tionally pure and innocent face.
After Thayer's death in 1921, a
New York dealers gallery held an
exhibition of works from his
estate, from which was sold a
large half-draped figure to IAN
American collector" for the sum
Of $4,000, one of the highest
prices ever paid for an American
painting. The collector was Gel-
latly. and this impressive work is
among the others Of his gift.
In the spring Of 1922, big me-
mortal shows were held at the
Metropolitan Museum, New York,
and the Corcoran Gallery of Art.
Here were shown 43 works in oil,
and "a watercolors. from 20 gal
leries, dealers and private collec-
tors. Besides Washington's notable
Thayers, important examples are
owned by Bowdoin College, Bruns-
wick, Me-; the Worcester. Boston
and Cincinnati Museums. Smith
College and the Metropolitan
Museum.
Besides the many portraits of
his children and other relatives
and friends, some of these being
decorative works, there are
number Of landscapes in oil and
watercolor of Monadnock, and a
few places abroad and in Latin
America. There are also flower
studies; the visitor should note
particularly the exquisitely painted
pink and white Roses" in a pale
gray-blue bowl, all in subtle and
delicate tints.
In the lobby of the Natural His
tory Building, special exhibits are
displayed of Thayer's protective
coloration studies, and Of his in
f1uence on American art through
his students. Mr.. Beggs says that
each of these phases of Thayer's
work will be elaborated upon in
successive periods during the next
four months Of the centennial ex-
hibition's duration.
X y X
Washington Sculptors
The Large proportion OF new
work" anticipated in the exhibi-
ton of the Washington sculptor's
group at Chequire House, Alex
andria, did not materialize. The
show, which opened last week end,
comprises more than 20 works In
various materials, some shown in
the garden, others in the second
floor drawing room.
Russell Houston, president of
the group, is showing two works,
one Of them new: "Frustration."
This limestone block, primarily a
study in two textures, is an ex-
pressionistic sculpture likely to
bahie the public. In reply to in
quiry as to what he was endeavor-
ing to express in this work. Mr..
Houston said:
Illustration denotes the feel
ing OF hopeleSsness from forces
inside we cannot control, except
with Brain and heart, hence the
different textures" (rough-hewn
bands pressing against q smooth
surface. with primitive, incised
featureso IT experienced much
despair while overseas in the serv-
ices. this motivated my present
work. We are constantly troubled
with fear and other emotions, SYM
bolized by the rough parts"
There are new items in Sarah
Silberman's group of six sculptures
In stone, wood, and terra Gotta,
among them q sturdy Reclining
Nude" In antique oak. and a. slen-
der graceful "Caryatid."
The show ranges from sound
naturalistic work such as Kathe-
rine Hobbs "Bactrian Camel" and
"Barnaby's Monk" and Florence
Bessom Higgs' appealing groups of
children and animals, to abstrac-
tions by Jane Love, and Adella
Mills, whose abstract figure in
wood has q nice flow of line, rich
color and q surface that tempts
the touch. Robin Brant and Clare
Fontanini are represented with one
or Two works each.
This exhibition will remain an
other week,