New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-03-04
KATE EREENA IA z.
F,.c,n Y'He Tof.1us Hearth.

Had YOU beon visitor. nearly twenty years ago
tho church in Upla.st Isngtony woold hsve found
that Of the features OF The evening was 10 look
away had not arrived at the age for the prefix Miss.
These trifcs were mostly In ponci but there were
few sketches in pen ani-inl and others in color
Tho CHARACTERISTIC Of these early studies But
beside the careful touch lay fancy ioi iarics ana
elves, for flowers and pots that child alone pos
sesses Her father was a wood cngraver OF mean
merit, and to this day Mir Grocnaway's WORK may DO
seen from limo to tinlo 10 Tho Illustrated London
Nevs.' Mr.. Greenaway took great aud constant
interest in the art prccvites of Lls daJEhtcr, daily
I'm fact "coachlng" his child in tho first elements OF
art. Under such cOndtit Us tho ago Of Childhood
passeG and tho earlier years of mnidenhO0a SET In
After much consult alton II settled that Miss Greco
away must 60 to ~ ait school-tiis Was somewhere
about tho year 137Q-and ultimately she was scnt No TO
nom work conceIvrd ana carried out at Hestherv's
ths She made her first popular hit At the back aud
white exhibition at tho Dudley Gallery. IN lo.E-5'
on private view day these secured by the editor
Of The Peoples Magazine" and shortly aiterwsrd
cy wSo 9EavSq ana Svep emr s pUG
Miss Greenaway appeared In print. bnt ms la.icu
eaily drawings Of Miss oreehaway. Just at this time
tho card valentine fever bad set in and one OF the pho
necrs IN snch matters Mr. Marcus WSr a. co., ona ses
asngg hy ason 70 Marcus wards Christmas and
Now Years cards In fact tho In preston is that hec
first commission for book Illustrations was also given
to her by this firm some particular cuts may hay, hays
appear that sildrcd's Nstake,- published in 1870
was Miss Greenaway'5 first attempt at supply Ing tho
designs for corr plete story.
In color Miss Greenaway IS almost puiist. u you
could see her paint box It Is doubtful l. you would ind
that II contained many col1r5 outside tho primaries and
their attributes. Look at any one OF her studies rcd
blue yellow and black would be cclos enough to paint
almost any OF them This simplicity rus through
all hor WORT Her composition IS equally simple 1t
Is IN fact AngoSax0n art at its best; pure simple,
matter fact, subject matter, with refinement enough
in IL TO lift It out OF tho common
It from hollow dilettantism, and yet near
to nature that although little ,Ils not az they
depicted, yot thay prototypes of wrat we would
have them be. In her studios Miss Gieenaway uses
almost pure colois, the ar'ts put t. she rarely
,ixe, fake Chinese white with Dor paints The ont
limo Is firmly drawn either with the pen or pencil, the
shadows arc then struck n mostly In gray and al
wash ocr wash of cOlcr Is lvt Of course there ara
numerous rntouchngs and heehterings,p TIL tho
right tone required Is obtained, but Miss Grecnaways
method Is that simple I" wash" handled by all
tho greater of tho greatest painters in wafer col0ts
Now for word rs to the way In which Miss Kate
Greennway has made cverv day material do duty TO her
poIc pen. and brush and for this we must go back
to tho child artist the daily pupil. 1t was here IN
of her little fric 'ls nCting hce there quaint bon
not a cloak, cap, or q boys smock For Il IS nrte
from the lower middle classes that Miss Greenaway has
drawn her Inspirations. These almost daily memOr
anda begun young, continued later on by
Miss (ireenaway. Rarely week elapsed bur she paid
q visit 10 the school house, erhor to compare past
lettings or to sock out material And in these
matters Miss Greenaway showed good deal of wisdom
She did not rest material close at homo With
sketch book In hand she might be at most of
great charity festivals notably those of the charity
children held Ia St. Pauls Cathedral