The New York herald., 1872-12-21
ARTISTS AT WORK.
Preparations for the Spring
Exhibitions.
Studios and Ateliers Brimming
with Professional Business.

little bee OF whom the playful emendator Of DR..
Watts remarked that 1t gathers honey all the day
and eats II all the night The artist gathers art
honey all Summer and feeds upon 1t during the
frosty months. In no other profession is one por-
tOn OF the year exclusively devoted to acquiring
the material for labor and the other portions
lentlessly mOnOpolized IN making valuable use OF
that material. The artist lives out OF doors during
Summer and Autumn that he may to the better adj
vantage work In doors when the cold months come
and Winter wraps the landscapes up in white
and draws her veil over ornament and field Sell
dom or never have our artists been buster than
they now are. The ateiers brim with studies
glowing with the freshness OF the Summer and
Autumn which have just elapsed The greater pro-
portion OF the memoranda made by more
prominent painters possess originality and
vitality which win enter into the composition OF
many picture now in it's initiatorv, stages The
following list does not pretend to be full one, but
VIII be found correct 30 far as 1t gOes:-
DAVID JOHNSON.
Two pictures are engaging the attention OF this
artist. One is view OF COlwell, Lake George, no.
ticeable for the delicious quality OF its grays The
other Is . scene on F0urteen-Mie Island. The first
is a commission and derives tinge OF historical
interest from the fact that portion Of the OF
old Fort George occupies the foreground Both OF
these pictures to be reproduced hereafter ON
an extended scale.
FROST JOHNSON
Is prOntably occupied with several pieces OF stl
life which principally kable for their rich
and subtle contrasts OF color. NINETY two In the
Shaden ID the somewhat equivocal title of q just
completed picture representing a common street
corner scene in one Of the proletarian sections OF
New York during Summer day. An average group
stands around street fountain-a laborer mop.
a wi ha hv
newsbOy shouting the HERALD, demoralized dog
quenching his thirst The dog is too unconventional
to please the AVERAGE customer, and Mr.. Johnson
tends to commit the mistake OF effacing him and
painting in some sleek and proper and wholly un-
interesting nOnentity. The artists studies in
heads, mostly taken abroad are unique They are
simply studies OF colOration from nature and unite
individuality or color with strength OF effect Mrs.
Frost Johnson Is busy q theme which illustrates
an idea borrowed from the late Nathaniel Haw-
thorne's ''M0sses from an old Manse."
WILLIAM HART
Ii pursuing with enthusiasm his new discovery
made during his Summer absence, In regard to the
application Of positive whte-a discovery which
Turner made for himself long ago, and which may
be said to be the keynote to color All OF Mr.. Will
liam Hart's future pictures will be painted accord
ing to this standard. The latest specimen to which
he is now putting the nna touches, is 1.-THE Break
ing Up Of Cloudy Day. the locality whence the
material was derived being Cape Elizabeth. The
light green OF the sea and the tender blue Of the
sky are exquisitely blended. "A Scene on the
Ausable" Is Q complete song in color, the warm
rich, passionate hues Of Autumn Deing compared
and cOntrasted with Q taste and touch that are
simply lyrical In their nneness and melody. Mr..
Hart brought home from his Summer jaunt
twenty-five thirty studies wonderful for their
brilliant vivactty and passing with the ordinary
amateur for finished pictures.
j. r. BREvOORT.
Three or four pictures Just finished or finishing
are found upon the easels of Mr.. BrevOort. The
scenes are principally taken from Pennington,
Conn. Lights and Shadows OF Summer Day"
and "Autumnal Rain" are in the last stage
OF completion. In the first t-mentioned the
sentiment is tnat of pensve serenity and
the canvas is crowded with rich greens. In the
other gloomy day OF october rain is indicated-a
subject for which Mr. Brevoort seems to have
peculiar sympathy. The foliage lacks those vivid
and surprising contrasts for which the American
Autumn is famous, the distant hills are murky,
and the feeling of loneliness and desolation Is re-
heved by the presence OF but solitary figure.
third picture, just finished, and entitled "NOvem-
ber." lett Mr.. Brevoorts study only day or two
ago. and occupies place In the rooms OF the
Young Mems Christian Association. The view was
taken OF Gloucester shore, Mass.
LOUIS c. TIFFANY.
This artist recently ended q residence OF many
months In and near Tangiers Morocco and brought
back with him many picturesque and useful
studies. Some of these have been used for COM
position, and Mr.. Tiany's easels full OF progress
ing works 'Outsde of the Prison at Tangiers"
Is one Of the largest pictures OF the kind ever
painted in this country 1t is IN water coors, and
will ha ayhi tod Inv ma
Water Color Society. 1t contains about twenty
figures and Is principally noticeable for the ac-
curacy with which 1t indicates the fanciful and
picturesque ensemble OF the people and locality.
or less interest than this are "a Street Scene in
Tangiers," two Moorish figures and "Ne Boats"
all in very imperfect condition.
R. SWAIN CLIFFORD
is surrounded with studies taken at and near Cairo
and most OF these memoranda enter into the pic
lures he has lately painted or is painting. "The
Approach to Cairo" represents two canels bearing
burdens, outside the walls The atmosphere has
that particularly hazy effect which is due to the air
being full OF brilliant dust particles In incessant
motion. Another picture is the "Roser Battery at
Gibraltar" which Will be completed in three weeks.
third represents OF the principal fountains in
Cairo, surrounded by a representative group long
on mats and smoking pipes-beggars, watercar-
riers, and the conventional Cairo ''merchantn who
does the bookkeeping for all the shopkeepers in his
neighborhood. 'The Port OF Cai.ou reproduces a
landing place immediately opposite the Pyramids,
with freight boats about to dsburden themselves.
The sky is fair representative Egyptian sky, less
blue than the Italian and absolutely cloudess. In
picture, as yet "a its earliest stages, nsmeess
even to the artist, but meant TO be strongly
characteristic OF Egyptian life, lazy motion on
warm day is the motive. Even in iuis lnitiatory
stage 1t is not impossible to believe that there VIII
be sort oil lotos languor about IT,
ALFRED T. BRIcHER
is particularly happy in light and water, and Is
busiy working on two pictures In which this fell
city is made abundant use Of One OF these repre-
sents q light effect the Mississippi Ia which
little or no attempt is made at local col0rlng, but
in which the light ghttering upon the water
is indicated with glow and brllliancy
beyond the reach OF most artists ambi-
tious for this order or result. Morning
on Narragansett Bay is In an exceedingly unde-
veloped state as yes: II viii be full Of figure and
incident, and Mr.. Bricher expects to be busy on
fheae nicfurea for weeka come. Among