International studio (30.1906/1907(1907))

T-Square Exhibition


SKETCHES EOR SAN FRANCISCO D. H. BURNHAM, ARCHITECT
PRESIDIO . DRAWING BY E. H. BENNETT
\

the exhibition, they were atoned for in that which
was given up to the work of the mural painters. In
no other branch of art has America in recent years
made larger contribution. The Library of Congress
was only finished in 1897, and it was one °f tlie
first public buildings which mural painters adorned.
Its interior decoration was in a measure an experi-
ment, but one which has proved far-reaching in its
effect. It did not create ability, but furnished oppor-
tunity, and this was all that was needed. For years
before the great library was even planned, Mr. John
La Farge and some others had been giving the mat-
ter consideration and helping to pave the way for
the later comers. It was, therefore, peculiarly in-
teresting to find in this exhibition not only photo-
graphs of important finished work, but preliminary
studies made by the foremost painters for its execu-
tion. It was worth much to be able to become ac-
quainted with the artists’ methods of working, and
to learn how much care and thought went into the
completed paintings.
One large wall panel was occupied by a collection
of work by Mr. La Farge, including sketches, water
colours and oil paintings, designs for windows and
for wall spaces, each exquisitely drawn and mi-
nutely studied. Another—the entire end of the large
main gallery—was given to Mr. E. H. Blashfield’s
work, and showed, besides photographs of his deco-
rations in the Iowa State Capitol, Baltimore Court
House, Minnesota Capitol and Citizens’ Bank of

Cleveland, studies for decorations in the Church of
the Saviour, Philadelphia, for Mr. Adolph Lewis-
sohn’s residence and the Essex County Court
House.
The entire series of mural paintings made by
Miss Violet Oakley for the Pennsylvania Capitol
were shown by photographs, as were Mr. Kenyon
Cox’s lunettes for the Minnesota State House. Mr.
Van Ingen was also ably represented, and both
A. B. Wenzell and Everett Shinn, who are prob-
ably better known as illustrators than mural paint-
ers, made excellent contributions. Mr. Karl New-
man showed a large, colourful, but otherwise unat-
tractive, study for a ceiling decoration; Mr. H. B.
Fuller, a panel delightful in feeling, but immature
in treatment; and Mr. Robert Reid, a composition
which was pleasing, but neither appealing nor insist-
ent. Again, one might have been tempted to com-
plain of the generosity of the feast while appreciat-
ing gratefully its bounty; for, turning from the wall
paintings, which offered large reward for study, one
was confronted by many designs for coloured glass
windows which naturally merited close scrutiny.
Some of these were admirable, but a number seemed
to lack strength and simplicity—to be more truly
pictures translated into window shapes than de-
signs made for glass with a knowledge and under-
standing of its prerogatives and limitations.
In order to encourage the trades in artistic pro-
duction, contributions in the way of electroliers,

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