Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-01-24
ART NOTES.

association having the matter in hand employs
a secretary at a salary Of 500 per month,
and allows canvaSSerS Is per cent. Of all sums
they may collect for its fund.
"A sale Of pictures by the late William Morris
Hunt will be held at Horticultural Hall In Bos-
ton on the I'd and Sd Of February. The cata-
lOgue, which comprises siXty-Six Oil paintings
and one hundred and one charcoal drawings, is
said to include some Of the gifted artists best
and most CHARACTERISTIC work, though we be-
ieve nothing of special importance. The pic
lures will be on exhibition from the 10Th inst.
until the day of sale.
Mr.. Ross Turner has recently sent home
several oil paintings that elicit a good deal of
praise from his friends. Although painted in
Munich, since Mr.. Turner's return to that city,
they represent scenes in and around Venice,
where he spent the summer, and are full OF the
color and sentiment OF that ever charming local.
qualities, and a glimpse OF the market on the
Grand Canal IS hardly less so. We understand
the whole set will be framed and placed on eX-
hibition shortly.
Mr.. Preston Powers. who has had studio
and class in modelling in Cincinnati for some time
past, will close the same in a few days, and re-
turn early next month to Florence, where he
considers himself permanently established. Mr..
p is the son of the distinguished American
sculptor, Hiram Powers. and Is an artist of very
decided talent. His statute in marble of Sena-
tor COllamer, ordered by the state of Vermont
for the Capitol at Washington, is waiting his re-
turn to Florence, before shipment When set
up in its place in the hall of statuary it will be
a valuable addition to the collection already
there.
Referring to the admirable etching contrib
uted by Mr.. r. Swain Clifford to the first num-
ber OF the american Art ReUie,r, the London
academy says: .Mr. Clifford ought to be better
known in Europe than he is, for he is true art
ist." This is deservedly and justly said, and it
could be said as fitly and justly OF many other
American artists besides Mr.. clifford, as Euro
pean critics and connoisseurs are beginning to
lind out and acknowledge. In truth it may be
said that American painters have made more
headway on the other side of the Atlantic in the
last half dozen years than in whole century
before, and it is now getting to be quite the
thing there, and particularly in England, to
have one or two American examples in all mod
ern collections that pretend to be anything like
representative In range and character
Mr.. Mould, the eminent architect, formerly
OF New York, has returned to that city after a
five years residence in Peru, and is gratified as
well as surprised to find the extent to which
cOlored stone, polished granite, encauStic tile,
moulded bricks, etc., are used in the architec-
ture Of that city, and the almost universal favor
with which that style of decoration is received.
When Mr.. Mould erected on 4th avenue, twenty
seven years ago, DR.. Bellows All Souls Church
as the pioneer example in this country of the
only jeers and ridicule for his temerity, as our
older readers must well remember. Now, he
remarks, in atone that is not without little
vi,
chitect who would refuse the use of vari-colored
material in building could not earn salt enough
for bis porridge.
- Few artists make less stir and push them
selves forward less than Mr.. E. II. Miller of this
city, yet very few do more or better work in his
way than he. Although fond OF and achieving
gratifying results with oil colOrs, his speciality
as our readers know, is portraits in crayon, and
he particularly eXcels in children'S likenesses.
visit to his studio is much like a peep into
n
bright sweet little faces light up its walls on
every side. So well and widely is Mr.. Mtller's
facility with the crayon understood that he
finds patrons not In Washington alone, but In
less than eight commissions from Chicago, in
which city he spent several busy weeks last
summer, and where his work is much admired.
Mr.. Miller's two eldest daughters also possess
great talent for drawing, and, though yet quite
young, both give promise OF becoming excellent
artists
One of the most attractive features Of the
famous east room of the white house. If not in
deed its chief attraction, is the full length por
trait Of Martha Washington, by Andrews, which
hangs as pendant to that OF the Father OF
his Country" on the east wall of that noble
apartment. The general and natural supposi-
government or, in other words, of the country.
And so it should be. Unfortunately, however,
1t is not. The painting still belongs to Mr.. An
dTews, who kindly allows the use Of it in that
adapted as If painted expressly for it. Its pur-
chase would therefore be proper and graceful
act, and 1t ought to be secured by the govern
menG before it passes into other hands, from
which it might not be easy to obtain it. Aside
from forming an appropriate and beautiful part
OF the htstorco- decoration of the eXecu-
tive mansion, it is interesting and valuable as
work of art. The likeness is taken from the best
portraits attainable and known to be authentic,
the costume and all the accessories are histori-
cally correct,-some of them, we believe repre-
Sa0tinp articles
non at the time,-and the artists work is con-
scientiously and effectively done throughout.
The eminent wood engraver, Mr.. W. J.. Lin
ton, builded better than he knew last June,
when he let his feelings get the better OF his
discretion-to some extent-and In the Atlantic
assailed the ''new school"-(we use the term
for convenience rather than because there is
much that is decidedly new In it)-which was
becoming so popular in the magazines. He has
come back at his critics now in a small book,
reasserting what he said before. 1t was happy
thought in the Harpers to concoct symposium
on the subject in their last Monthly. The en-
grayers themselves are the best judges of their
methods. though they talk very much like other
people who have paid attention to wood en-
craving and are capable OF .appreeiatlng
# i6e LIKE some oher M wars Of tban bt
in proper application of the principles
of both. Mr.. Linton in eXtolling the value of
his pure lines is right. The only trouble is that
which engravers find necessary in accomplish
ing that which all engravers agree is the prime
object OF their wOrk-to reproduce rather than
translate the painter. The later engravers.
without Undertaking. the old methods, so far
as these serve this purpose, widen their re-
sources regardless Of precedent, avail them
selves OF whatever they can invent, and do
anything that helps reproduce the painter
This means growth, and the result is what
productions Of painting as were not
thought Of few yealS ago. Then we
saw the engraver In the printed trans
lation. Now we see the painter himself-which
Is what we want to see. An engraver should
have no individuality. He should not engfave
twice alike, except as he reprOduceS an artist
who is twice alike. Nothing can excel Mr..
Linton's lines in their place. But why not
supplement them with anything and everything
that really contributes toward the eject which
the original artist atta1ns? The true engraver
will modify any creed II necessary to facilitate
the prime object OF reproduction. Such seems
to be the position Of most OF the engravers.
This departure from old methods Is frequently
to be encouraged. Many Of the other
with their soft grays and rich color,
are ruined by mushy nneness, and need
a little more Lint0nian treatment to redeem
them All those observers who are Interested
only In the truth wherever found, and In the
best results whoever attains them, are grateful
to Mr. Linton for his vigorous and timely OPEN
ing OF the discussion; for everybody has learned
that nothing In black and white can reproduce
paint so wei as wood He does not after ALL
differ so widely from other engraverS as his
strong language would imply. They will all