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Show : SPMOllirS WAT10WAILLY FAMOUS Interpretation of Prominent Paintings Given by Critic Large Number of Portraits Attract Interest In This Year's Exhibit 1 By MAE HUNTINGTON "The beauty seen is partly in him who sees it." Bovee. "Nature contains the elements, in color and form, of all pictures, as the keyboard contains the notes of all music. "The artist is born to pick, and choose, and group with science these elements, that the result may be beautiful as the musician gathers his notes and forms his chords, until he brings forth from chaos glorious harmony." Degas. Among the thousands of interested visitors who have already seen the nineteenth annual art exhibit since its formal opening on March 29th, many have proclaimed it one of the best exhibits, ever seen at the school. The show as a whole is teeming with interest, in-terest, and offers sufficient variety to satisfy every taste. Henry Ward Ranger An. outstanding painting in this exhibit- is Henry Ward -Ranger's "The Hilltop" which comes to us from the Vose Gallery of Boston. Mr. Ranger is of special interest to patrons of the Springville Gallery, Gal-lery, since it was through the Ranger" fund that one of the finest fine-st paintings in our permanent collection, col-lection, Arthur Hill Gilbert's "Near Monterey" came into our possession. posses-sion. This fund consists of the bulk of Mr. Ranger's fortune left at his death to the National Academy Acade-my of Design for the purchase of paintings by American artists. These paintings are placed in various var-ious galleries throughout the United Un-ited States, and after a period of five years become the property 1 of the gallery in which they are placed. For his ability as an artist one has only to study Mr. Ranger's painting, "The Hilltop," to appreciate apprec-iate the virility and strength of his work. His colors are rich and subdued, and his sympathetic handling of his subject shows a love of nature in the country, which was almost a passion with him. Alexander Wyant Another painting of the old school is "Uplands In Summer" by Alexander Wyant, also from the Vose Gallery. It has been said that "the appeal in his work baffles baf-fles analysis until one becomes acquainted with the life of the man who could put so much into his interpretation of a simple landscape." land-scape." Though he began to paint when he was very young, it was not until he was twenty years old that he attended his first exhibition, exhibi-tion, where -he first picture to attract his attention was one by Inness. So hungry was he for help that he bundled up a number of his sketches and set out for New York City to consult Inness. Because Be-cause of the encouragement he received re-ceived from the great landscapist, he continued his studies at home until he was able to go ahead and study the works of the European masters. Stricken by paralysis at the age of 37 Wyant was forced to face the future with a useless right arm and legs so crippled that he was unable to walk. His sufferings and struggles during this period left a deep imprint, not only on the man, but on his alit. Charles Coffin says of him: "While suffering suf-fering may not be the only road to highest effort, it is one of them and the man who passes along it like a man, even if he cannot tread it, but must be carried, as in Wyant's case, is very apt to produce pro-duce something more han ordinarily ordin-arily appealing to the hearts of other men. Perhaps this, then, accounts for the fact that his paintings after his misfortune excelled those painted before; perhaps, too, for . the fact that autumn twilight was to him the most beautiful time and became his almost constant theme. " "Upland in Summer" was painted paint-ed in the Catskill Mts. It is a poetic interpretation of nature, and true to form, "his shades are never gloom and his sunshine is ever a benediction." J. H. Sharp J. H. Sharp, whose canvas, "Playing the Game" was last year's purchase is again represented represent-ed with three typical paintings portraying Taos Indians types, ".Chant of Vengence," perhaps the outstanding one of the group, portrays por-trays a chief of the "Peyote Clan," a clan of Taos Indians, many of whose members chew for medicine med-icine the peyote, a kind of drug like marihuana and betel nut, the product of a southwestern plant. While under the effects of this drug, they have visions of all kinds varing from the highly spiritual spir-itual to darkest gloom. The char-acer char-acer in this picture came one day to the artist's studio to pose, after af-ter using the drug most of the night. Hence the look of deep abstraction and reflection so cleverly clev-erly and understanding caught by Mr. Sharp and placed upon the canvas. Other paintings by this artist are 'At a Pueblo Window" and "Elk Foot." For more than 35 years Mr. Sharp has devoted almost his entire en-tire time to picturing the Indians. In 1900 eleven of his portraits of famous Indians were purchased by the United States government and placed in the Smithsonian Institute, In-stitute, Washington D. C. Two years later 80 of his Indian portraits por-traits and pictures of Indian life were purchased and placed In the University of California. The Cincinnati Cin-cinnati Art Museum owns three of his canvases; and he is also represented rep-resented in the Harron Art Institute, In-stitute, Indianapolis; the Butler Museum, Youngstown, Ohio; the Museum of Santa Fe; and the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas. Carl Lawless A popular exhibitor of several years standing is Carl Lawless of Mystic, Conn., whose three canvases can-vases are attracting considerable attention. This is especially true of his still life subject, "Shasta Daisies" painted from flowers raised by the artist In his attractive attrac-tive Mystic Harden, iwhere the raising of flowers Is his hobby. Simplicity