The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1884-05-29
THE ARTISTS.
First Article on the Local
Exhibition.

rangement, and present an attrac-
tive surface. Ga closer inspection
the visitor will find considerable
merit in all the various phases oil
the painters art. OF course, the
artist having the most pronounced
native talent who bears on his brow
the halo of the real divine af1atus,
Will inevitably produce better works
und given condition # advan-
tages or non advantages than Others
less favored by nature. And this l.
noticeable at glance in this very
creditsble assemOlage Of native art,
IS is also that other important maj :
ter, culturA and experience. In his
sea and shipping pieces, Mr.. OF
finger evinces a thorough scquaint-
anee with the mysteries which a
landsman can scarcely form an &C,
curste conception of; indeed, he
gives US the benefit of his careful
observations in q wider sphere than
we have enjoyed. Had he spent his
life in the develop nent of his
splendid talents. he might
have We'd with the greatest
of marine painter. and made a
worldwide fame. Whatever faults
of treatme Mt, of color, of execution,
may be noticed, should be ascribed
to the surroundings of the artist for
the greater part of his life, whit b
have been decidedly opposed to
artistic progress. The painter must
be untrammeled by other cares and
duties. His art must be not only
his occupation, but his politics AMI
his religion, and it must be cultiv>
ated in an atmosphere which is
native to it. The greatest talent for
art or. literature may be curtailed
CT entirely blighted by adverse sure
!oundings, and 1t is the opinion of
the writer that as Mr.. Ottinger's
work stands I point of drawing and
conception, head snd shoulders
above most other works in the ex-
hibitiOn, so he might have raised
himself to one Of the highest pin
nacles OF artistic fame had his life
and labors been spent in the artietic
world. His works have always been
highly appreciated here, and he is
regarded somewhat in the light of a
father Of art IN Utah, to which dis
tinction he is certainly entitled.
1t is fitting then to mention the
works OF this artist at the beginning
OF our review of the present exhibl-
ton, in the course of which We ex~
pect to have something 10 say about
all or nearly all of the works shown
CATER THE BATTLE"
This is picture which possesses
many points of decided merit. 1t
tells its own story at glance: Two
war ships of contending nations
have met at sea and given battle to
each other. The sea is almo calm,
but the slight air that Is stirring has
moved the smoke away to tue left
or the picture, and exposes to view
the crippled and dismantled vessel
that has had the worst OF the con-
fiict, and the victor moving slowly
towards its victim. Boats have
been lowered and are opening COM
between the combat-
ants; the conflict Is ended, the
wounded and dying must now be |
attended. This We consider the beat |
of the five works exhibited by Mr..
OttiDger. The effect of light |
and shade is finely rendered, and
the impression that cloud OF smoke |
! reduced by the caunonading has
just risen and is now floating away |
Is very marked, aud is cure to call |
forth the admiration of the observer.
To complete the idea intended to be
conveyed by the artist, the van
4uished hulk lies shattered and rid
lied in the dark foreground of the
picture, while its successful enemy
'iaes calm y under the lighter sky.
In his other works "The Cssique's
Fare vel" "John Alden and Pris-
illa," Moonlight in tho Arctic
)c-an' and, "The Midnight sun"
Mr.. Ottinger shows that ne is not
Is much at home as he ia when On
he sea. His human figures are n
'lir ed to be mechanical, lacking
Vitality and movement TO q con-
lderable degree. In the first of
hese the drawing is stilted, the
lress OF Priscilla having an appear
nee OF being carve in WOOD. The
dea is well expressed: The lovers
re lingering on the strand after the
ailing Of the May Flower. But
here is not the feeling and senti-
nent about the picture which
We should expect to fnd
there are points of merit about
hem all. but Mr.. Ottinger leaves US
With the belief that the natural
ent of his talent was for strictly
1arine subjects. II Mr.. Ottinger is
be father of art in Utah, as sug>
ested above, then II
FRED. LAMBoURNE
aay very properly be styled an elder {
for as scene painter md
ourneyman artist be has l4tored
onstantly since he came here as a
mall boy. and has done some noIk
which would have found him custo- $
hers IN any raft If the Uni ed
'ates. He has lyei alto ether by
is srt, and has gone awey to study
nj observe whenever opportunity
you'd admit, and by this Il cans ,
nough he has had but meagre occa-
ion Ior art training, most of the
atrOnS OF art here, (Who. it * sad to