The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1884-11-15
THE RUBAIYAT
vEDDER's ILLUSTRATION OF TIE
PERSIAN POEM.


gelAtine process, of the original drawings by
Elihu Vedder which form the accompaniment
to the Rutdi' at Of Omar Khayyam as rendered
into English by Mr.. Edward Fitzgerald, and
combiAsd in book form by Hougbton, Miffiin s.
Co. The care taken with the reproductions
has been great and the result is all that can
bs desired in The way Of choice illustrated
publication. The designs upon the cover, the
dedication, the publishers pages and Omar's
emblem are all exqnisits examples of the art
Its taste aud fancy and add greatly to the
Dsauty Of the vo una.
The last number OF Scribner gave most in
teresting account of the poem and illustration,
and the Boston journal Of Tuesday last has q
vary interesting description of the drawings
which we herewith append:
Omar, the author Of the staDzss, the astron-
omer poet Of Persia. lived dnhsg the latter
half OF the eleventh and first quarter Of the
twelfth centuries and bore tho additional name
of Khayya-n, meaning teDtmaker. The verses
were written In RubaiJ at, which "a the Persian
equivalent for quatrains, and were not connec-
ted or in any way dependent upon each other.
A flexible poem was written by the English
poet, Mr. Edward Fl zgerald, some twelve
years ago from one hundred and one OF the
original Rubaiyat, OF which latter some four or
five hundred, supposed to be genuine, are pre-
represents the genius of the strange old Per-
sian poet, the postic Interpretation OF the EGG
lsh translator and the rich accom- Daniment OF
the American artist, which gives new strength
and beauty to the whole. Mr.. Vedder has
not followed the translator's order In the ar
rangement of the qoatrains, but has grouped
them according to his own conception of the
series. A subject better suited to the peculiar
weird and original genius of Mr. Vedder could
not have been chosen. He seems to have
- A. a. - -
have become SO absorbed in II that his always
powerful Imagination has increased and ex-
pauded into something marvellous in creative
strength. These pictures are not illustrations,
and we appreciate Mr.. Vedder's feeling in
calling them an accompaniment OF them
selves they form poem Of rare strength and
beauty, and, II not a line Of the verse were
known. one could not pass in successive study
before the drawings without imbibing an IN
telectual draugbt OF that subtle meaning
which the words supplement. The study OF
these works is an education, q feast, from
which one withdraws reluctantly, and which
holds the memory with q strange sweet spell.
1t is like coming forth from an opera like Par
sifal; the forms, the music, the inspiration, all
are there. 1t is work which establishes Mr..
Vedder's right TO leading place among those
honored in our fields OF art. in Mr. Vedder's
works heretofore We have often found that
which borders on the grotesque or uncanny,
but in the present the supernatural is present.
ed only as the natural outcome of humanity,
and with those attributes which appeal most
strongly to human sympathies
The drawing number ffty-six, including
froBtispiece, title page, Publishers mark, ded-
icaiion and Omar's emblem, occupied ten
months in completion, after having, as the
publishers announce, been taking form in the
artists mind for ten or twelve years. They
are in black aud white upon tinted paper, and
are executed in material which would best
present the spirit OF the illustration. Where
sturdiness or human qualities are desired,
charcoal is largely employed: a statuesQne fig
ure Ia represented by crayon, and where deli
cacy is required 1t is often given by simple
washes. High lights are frequently introduc-
cd by Chinese white 10 small touches, which
is very effective.
In work of this kind where the objsct to
be obtained is achieved with such rare power,
1t SENS quite out OF place to enter into criticism
of minute jet ali, where without doubs defects
can be found 1t is not claimed that tie draw
ing IL fsultiess, though in most cases is Is OF
M rked excellence. Ths beauty aud true
greatness of the work are shown in the fact
that though one approaches in critical vefn,
his imagination Is so powerfully called apon
that defects sink out OF sight, and he Is sur
prised to fnd himself without ideas concern
ing mere technical qualities. The female fig
ures are all full OF grace and beauty, and emo
tons of various kinds are expressed with the
greatest apparent ease. The faces OF the malls
nxures are strong, a0d much of individual
character is shown. Tho peculiar style OF
Fedder'B work is well calculated to express
the "Something which from Nothing comes"
aud over and about and througheall his fg.
ures this thing makes itself profoundly felt.
