A number of the small but fine paintings by the European masters of our century, seen last summer at the Edgardo Acosta Gallery, are again included in its “Christmas Exhibit.” Featured is a “Landscape” (1924–25) by de Vlaminck, but still available are Braque’s “Still Life with Pitcher” (1943), an oil and a watercolor by Dufy, two gouache and watercolor pieces by Chagall and Severini’s “Le Cygne Noir” (1952). More contemporary are works by Antoni Clave and Claude Venard whose “Locomotive,” although low in color key and less shocking, bears some of the “sophisticated cartoon” qualities of Dubuffet’s work of the ’40s. There are a number of lesser artists. A rather nice “Landscape” (1956) by Paul Rebeyrolle is essentially non-objective; Emile Grau-Sala’s “Femme et Nature Morte” is an interesting variation of a more traditional theme; Jean Busquets represents the primitive painters. A limited number of prints (mostly color lithographs) by Braque, de Vlaminck, Toulouse-Lautrec and the like are nicely presented. The most unusual offering comes in the form of a series of six sculptured hands by Rodin. Cast in bronze (numbered 12 in a series of 12) these life-size pieces are both highly descriptive and excellent examples of Rodin’s Realist-Impressionist surface modeling.

—Constance Perkins