Soothing Still Lifes Huge Impressionist Exhibit at Phillips Shows Versatility, Beauty by Gary Tischler In any exhibition at The Phillips Collection, there are always echoes. The gallery is a revered and reflective sort of place. It reflects the tastes and vision of its founder, Duncan Phillips, and exhibitions tend to tunnel into the core collection, which is rooted in the modern, in impressionism and in post-impressionism and in great American painters who pioneered and flourished in those fields. In "Impressionist Still Life," a major exhibition of some 80 masterpieces, the echoes are loud but also musical. It is the last of three major Impressionist exhibitions at The Phillips, the previous two themes being, "Impressionists on the Seine" and "Impressionists in Winter." The exhibitions mix Phillipsí holdings with paintings from other institutions, lenders and individual collections. "Impressionist Still Life" is a major joint effort on the part of The Phillips Collection and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and brings together more than 80 works from 55 public and private collections around the world. Lenders include The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the J. Paul Getty Museum, t he MusÈe díOrsay and The Courtauld Institute Galleries of London. Even here, there was a ripple effect of the Sept. 11 tragedy, with four paintings that were en route to Washington, D.C., on that day forced to return to Europe. Although there have always been still life paintings, in the hands of the Impressionists, the genre was raised to a new level. Before the mid-19th century, the genre was relegated to the sidelines, well below landscapes, heroic and historic paintings and portraits in respect and importance. The Impressionists did something to the form. They elevated it, stripped it of its rules and expanded its subject. It may be that critical and historical focus has lapsed in Impressionist still lifeósuch a thought only adds to the importance of this exhibitionóbut it is hard to believe that the examples here have been ignored in their place in the history of painting. There are wonders rarely seen in the United States, including three startling and characteristic works by Vincent van Gogh, Renoirs that are vastly different from the almost clichÈ Renoirs we are used to, and a rich store of works by who many consider to be the master of the genreóPaul CÈzanne. "CÈzanne and his apples," said chief curator of The Phillips Collection Eliza Rathbone. "CÈzanneís apples are masterful, theyíre rich, there is nothing like them." One of the things about still lifes is the abundance of subject matter in this exhibition. Not just flowers, or a veritable banquet of peaches, and fruits, but also books, ballerina shoes, dead birds and fowl, silverware, table settings, glasses, dishes, pies, baskets, vases, utensils, wine bottles, oysters, bird cages, tureens and fish. There is a classic van Gogh here: the white roses with a green background on loan from the National Gallery of Art, where the painting is a bequest from the late Pamela Churchill Harriman. But there are also three highly unusual works: a dark brown still life of birdsí nests, a portrait of a pile of colored books and another of books with a plaster statuette and flower. One of the books is clearly identifiable as "Bel-ami," the novel by the hugely popular French fiction writer Guy de Maupassant. This is a rich exhibition that can certainly act as a balm in todayís turbulent times. ...douard Manetís flowers, his bouquet of violets, white peonies and two roses on a tablecloth can still move the heart. Is there anything more delicate, fragile and graceful than Berthe Morisotís "Tureen with Apple" or Eva GonzalÈsí ballerina shoes with a pink rose? Pierre-Auguste Renoirís picnic painting, with all its gaudy blue, red and yellow vitality is here, but who would have expected those stunning gold and orange onions from Renoir? Paul Gauguinís peaches glow in the dark, almost competing with CÈzanneís apples and peaches. Claude Monet also has his own peaches, the least modern of his works, echoing the forerunners without anticipating the future. This exhibition, huge, varied and beautiful, is truly a gift to soothe the soul and remind us of the versatility of the Impressionists. "Impressionist Still Life" will run through Jan. 13 at The Phillips Collection, 1600 21st St., NW, Washington, D.C. Gary Tischler is the arts writer for The Washington Diplomat.