ART AND ARCHAEOLOGY 
the magic of a great student and 
craftsman. 
Dewing drew with Lefebvre, and he 
became so fine a draughtsman that it is 
known he might have received the Prix 
de Rome had he been a Frenchman. 
This demonstrates that this artist did 
not spurn academic knowledge, but 
absorbed as much of it as he could, 
trusting in his own vision to give him 
matured individuality. Some early 
pictures, such as the Sorcerer's Slave 
and others, which must have been 
painted soon after his return to 
America, show figures amid classic 
backgrounds which foreshadow in their 
unusual finish the consistent perfection 
of his later more individual work. 
Early in his painting, we find the same 
love of elegance and the same con¬ 
tentment with a simple theme. In 
these simple themes lurked for him 
infinite possibilities. His work has 
always had rare finish, which reminds 
us of Abbott Thayer’s remark: “Finish 
—that quality impossible to the ama¬ 
teur’’. Dewing’s painting has a finish 
which is not fussiness, a perfection 
which is not prettiness. 
The characteristic theme of this 
artist is an idealization of a certain type 
of woman in her natural environment. 
That this woman should be highly 
civilized and that her surroundings 
should be aristocratic, have as much or 
as little to do with the greatness of his 
art as with any choice of subject by any 
painter. He has been interested in 
these things as have many other artists. 
But his vision, and not the subjects 
themselves, has made them peculiarly 
significant. Dewing was ever a poet. 
He has delved deep into the mysteries 
which create beauty. His work is so 
restrained and delicate that the least 
false note would dispel its illusion as 
would a touch upon an iridescent 
bubble. Thus we find that his women 
are never pretty. They are often 
beautiful in a dignified way, but fre¬ 
quently slim and tenuous—rarely 
physically robust. This has often been 
questioned, but in it lies the key to 
Dewing’s unique place in art. Many 
Girl with Lute. By Thomas W. Dewing. In the 
Freer Gallery oe Art. 
figure-painters master the superficial 
aspects of nature, and at times adhere 
to the letter of the art of many masters. 
An emulation of Vermeer is frequently 
attempted, but the spirit seems always 
to be missing. Dewing’s art has the 
spirit of all that is good in the work of 
the masters of genre painting, but his 
work exists naturally in relation to its 
time and surroundings with no strain¬ 
ing for effect. Vermeer’s women, 
although robust, are seldom pretty. 
Dewing’s ladies are slim and not con- 
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