The frontispiece, No. l, touches the keynote
OF the whole serles. 1t represents Omar, with
bis followers, on pleasure bsnt, looking down
through an open window upon a group Of
cAreworn and anxious mortals who represent
respectively the warrior, miser, student and
theologian. Inscribed upon the wall, and we
fancy coming in song from Omar and his
court. is the qnatrain:
"Waste not your hours nor In the vain pursuit
OF this or that endeavOr and dispute.
Better be jacund with the fruitful grape
Than ssdden after none or bitter fruit
No. IL, representing solitude, is thoroughly
impressive; the dreary waste, the prosirate
stones which mark the place where mortals
have been laid, the creeping things, and the
grim lions keeping watch combine with strange
accord The lines inscribed are these:
'sThey say the Lion and the Lizard keep
The courts where Jsmshyd gloried and drank deep
And bahrsm, that great hunter, the Wild ASS
Stamps DER his head, but cannot break his Sleep"
The two drawings, representing the "Cup Of
Love-" and the Cup Of Death" are full OF
ieep meaning. In the latter the angel of
death claims, with apparent regret in his
1owncast face, though with the fxedness Of
late, young and beautiful form, which, inoa-
pable OF resistance, sabmits to his embrace.
The Suicide" represents the body of a man
Just as he fell by bis own hand, and the soul
Q light, vapory form ascending from swirl
d Rarmoots. A cripple passing by views the
body askance, and with perhaps touch Of
,e ensure; his back is toward the spirit form,
Ind he is all unconscious Of its presence. Ev-
IDENTITY he cannot comprehend the thought
which NAV have inspired the hand of his fall
N brother
"Why. if the soul can fling the dust aside,
And naked on the air of heaven rids"-
No. 80 is full of motion. The gesture Of the
Mortal as he sends his soul out from him ex-
presses force, the rspid movement of the soul is
veil displayed, and the face which appears
rear the bottom of the drawing euyeloped in
lame and smoke bears all the Indication Of
Tague dismay and underlined terror which the
ast two lines OF the accompanying stanxa war
ant.
81 sent my soul through the Invisible
Some letter of that after life to spell.
And by-and-by my soul returned TO me
And answered, j myse am heaven and hell.'"
There is an exceedingly strange, weird effec'
q No. Sc, where souls seem to be represent
10 sparks which are sent cut in cloud and
leld in place and plucked back at willby "The
Master OF the Show" No. 50 represents the
Judge of man recording with STERN immovable
ace. while toward him are extended hands
imply hands, but in such supplicatinR anguish
hat one is moved TO cry out in sympathy.
The effect OF No 40, where CONSCIOUS
Something" out of "Ssnseless Nothing" is pro-
-ehed. 10 -inasee-SbaslS.- The -6eare- of life
hrinks unavailing from It's being, aud IL
ghtrled onward intn seething mass of human
ty which suddenly vauishes.
No. Al is a female figure in a sitting poeture,
hrillingly pathetic in It's utter N ssry and
abandonment OF hope; the face is bowed down
o the knees in such a way that no part OF It is
cen, and 1t is not necessary; we know what IL
5 like-beautiful and 6espairing
The accompaniment OF the lines: "And lol
the phantom caravan has reached The
Nothing is set ont from-Oh, make has e." is
ne of the most thrilling of the series: ID
hows Death at the top of the picture playing
u his pipes, while the phantom caravan is
assiDg onward and the figures IN ths fore
round are set face To face with the Nothing"
hey set ont from. One of these figures IA
aid to be Vedder himself.
Among the last Of the drawings Is one whera
he poet Is standing ia the potter's house, sur
ouuded with earthen vessels of various size
nd shape, listening to their ulurmurs Of hoW
nd why their shape was thus, and the cues
ion Is asked, odd the hand then OF the pot
sr shake?"
The final work shows the rising moon be-
ind cluster OF flower stalks from wh ch the
etals have fallen, leaving bare thu seed ves-
als, and Sski Is STOPPING to turn down an
mpty glass. The shape OF this glass Is from
1e shallow Persian Siue cup which Is used
throughout the illustrations. Ths uniuue
guature of the artist is significant; ID ia a
roken reed with root iDver ed, I'd at the
otnt where it was broken aud fashioned into
IL