Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1872-12-19

taste for art.
1t is no small compliment, therefore,
to the people of Rutland and Pittsford
that the visitor finds among them a great
love for good pictures, and for fine
things in nature. Even the stranger in
these towns is struck by the almost uni
versal familiarity displayed by the peo-
pie in regard to the best views and the
best points of the various landscapes in
the vicinity. True, the scenery of this
valley is almost perfection itself, and of
an endless variety, but appreciative en-
ioyment and not indiscrinfinate admira-
tion seems the rule.
A short time since, an art reception
was given in Pittsford by two artists
well known in this vicinity-Miss Mar
tha ]. Wood and Miss Lucia NJ. Gilbert.
This reception, though unpretentious,
was decidedly creditable to all concern
ed. 1t was given at the house of Dea.
Gilbert Two rooms were entirely de-
voted to the pictures, over one hundred
in number, all grouped and arranged
with admirable taste and effect, freight
ed by profusion of choice flowers and
MOSES, which gave to the whole some
thing of a garden and wildwood charm,
and when brilliantly lighted and graced
with SO pleasant company made the
evening one of rare social as well as ar
tistic enjoyment. And the beautiful,
whether in nature or art and social life,
is of value in the elevation and dolicacy
of thought and feeling which follows in
its train and under its inspiration. The
subjects of these pictures included vari-
eties of fruit, flowers, game object and
landscape painting. The latter, being
peculiarly the province of American art,
claims first attention.
There are pictures from the Mohawk
Valley. Lake George aud other places !;
but what interested us most were those
of this vicinity The Pittsford Valley,
first seen from the south near Suther-
land Falls, is acknowledged to be one of
the finest in the State. But beside diff
ferent views of this valley, with its love
lv meadows, winding streams and long
sweeps Of mountain ranges, we find on
the walls others less charaC teristic of
this region of exhaustless variety rocky
IdNliltSs llLOilitthlL1 XVI ES7s NAtthA iLAlA4
vista views from the hillside, studies of
elms, quiet homes in sunny hooks, with
lots of untouched nature from the wild
est regions, which have escaped a CEN
tury Of civilization. And Miss Wood
does not exchange her summer home for
a New York studio until she has gather
cd the gifts of all the seaSons-the first
SHOWS of winter, as well as the delicate
grays and greens of early spring, the
brightness of midsummer and the glory
of our Incompatible autumns.
Among so many that please and inter
est, it is hard to choose, but the two
largest are of the Pittsford Nalley-the
one looking south taking in Sutherland
| Falls, and the other looking northwest,
with the river and meadow in the fore
ground and the west mountains in the
distance. The first of these is in the
rich color and dreamy haze of October ;
the other, so warm and sunny, that you
quite enjoy the GOODNESS the cows are
finding under the trees on the banks
of the river Another, still farther south
on the Otter Greek, shows a lovely
meadow, with the ruci and river road,
the village at that point seeming to lie at
the foot of Coke mountain, with Snake
mountain on the left and old Nickwack-
EFT on the right. Another from Biddy's
Knob with Lake Champlain and Adj
rondacks, and many others, which to-
gether include all the principal mountain
ranges of the vicinity. We see not only
views of Killington but one from Kill
ingt0n, while small one gives a scene
ON the very top of the mountain, camp
ing party with tents and camp fires in
moonlight We understand Miss Wood
is now engaged on large picture of
KillingtOn and the East Mountains from
Center Rutland.
These pictures are painted with truth
fulness somewhat realistic, and yet are
idealized, as all subjects, whether IN
landscape or figures should be, by being
painted in their best moods, and in their
best possible position and light. We no.
tice particularly one quality as rare as it
is charming-that of giving to the dis
tances those atmospheric effects which
fill a picture with the subtle charm of
Tenderness and mystery. OF the flowers,
none attracted more attention and admi-
ration than large picture of trailing ar
butus. 1t was painted just as it grew at
the foot of an old tree, among the ferns
and moses, and was all that the most
devoted lover of this sweetest of spring
flowers could desire.
The fruit pieces are simply tantaliz-
ing, and the trout quite fascinating to
BOYS and disciples of the gentle Isaac
Walton. OF the figure pieces | would
like to say more If had not fingered so
long among the landscapes; several were
copies of good pictures by famous paint
ers, and many were original. Of the
copies, large interior of a French cas-
tie interested most for richness and deli
cacy of coloring and great general effec-
tiveness, united to the most exquisite
finish of the figures and surroundings.
''The Inheritance" ''Mother and child
by Van Ostade," and ''The Knife Grind
er of Teniers. Of the originals one was
"a storm at sea" which once took the
first prize at an exhibition at Cooper In
stitute, New York This picture though
neither large nor Snowy is one of great
power In fact, we think, few, even
of the greatest of our marine
painters, have ever seized and put ON
canvas more of the emotion produced by
heavy gale on our coast. But we have
only time to mention the portraits.
OcllC VI sllCoc III VI stIiSh pli esOllS "
Miss Gilbert and Miss Wood were excel
lent, and beside the original portraits
were variety of photographs finished
in crayon and India ink and painted in
oil and water color. These were not
tinted photographs, but pictures for
which the sun had furnished the first
drawing, and which were wrought up by
careful paintings to the highest artistic
finish, and had no trace whatever of
photograph left, but all the appearance
of original portraits in oil or the most
exquisite miniatures in water colors, and
really do possess all the desirable quail
tiles of originals in brilliance, solidity of
painting and durability.
Most of these were by Miss Gilbert,
her painting being chiefly in the way of
figure and portraits.
One of these pictures, a little Red
Riding Hood, a photograph painted in
oil, the face and figure is from life and
very perfect. The whole background
is an original landscape. This is one of
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