The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1888-02-19
THE ARTISTS AT HOME.
Description of Some of the Ateliers in the
Ponce. de Leon Studio Building.

| Ponce. de Leon Studio Building.
One of the most generous impulses
which rich men, of all others, can most
gracefully indulge in must have actu-
| ated the owner of the Ponce de Leon
when he directed the construction of
| the row of artists studios in the rear of
the great hotel. In no other way, per-
haps, could he have contrived for the
enjoyment of so much pleasure and in
| struction as in building this cosy temple
of art and inviting its votaries to enjoy
| its occupation.
! The building and its interior arrange
ments have already been described in
| these pages. Now that all but one of
| the ateliers are occupied, it is proper
that some note be made of the several
occupants and their respective habita-
| tions. The rooms, seven in number, are
numbered beginning with that at the
eastern end of the building, all but No.
being occupied, in the following order:
No. l. by MIR. Geo. w. Seavey, of Bos-
| ton
No. 2 by Mr.. F. III. Shapleigh, also of
Boston
No. by Mr.. w. Staples Drown, of st.
Augustine
No. 4 by Mr.. Robert S. German, of st.
Augustine
No. 5 by Miss Marion Foster, of New
York;
No. by Mr. NJ j. Heade, of st. Au-
gustine.
| Mr.. Seavey's room, the first at the
| head of the stairway at the eastern end
of the building, is more deliberately dec
Grated than any of the others, and is a
marvel of richness in color, and visit
to it is a constant succession
of surprises. Rich Turkish and Persian
rugs almost entirely hide the floor; enor-
nous cushions lie piled about in grace
| full disorder; quantity shaped chairs and
sofas of wonderful design, and orna-
mented by rich carvings-some of them
real antiques-invite the visitor to luxu-
! rious rest; multitude of bronzes.
statuettes, plaques, antique lamps and
| candelabras, odd-looking Persian fans,
busts, vases, scunces, and richly carved
sideboard of English oak, adorn the
walls and shelves and corners; while on
easels and in corners. and against the
walls, carelessly arranged, are host of
| beautiful pictures-some exceedingly
old and rare. Others equally beautiful
but more modern, and all contributing
harmously and with wonderful effect, to
make this little room a perfect char,asr
of delights. 10
A few of Mr.. Seavey's own pict II
scattered about the room will at Of .
attract the eye Many Of them are foI {
pieces, in which class of work N /.
Seavey excels, as will easily appear fro ii
the gems from his brush which adorl
the Ponce de Leon parlors. A bunch of
white erysanthemums and group of
the same flower of varied hues, are both
charming, while the largest of his works
now to be seen, is a magnificent colIec-
ton of gorgeous peonies, whose brilliant
coloring is as natural as life.
Mr.. Seavey, who has spent number
of winters in Florida, has also some new
studies of the semi tropical flora of Flor
ida which will be sure to please those
best who know most about painting.
Among them is spray of Cherokee
roses SO realistic that one can aimos;
pluck them. and there is bunch of cur
rants good enough to eat" A stalk Of
milkweed, whose delicate silky floss car
almost be seen to fiutter with youl
breath is greatly admired.
The second room occupied by Mr.
Shapleigh, is likewise furnished Will
great taste, and contains many beauti
full and rare objects of veriu and art
Mr.. Shapleigh is spending his third win
ter in st. Augustine, and has a summe
studio at the Crawford House in tn
White Mountain Notch, and another il
the Studio Building, Boston, both O
which he seems to have robbed to fur
nish this. His latest work here, a sun