The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-04-05
AMONG ENGLISH PAINTERS.
Pictures that Are To Be Placed in the
Royal Academy Exhibition in May.
Mr.. Petties Portrait of Bret Harte-A Water
Scene from the Easel of Ernest Parton,
the American Artist.

LONDON, March 25.-Art in London has made
giant strides within the past few years. 1t has
changed the aspect of our streets; it has re-
decorated our houses inside and out. The gov
eminent, through its state aided schools of art,
has done much to help this advance; and the
educational progress of to-day is moving
especially in this direction of art and
science. These few preliminary words are
not to serve as an introduction to
an essay on public taste, but only to a
little excursion l have made this week into
some painters quarters. For this is the London
art season Our artists all hard at work
finishing their pictures for the Royal Academy
and the Grosyenor Gallery, which open on the
LIST Of May. The closing days of this month of
March are devoted to the work of sending in"
for selection or rejection; and the last Sunday in
the month is what Londoners call Picture Sun
day" On that day the artists open their stu
dos to their friends and critics and show them
the works they will submit to the scrutinizing
eyes of the selecting and hanging committees
Those painters who are Royal Academicians or
associates have the right to hang q certain num-
Der Of paintings on the walls of the Royal Acad-
envy The rest are outsiders. Sometimes ESQ
tickle is fortune in in her rewards) the outsiders
send in better pictures than certain of the r.
A IS. But as thousands more pictures are sent in
than there is room for, many very good as well
as many very poor works are rejected
IL
Now propose to mention some of the works
of American artists that are to go in and some
that will be hung, and at the same time to glance
I, foo
American readers. For instance, one of the most
striking portraits of the year will be a portrait
of Bret Harte whose books are quite as well
known in England as in the United States, and
are probably even more popular on this side of
the Atlantic than in his native land. Mr..
Petite Royal Academician) has painted Bret
Harte, and the portrait will be hung on or near
the line at the Royal Academy. Mr. Petite has
been good enough to receive me at his studio in
order that | might see this work for the proposes
of this letter. The artists house is one of the
modern painters palaces that was described two
Or three years ago in Harper's Magazine, with
picture Of the studio and portrait of the artist
1t is lovely house in the art region
of what is called Fitzjohn's avenue. 1t
reminds one of some of the latest and
finest of the houses in the best quarters of
Washington, Philadelphia, Boston and Chicago.
Attached to the house is studio of the noblest
dimensions. 1t is furnished with great Simple
ity, and he at the present time has several large
pictures more or less finished on its easels The
portrait OF Bret Harte is three-quarter length
lifo size vigorous and mastery work, realizing
the marked individually of the subject being at
the same time an interesting picture. Mr.. Harte
is IN travelling dress, astrachan coat md gloves,
his cap iii his hand.
Just said the artist ssas If he was going on
journey or had finished one; as he might be
seen entering railway waiting room or walking
into his own house, or about 10 go forth to elias
gov or San Francisco, anywhere you like;
and he is most familiar to me in this manner
he is always going or coming"
Mr.. Petite is a typical Scotchman, with a
bright, gray eye, 'nubbly" forehead, full lips
and calm, quiet manner, of medium height and
sturdy build; he suggests solid power of endur
ance and industry. He was born in Edinburg
in 1889, began to study art at eighteen.
and is to-day just as earnest and sincere stu
dent as ever he was, and that accounts for the
fact that he is an r. A., and lives in a palace.
He is one of the most careful workers There
is a particularly of detail in some of his figures
that is Messonierlike; and believe his two sub
iect pictures of this year-a scene from 1.-THE
School for Scandal and the story of young
fellow receiving challenge to fight duel-are
not likely to be surpassed either in technique or
IS works of the highest art.
III
Remembering that American artists are fan
eiful in their ideas of framing pictures land
speak from some experience of exhibitions in
Boston New York, Chicago and BROOKLYN
asked Mr.. Petite some questions on this subject.
The English Royal Academy do not admit any
pictures except in ordinary gilt frames. The
Grosvepor allows its contributors any amount
of artistic margin in this respect.
s'What do you think of the growing fancy
among some painters for decorative frames, in
the sense of repeating some particular tone of
color in the paintings' asked the Royal Acade
mician.
'sThat is mistake he answered quickly;
.'the frame is to picture what the proscenium
Is to the stage-a something apart from the
painting altogether. To decorate it with any
suggestion of the picture. in color otherwise is
TO distract the eye and to rob the picture of it's
individuality. To look at a picture Alright the
frame is, as it were, the frame of window
you look out into the picture"
"But you do not object to other than gilt
framesr
s0h, nc; don't object to silver, or to bronze,
to metal of any kind, so that it is Frame and
no part of the picture. If you should paint a
frame to repeat the color of your picture then
you should paint the room in which they are
hung up to the frame and So on, until you might
be led into all kinds of extravagances."
whistler and some of the Grosvenor people
are rather inclined, ] think, to assist their work
by carrying their dominant colors into section
of their frames, l said.
Mr.. Petite did not smile when I mentioned
Mr.. Whistler's name. There are Royal Academ-
lists who would Mr.. Petite received the name
as Il it did not belong to an eccentric in art, but
to felow-brush.n
II don't imagine that Whistler would do so if
he were treating serious and finished and i'm
portant subject. In mere light. sketchy thing,
som ething okd, he might run the idea. of tone
or color into the frame perhaps in sort of deco
ratiVe way"
Mr. Petite indicated this decorative notion
with wavy action of his arm, as if he were run
ming out streak of color from picture into a
frame and then all around the room, and he
smiled in his pleasant calm, Scotch manner, as
he turned again to his own work, illustrating the
artistic view that might be brought about in re-
spect of it by painting the beading of the frame
blue, which is more or less what may be called
the color motive
w.
From Fitziohn's avenue along the Finchley
road tpast the houses of Charles Wyndham, the
comedian. and of Beatty Kingston, the we'll
knnNvn snacial Of the Telepranh and translator