Helena weekly herald., 1879-06-19

that are very gratlIylnS W 'uosc WIZ Aa'e
watched with interest the development OF
feminine talent in this respect. Perhaps
there is no more carefully painted picture in
the academy than study of "Chrysanthe'
NUNS" by Mrs. Julia Dillon, one of our
most earnest art students. This artist has
shown rare tact in grouping her flowers. and
has introduced shadow enough into her pic
ture to give it character, instead of treating
it in the conventional style which is so CON-
monly seen in pieces of this nature. Mrs.
Dillon has several other studies in the exhib-
ition but this is her best, and it is not inferior
to the flower pieces of such we'll known art
lists as LaFarge and Louis Tiffany, specimens
of whose styles are in close proximity to
Mrs. Dillon's 'Chrysanthemums." There
may be more strength and vigor in LaFarge's
works, but there is consequently less delicacy
and ideality Another beautiful painting by
lady artist is a "Portrait' on plaque, by a
Mrs. H. P. Gray. This is highly idealized,
! but it is done with grace and skill that rem
der it pleasing and the delicate tracery and
smooth finish of the painting place it in fine
contrast to some of the pieces near it. The
coloring may, perhaps, be trifle too vivid
and startling, but this is, in a measure, par
donable, considering its delicate treatment
Fanny Clifford, Miss Murray, Agnes D.
Abbott, Alice A. Wheeler, Mrs. James Otis,
Rose Innis, Miss E. L. Booth, and number
of other ladies all exhibit some really good
studies that show much careful work. None
of these ladies show much boldness in their
sketches. 1t is not natural that they should,
but what they lack in this respect they make
up in soft coloring and delicate drawing.
They handle their subjects with slender, be-
jeweled fingers, and not with brawny, mus
cular, firm bands, and if one misses vigor in
their pretty pieces, they find soul and refine
ment there. 1t is doubtful if American wo-
men will ever become great in art, but certain
it is that they are making an earnest study of
it, and are progressing rapidly. They will
never become converts to the impressionist
school of art, but they will preserve the equi-
librium between the pre- Raphaelite and mod
ern methods.
A more striking contrast can scarcely be
conceived of than that presented by the gen.
tie efforts of these lady artists and the mad
caprices of Mr.. George Inniss' brush as dis
played in some of that gentleman's startling
pictures in the present exhibition. There is
an impression among critics that he has gone
insane over some technique of art, and that his
present method is the result OF lunacy. How
else can we account for such pictures as this
painter presents this year. He deems to have
abandoned all rules of art and to be expert
menting in wild vagaries. We had learned
to look upon him as one of our most reliable
landscape painters, when 10! he suddenly,
without note of warning, forsakes his truth
full style of drawing and coloring and dashes
with headlong recklessness that is simply |
into an utterly false manerism. |
He is untrue to nature, untrue to himself, and |
to the public. The visitor to
The Academy this year were startled at his
Some few of our other reliable
painters also rather astonished the beholder
with new ideas in brush work and coloring,
but, upon the whole, the exhibition was not
worse than it has been for two or three sea-
sons past, if it was no better. Some of the
portraits were fine, more were bad, and some
we're wretched. This Is branch of art in
which students of the purely American school
if such a school can be said to exist do not
ucceed. Our province seems to be almost
ntirely in landscape painting; and, too, we
ave few very good animal painters, such
8 James Harte, Eastman Johnston and two
II three others. 1t seems that we make
lower progress in oil painting than in water
olors, for, except the English, no nation ex-
els US in that department of art, while abroad
american work in the more serious busines ,,
f oil painting is simply laughed at as a
chool, although think unjustly, for after
Il we have very distinctive and excellent
lethod in some regards. ,
Speaking of women in art reminds me that +
have been reading Heinrich Heine, the O
reat German wit essayist and romancer, and +
ave been raging ever since over the follow n
g paragraph regarding our sex: ''All liter b
y women, he says, ''write with one eye a
! their page and the other on some man." s
be wretch,) s'except the Countess Won n
ahn-Hahn, who had but one eye. and that II
'e, we suppose, must have been fixed on a L
an. 1t may be, however, that she. of all 81
r sex, had single eye to literature" What d
admire about that remark is the audacious r.
pudence and vanity of it. No doubt, like F