Evening star., 1953-05-17
Art News
PenneN Show
At Library
By Florence S. Berrymon

NAS@~ oAAO"B OPClACA dt b11C III.
brary Of Congress May / to
remain through July. It is
sponsored by the Library each
year in memory of the artist
Joseph Pennell. whose bequest
made it possible. This years
show is composed of 201 prints
(by as many artists selected
from 1,148 entries Gall exc
cuted since March /, 1882
submitted by 524 artists from
81 States. the District of Co
lumbia, Hawaii, Canada, Cuba
and Mexico. It is installed in
cases in the north, south and
west galleries on the first floor
Of the main building.
The current Pennell show
has a predominantly tradition
al character, although at least
two-f1fths of the prints are
either abstract, non-objective
or in some other modern idiom.
Nevertheless, it is definitely
conservative in appearance,
when compared to such print
ANNALS as that Of, the Brook
lyn Museum.
This years Pennell show was
selected by a jury composed Of
three nationally distinguished
printmakers, Grace A. Albee,
wood engraver; Victoria Hut
son Huntley, photographer, and
John E. Costigan, etcher. All
are conservatives in their own
work. (Mrs. Albee's beautiful
entry, "Old Wood" is illus
trated above.) Their selec-
tions represent a cross section
of the various printmaking
techniques.
Mony Block Prints
That of block prints is the
largest - 70 wood engravings,
woodcuts and linoleum cuts.
Intaglio print techniques COM
prise the second largest group
so etchings, engravings, and
prints made by other metal
plate processes. There are also
SIS Autographs, Is serigraphs
and monotype. One-third of
all the prints on view are in
color, which was in every case
applied to the block or plate.
Prints colored after printing
are ineligible, along with
photographs and drawings.
Intended to be an interna-
tional show. the Pennell ex-
hibition has been predomi-
nantly American. This year
the Library made special ef-
fort to obtain entries from
printmakers in Mexico and
Cuba as a step toward ex-
pansion Twenty-six prints
(the majority in black and
White) from Mexico are ex-
hibited as a unit Gin the south
gallery. It includes the works
of two Americans now living
in Mexico. This group of prints
from south of the border is
definitely conservative, giving
a very different picture of
Mexican graphic arts from the
prints shown at the Pan Amer
ican Union.
Washington area artists rep
resented are Samuel Bookatz
with a lithographic portrait Of
a youth. a fine type; Lucille
Evans. an abstract lithograph
Listeners; Jacob Kainen,
with his outline etching Read
ing in Bed; Carlos Sierra
Franco (Alexandria) an alb
stract linoleum cut, Sorrow:
and Prentiss Taylor, Arlington,
lithotint "The Sleep Shade"
From 100 Cities
Besides the District of CO.
lumbia and Mexico, there are
prints from nearly 100 cities
in q States, Maine to Cali
fornia, Michigan to Texas.
also from Cuba, Hawaii and
France. The technical skill
and fine craftsmanship of the
great majority of these prints,
variety of subject matter, and
the beauty of many of them.
make the Pennell show this
year, as in former years, one
of the seasons outstanding
events.
Later. the permanent COM
mittee for purchase under the
Pennell fund, composed of
Alice Lee Parker, acting chief
of the Library's Prints and
Photographs Division, John
Taylor Arms, etcher. and Stow
Wengenroth, photographer, will
select prints from the current
exhibition, to be added to the
Penne1l collection