of design, richness of texture, freedom from unnecessary detail emphasize the light and freshness of the out-of-doors and reveal the artist's enthusiasm for portraying nature in her most glowing colors. For his landscapes, "Voice of Winter" and "January," Mr. Law-( Law-( Continued on Page 8, Sec. 1) Sucking your thumb in that pensive pen-sive way! Marcia Short. "Ruddy Age" is Fera Webber Shear's contribution to the group of figure paintings. Mrs. Shear delights in knowing and painting unusual types, and the model for this portrait is a very interesting character. He was Irish and had an extremely ruddy complexion. While being painted he objected very much to the high color in his cheeks, said he prefered to be poetically pale, and wanted to he painted so in his picture. His eyes are of special interest, as he was left of the picture, and the other totally blind in the eye to the eye was partially blind. But the thing that makes the painting out-the out-the artist by her subtle power has the artist by her subtile power has been able to transfer to her canvas. can-vas. Deep insight into the soul of her model, interpretation of his character, and unusual skill in in much more somber tones, she has produced a result eually charming, for she has revealed clearly the refinement and culture cul-ture which are characteristic of the young foreign miss. Miss Yu is in America studying to become a doctor with the idea of returning to her native land to practice medicine. med-icine. This painting was first exhibited ex-hibited in the National Academy of Design in New York City, was hung on the line in the Vander-bilt Vander-bilt Gallery, and afterwards received re-ceived the portrait prize at the Women Painters and Sculptor's annual exhibition in New York. Jane Freeman, considered one of the best women painters in America, has chosen as her character charac-ter study in "The Reluctant Rhyme," the poet, Marcia Short, whose poems have been set to music and sung by distinguished concert singers. As she sat posing for Miss Freeman one morning h tniH a child she had seen Interpretation Of Paintings Given By Critic (Continued from Page One) less chose as his setting the Gioen Mts. of Vermont where he goes for his snow scenes, the Green Mountains, as he says, being "a particular joy to the landscape painter." Mr. Lawless has been awarded most of the coveted art prizes, being winner of the first Hallgar-ten Hallgar-ten prize in 192 7 and also being represented in many of the country's leading galleries. Interesting Portraits There are more than the usual number of interesting portraits in this year's show. Sidney E. Dickinson, Dick-inson, whose painting "The Dancer", Dan-cer", was a universal favorite two vears ago. is this year represented In one equally strong, "Portrait of Montgomery Fayette." It is characterized by his usual bold technique, achieving striking results re-sults in the use of highlights and shadows. Miss Yu of Peking is the subject sub-ject of two paintings, both artists of the Carnegie Hall group. Constance Con-stance Curtis has pictured this i charming Chinese girl of the up- ! per class in character, surrounded by the imperial yellow of her na-; na-; tive land, and using as a back- ' ground a bit of tapestry embroid- ered by the girl herself. The beautiful beau-tiful ceremonial headdress is authentic, au-thentic, a Chinese import, and very elaborate with little mirrors, shells, llowers, and beads. While Maria J. Strean has chosen chos-en to portray the same character, on the bus on her way to the studio; and the artist caught the'i charm of her thought and transferred trans-ferred to canvas, the idea of what Miss Short expressed in these words: Four Years Old Gretchen, child with the shining hair, Sucking your thumb with a pen-' pen-' sive air! Sea-blue eyes, and a nose tip-tilt, tip-tilt, Lisping voice with a bird-like lilt! Some day you'll be weary, and wise and old. Time will tarnish you pig-tails' gold. But I'll see you still as you are today transferring mat lnieryreLaLiuu lu canvas make this portrait one that will arrest the attention and call one back to study in time afer time. Mrs. Shear has also two still life paintings in the show, "Sunflowers" "Sun-flowers" and "Anemones." J. Eliot Enneking A notable feature of this year's exhibition it the gift of a painting by J. Eliot Enneking of Brook-line, Brook-line, Mass. in memory of his father, fa-ther, J. J. Enneking. Of the three paintings sent for the exhibition, "Bindloss Pond," "An Old Home-stead"and Home-stead"and Road to the Village," he desires the boys and girls to make a choice of the one to remain as part of the school's permanent collection. The voting will take place the latter part of April and the choice made known at the unveiling un-veiling exercises on April 30th. Mr. Enneklng's account of his life is an especially interesting one. He says that after having been thrown out of every school he ever attended, hisparents in sheer desperation advised him to study art. That, however, was the last thing the boy wanted to do. It was his ambition to become a ball player, but an injury to his knee thwarted that desire, and he drifted into the field of art, first as an illustrator. His love of color was too great for him to be satisfied with that, and he began painting portraits. Finding the task of pleasing his subjects too great he gave that up and turned his attention to his heart's desire, the painting of landscapes. In this line he has found great satisfaction, satisfac-tion, and success has been his. He has made the New England scene live; a feeling of peace and contentment permeates his happy canvases. His work is characterized characteriz-ed by a brisk freshness, vivid but restrained color, always with a sense of steadiness, a balance. One critic says of him, "Dipping his brush in a pot of sunshine seems to be his happy faculty." By Mae Huntington. |