Evening star., 1949-02-13
Art
Annual Exhibition
of Miniatures
Opens at National
By Florence 5. Bsrryman

By Florence 5. BsrrymaH
Washingtonians who made the
rounds of new openings last Sum-
day afternoon found plenty Of
variety. ranging from the hard
core Of traditionalism in tho 18th
annual exhibition Of the Nina
ture Painters. Sculptors and
Gravers' Society at the National
Museum (to remain through
February 2D and Greta Kemp
tons collection of portraits at the
Corcoran Gallery, to the Phillips
Gallery's display Of its new Braque
and its special exhibition OF
French prints from Daumier to
Matisse, and the contemporary
Cuban paintings at Watkins Gal
lery. American University. boldly
colorful and uninhibited.
In world changing too rapidly
for some Of us. the miniature an
nual is a great comfort. It always
looks the same. although the
works displayed each year are
new. Exquisite craftsmanship and
technical competence are high. the
exhibits are small In size, inviting
close and intimate inspection, and
their character Is conservative
The membership Is limited to q
small group (under 20) Of resi-
dents Of the District Of Columbia: /:
associate membership Is unlimited.
The annual exhibition is open
to all artists working in minia-
ture throughout the country. Sixty
artists are represented, only II Of
them members. Nearly 10 are
Washington area artists (the Dis
trict of Columbia, Alexandria, Ar
lington. Chevy Chase, Bethesda
and Silver Spring.. New York,
Rhode Island. Connecticut, Massa-
chusetts, Pennsylvania. New Jer-
sey, Florida. Tennessee, Michigan,
New Mexico and California have
sent from l to 6 artists works.
More than $50 in many media,
occupy only one bay. The
show is about the same size
rs usual, but it looks smaller be-
cause it is not companioned by the
Water Color Club or the Society
Of Washington Artists, as In for
mer years.
Rosina Cox Boardman's three
portrait miniatures on ivory are
superb. They are the type Of work
many Of us instinctively think Of.
when we hear the word "minia-
ture." Edith Hills little portrait
of Mrs. Douglas Reed is another
exquisite work, and Jerry Quier
employed the same medium for
his landscapes.
Miniature etchings Of distinc-
,tion include John Taylor Arms
trio. notably the one Of Chartres:
Edwin Cassedy's little landscapes;
Benson Moore's birds in color;
Reynold Weidenaar's combination
six Ways to Draw on Copper;
and Minnie Raul's color etching
of dogwood. Beatrice Field shows
outstanding miniature pencil
drawings.
Among many charming little
oil paintings are Jessie Conklin's
Anchorage" Yvonne Cosby's
"Old Nantucket" "Old Town" by
Jack Gfue, As rich =, as enamel.
Minor Jan1esor1's poetic little
landscapes. George Lear's group.
Ruel p. Tolman's nocturnes and
Nelly NICK. Tolman's little view.
(Mr. Tolman is now president Of
the Society)
Admirable miniature water color
paintings are too numerous to
mention more than q few: Por-
traits by Mona Jordan and Mil
dred Taggart. landscapes by Roy
Clark and Mignon Atchison. n
luminations with jewel-like bor-
ders and initial letters are seldom
seen. Those in the present show,
by Marian U. M. Lane are so
beautifully done that they would
stand out in a large group show
Of such work; the only other en-
tries in this medium are several
by Kenneth Bergeron, appealing
both as to form and content.
Miss Lane is also greatly gifted
in bookbinding. but has entered
nothing in that field, In which
honors of the show go to George
Scheirer, who used to study with
her. A single wax portrait Is the
delightful one Of Sonora Orlando
Ortez by Ruth Burke.
Sculpture in bronze. wood and
glazed ceramics fills two cases with
covetable little works. Eleanor
Cox shows objects in two media,
beautifully executed. Ralph
Humes' three bronzes accurately
depict baby birds and a tree snail.
Kathleen Wheeler's clean-cut
horses and fox-hounds, Beatrice
Wheelock'S flock of ducks in differ