Evening star., 1951-11-04
Andersen Of the Brush

do you believe in fairies?"
When an actress playing Peter
Pan some years ago, came to the
lfootlights and asked this question.
the audience responded with re-
sounding "YeSl"
| All who fall under the spell of
a fairy tale, even If only at infre-
iquent intervals, will be enchanted
with the Motifs Aquare1les" by
Baron Ernst Won Maydell. an ex-
Inhibition of which opened at the
Corcoran Gallery early the past
week, to remain through Mo-
IVember.
The artist depicts with a minia-
turist's precision, flowers and
vegetables, insects and fish, all
the little creatures Of wood. field
and stream, which compose an
enchanted world for the young.
Baron Maydell paints these with
an attention to scientific exacti-
Itude which would win the ap-
proval Of entomologists and bot
anists, and at the same time, with
his poetic imagination. turns them
into exquisite fantasies. He is
called "the Hans Christian Ander-
sen Of the paint brush" because
he approaches painting with a
spirit akin to that of the writer.
not because he illustrates Ander-
sens work.
Here are Romeo and Juliet" ="
butterfly lovers whose balcony
scene is enacted on q Gala lily;
Carmen" dancing in red ger
anium petals on q branch Of the
flower, while below, Sir Walter
spreads a fallen petal cloak for
Queen, Elizabeth; "Susannah and
the Elders" (two bulging-eyed
frogs): Don Quixote and the
faithful. plodding Sancho: and
many others. in the collection of
40 watercolors, having here their
first presentation in the United
States.
! Twenty years ago. the Baron's
first collection was shown at the
Corcoran and received enthusias-
tic acclaim. A group of these
paintings does not last long.
Examples are acquired by muse
ums and private collectors. as soon
as the artist completes them. A
number Of well-known Washing
tonians own one or more.
In Many Translations.
Besides the paintings by Baron
Maydell, there is an exhibition of
more than 100 volumes of Ander-
sens work translated into many
languages, portraits of him and
miscellaneous items, such as the
| fiower-decked vanity he gave to
Jenny Lind. All of these have
been lent by Brryman Ridges, a
world traveller and connoisseur Of
art. who met the baron and his
wife nearly 80 years ago, and
thought so highly of the paintings
that he became the artists link
with America. CThe Maydells have
never been to the United States.)
Mr.. Ridges arranged the 1881 ex-
hibition at the Corcoran, and
others throughout the country
since then. He also lectures ex-
Itensively the gave a program at
the Washington Club in 1886 and
will speak on Andersen at the
Corcoran next Friday evening,
November 9. at $50 o'clock. This
Illustrated lecture is open to the
public.
Baron Maydell, q White Rus
sian born in Esthonia (l884) of
titled parents. fought with Russia
when the first World War broke.
later with the British Air Forces.
A refugee after the Bolshevist rev.
olution, he and his wife were liv-
ing in the Bavarian Alps in 1920,
penniless and disheartened, and
both were suffering from tubercu-
losis. He decorated cheap pottery
for a living, and drew his little
fantasies of mountain flowers and
insects. for his own diversion. His
first painting is shown here done