International studio (60.1916/1917)

A Group of American Etchers

according to your taste and point of view—who
are entitled to sit in the high places. This article
will not undertake to name even nineteen of them.
The American Institute of Graphic Arts is com-
posed of men actively concerned with printing and
its allied occupations. It has to its credit the
record of some excellent exhibitions of wood en-
graving, printing and other arts. This year it
responds to the growing interest in etching. The
exhibition will be held in the galleries of the
National Arts Club, New
York, opening February
28 and continuing about
a month. Adding to
quality—of which, as
said before, a good pro¬
portion is assured—the
quantity for which the
National Arts galleries
have space, this exhibi¬
tion should be imposing.
After its close in New
York, the exhibition is to
be taken to Pittsburgh,
opening in April in the
Carnegie Institute. The
Pittsburgh Art Club,
sponsor for the exhibi¬
tion in its city, is en¬
trusted with the expen¬
diture of an income from
the Russell Hewlett
Foundation, which
income is used for
the advancement of art.
The etching exhibition
represents this year’s ob¬
servance of the fund’s
purpose.
In Philadelphia the
renaissance of interest in
the art has found form
in the Print Club. Mr.
and Mrs. Jasper Y. Brin-
ton, its founders, paved the way for it by exhibi-
tions which they have assembled and conducted
during the two years past. That of 1915 was
housed in their home, last year’s in the Philadel-
phia Art Club. These people, impressed some
years ago that American etching was not duly
appreciated, generously set to work to bring it to
light. To that purpose they have given unspar-

ingly of their time and energy, with visible and
gratifying results. The Print Club is devised to
afford collectors facilities for the study of the art,
and for the selection and purchase of prints. It
also keeps on hand a stock of prints accessible to
the purchasing public, and plans to give an annual
exhibition of American work.
Though the annual exhibition of The Chicago
Society of Etchers is not in the list of the season’s
new undertakings, no review of conditions can
omit a mention of its
influence. By practical
process-demonstration as
an accompaniment to ex-
hibitions it has spread
intelligent appreciation
of the essential beauties
of the medium. Its big
annual showing in the
Art Institute is supple-
mented by a schedule of
rotary exhibitions in
other cities over a wide
range of territory. Its
organizer, secretary and
active principle is Mrs.
Bertha Jaques. Only
that little band of mar-
tyrs to the detail of ex-
hibitions can know the
extent to which etchers
and lovers of the art are
indebted to her. The
San Francisco Society of
Etchers is among the
active forces. Last fall’s
exhibition of the New
York society in the Mon-
tross gallery, furnished
one of the many meas-
ures of the growing inter-
est. The part played by
water-colour societies,
which in general have
given etching a little sister’s place at the table,
during years when she had no other table to sit
at, require no detailed consideration.
Latest of all comes the announcement that the
Friends of Young Artists will give etching a hand.
Doubtless there are etchers, otherwise friendless,
who approach the copper plate with an apprecia-
tion of the possibilities and responsibilities at-

FRAGMENTS OF THE OSTRICH, MONTEREY
BY ERNEST HASKELL


CXXIV