Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1882-05-30
Reuben Johnston's Art Work

young Alexandria artist is frem SUNDAYS
Baltimore .imcriraM:
10 the group ofyoung men orgcnius who
hc%ail lhclr artistic career in Baltimore must
now be added another, the peer of the best of
thcm, Reuben Johnston. He is Younger than
t}uartlcy, llovcndcn and Bolton Jones. I'LL
OF whom were quietly working in this city
| lew years ago, but who arc now known in
The art centres of Europe. Quartlcy is Il
marine painter, whose picture Of Daybrcak
IN New YORK HarhOr made Il sensation in
the Paris salon. Bolton Jones as Il lanlsca-
plst has been honorcd by the Royal Acale-
my. Hovrndcn's works-a line of his own
uniting historical with genre painting-arc
greatly admired abroad Reuben Johnston
has not yet taken up his speciality. and. in
deed shows versatility that for the next
few years will probably he an embarrassment
to him. though ultimately it will vastly in
crease the value ofhis works. He hcwan in
this city us Il painter of still life. He paint
cd birds. game, fish. &C.. thereby Eving II
good foundation for texture and for solid
| lily and detail. Fortunately for his develop
| lnrnt. he soon advanced beyond this stage.
lie then began studying animals. and made
some lime sketches of horses, sheep. COWS
and fowls. He shows SO fine II feeling for
the specific characteristics of animals that
his success as an animal painter would he
assured. should he make that his specially.
Alter leaving Baltimore he began figure
and portrait painting, and showed II fine
faculty in this direction also. But land
Srapr seemed dcStiacd to he his chief de-
light.
''IIc left New York three years AGO and
went to Europe. He fell in with Il pleasant
group of French artists and went to study
landscape in Brittany Bolton Jones and
llovcndcn were also in that part of France.
There the genius of Reuben Johnston for
landscape rapidly developed. lie caught
the spirit of the humid climate. the gray
skies and the juicy green's of the vegetation.
Then he went to Southern Spain. and thence
to Northern Africa. He studied ut Tangcr
with great enthusiasm, and as Il result of
orcrwork was taken dangerously i'll with
liberation of the eyes that Threatened blind
ness, and afterwards with African fever. He
might have died but for the kindness Of Il
noble English family which came to his as
sistancc and carried him to England. where
he was tcnderly cared for until his recovery.
He is now in America. OH the road to com
plete health, and will spend the summer
among his relatives in the mountains of Nir-
ginia.
"Fourof his pictures are LOW on exhibition
at Myers Il Ilcdiau's Two of them are
scenes in Brittany; and two are scenes in
Tangicr. They show all the traits that have
been mentioned There is one breezy hill
side in France, with rolling gray sky and
il delicious glcam of distance. The Spccta-
tor looks up the hill Two young shcp.
hcrdesscs arc chatting on the hillside, and
the sheep arc nibbling ut the moist grass
The whole is painted with Il free. confident
touch, that indicates that before long Rc,l-
ben Johnston will be enrolled among the
imp cssionists. The two girls arc rapidly
dashed in. but they have the grace of Birkct
Foster. The sheep are not finished in de
tail. but have the true sheep character in all
their attitudes and groupings. The foliage
is rather conventional, and seems to have
been ncedlessly strengthened for relief
against the sky-but there is genius ut play
all over the picture.
"Another scene in Brittany represents IN
old woman driving home II flock Of geese
in the evening She is coming over the hill
which is crowned by an old orchard and is
driving 4 long procession Of geese straight
down the HILL toward the spectator. Her
figure is almost silhouette against the
light, hut the perspective of geese is full of
spirit. Every goose has her individuality.
One can almost sec them waddlc and hear
| their cackling rcmonstranccs at being hur-
iied. The foreground needs strength, and
would be improved by a few closely studied
weeds and grasses, or lichcned rock The
sentiment of the scene is most charming
''Thc transition from these to the desert
country of Northern Africa is violent, III
deed. In Tangier there is an intense blue
sky. an absence of moisture in the atmos-
pherc, a pitiess absence of color in the
earth, no green, no foliage, except the
ghostly pale cactus of the desert. The
whitcwashed walls stare ut one and dazzle
! the eyes; there is no mist, no aerial per-
spectvc. One scene is q small caravan just
entering the desert The group Of camcls
and their riders is admirable in drawing and
action. He has caught the movement of
the camel. The sky has deep blue,
slightly broken by few pale phantoms of
clouds. The sandhills, heapcd up by the
winds, shut out the distance, and the
spectral green caCtuses struggle for life
against the blistering heat The shadows
arc vertical, making Il dark patch under the
camels. One feels a longing for color, which
the artist sternly denies. The picture is
doubtless true, but almost painful in its
Frealism of the staring lifelessness of the
desert. Another Tangier scene gives a
pleasanter impression. At one of the old for
titled gates of the city, group of fMoors loIl,
ing lazily around, are looking at few pack
caInels just arrived. There is the same raw
disagreeablc absence of color in this, but the
artist has made some concessions. A patch
of the blue sky shows overthe whitewashed
wall, and clump of unwholesome looking
weeds grows on ledge oft. The Moorish
costumes, however, introduce color, and the
cluster of chickens introduces some little