The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1876-11-15
A SUMMERS WORK.
Am Afterno ON i'm Browns studio.

He who enjoys pictures and good company
can spend halliday no more pleasantly than
in Harry Browns studio, studying the pic
tured walls, listening to the artists kindly and
instructive talk, and venturing profound re-
marks from the depths of his own ignorance
at which his courteous host never smiles. If
the visitor be given to the worship of the In
dian weed pipe with a bowl as big as that in
which the wise men went to sea so long ago
aud stem as generous in its length as Ken
tuckian is offered him, and he sits and tran
gully enjoys the great vegetable and faucies
himself cloud-eompelling Jove; for tobacco is
the choicest food of conceit. The studio itself
is picture worth contemplation, and its fur
nishings are full Of beauty. If the caller be
wise he will direct the attention Of the artist to
the "Moses" of Michael Angelo, of which a
superb copy is upon the wall. Mr.. Brown be-
lieves Michael Angelo to be the greatest man
that ever lived, an opinion which history is not
slow to warrant, and he will pour out fund of
anecdote and comment npon the universal
genius. sculptor, painter, architect, poet. A
reference to tie Mona Lisa" which hangs
above the lea hstone will call forth scarcely
less inform atol concerning Leonardo.
The Artist has made good use of his time this
summer and his studio is hung with the COM
pleted sketches made during his mountain
tour. His vacation was passed in Jackson, and
his portfolio is rich in views of the Wildcat
and the Ellis, and in glimpses of the great hills
which loom up through the clearings Special
ly noticeable among the completed paintings is
a scene on the Ellis where the river widens for
a space and pours shallow stream over its
rocky bed The treatment is firm and broad,
the overhanging foliage delicate aud truthful in
color, and the water painted with genuine
transparency; it seems fairly to tumble over
the rocks. Another and the favorite picture
with most visitors is view on the Wildcat
rather quieter in the effect than that brawling
stream usually conveys, but strong in senti-
ment. Two pictures which repeatedly call the
attention amid the EN- barrassment of riches are
scenes on the road to the Glen, the one at the
bridge near Thorn Mountain, with that shapely
hill dominating the view; the other farther up
the road, that wonderful glimpse of the great
range where the rounded top of Washington
lifts itself to the clouds far above the pushing
shoulder of Monroe in the foregrou nd-a view
familiar to all who have trodden the way from
jackson to the Glen. Many other of these
sketches command the lingering notice of th q
visitor, pleasant bits of forest and stream,
Trainings of the Conway elms, and one or two
in which pallid Chocorua shadows the land
scape.
The summers WORK was not altogether con-
fined to the mountain region. There are some
marines, strongly characteristic in color, loving
studies of rock and wave. One of these IN
particular, long line of cliff struck by the
rudy gold Of the setting sun, in an impressive
piece of wotk. Upon the easel is one of the
studies of sunrise and fog, soft and delicate in
color, upon which the eye always rests with
delight.
This fall Mr.. Brown has devoted some time
to charcoal drawings, and the results of his
work are seen both IN his studio and at Hale's.
They are certainly very attractive, strong and
free in drawing and powerful in motive. Those
in Hale's window, the wreck for example, the
harhor scene, and the bit of stream, attract
general attention and praise, especially with
those who have already begun to think of the
holidays and their gifts.
Those who have spare hour or two and an
inclination for pictures, cannot do be tier than
to spend the one and crafty the other in
Browns studio.