THE FACE OF FAITH

Frank Brangwyn, the English artist whose exhibition followed that of the more popular and better advertised Zuloaga at the Vose Galleries last winter, seeks a human likeness to his conception of Christ. A short while ago the original model, an Italian ice cream vendor, died. Since then the artist has searched Europe in vain for one to take his place. This painting of the Christ was to be the great achievement, crowning all others, which was to complete Mr. Branwyn's artistic career. And now it is doomed to remain without a face. For nowhere can he find features with sufficient spirituality to render them of use in his work. Advertisements bring no rewards, all search is vain. Europe, to all intents and purposes, is without the face of a Christ.

And to any but the casual thinker this has certain rather unpleasant implications. Either Mr. Brangwyn asks too much of a human face or life asks too little. Of course the belief that man's character lies revealed upon his face has long been shown false. Yet the spiritual power in a man, be it sufficiently great, does penetrate to the surface. Too few today evince any such power. The hard straight lines of an iron age have marked its men. Only among the hills or upon the plains where the world still seems but an unnecessary preface to the heavens can the face of a man take on the spirituality of a Christ. Mr. Brangwyn may find his model there. If he cannot, he has cut deep into the flesh of modern pride.