Kenneth Stubbs
(American artist, 1907-1967)

photograph of the artist
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Versatile Artist

Kenneth Stubbs, whose retrospective at George Washington University's library is the first of its 1951-52 series of exhibitions planned by John Russell Mason, librarian and curator of art, is an artist of several gifts. His collection of more than 30 works (covering about a decade) is fairly evenly divided between oil paintings, watercolors and drawings. In addition to working industriously in these media, he teaches them at the Corcoran School, having been a member of its faculty since 1935. For the past decade he has also taught at George Washington University under its co-operative plan for education in the fine arts with Corcoran, except for three years (1942-1945) when he served in the Navy. Since then, he has planned and written educational films and is now writing motion picture scripts, while continuing to teach and paint, and has further found time to illustrate a book, "Chess Secrets" by Edward Lasker.

In view of this varied if not hectic activity, it is not surprising that Mr. Stubbs has steered clear of ruts. He is showing both traditional and modern paintings, some in bold primary color schemes, others delicate and subdued. He is versatile, too, in choice of subjects: Portraits and figures, landscapes and urban scenes, architecture and interiors.

Mr. Stubbs does most of his experimenting in oils, simplifying and angularizing his forms and painting them in areas of bright, clear color. One of the best of these is "Trio" (musicians).

He and his wife toured Italy and France two years ago, sketching and making a study of Italian Renaissance art. Some of the most appealing paintings and drawings in the current display are fruits of that trip: "Pirate's Retreat, Positano," "Arno Facades," "Ponte Vecchio" and two charming water colors from Avignon.

Florence S. Berryman, Washington Star, October 14, 1951, page C-11