Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1888-10-04
Mr.. Curriers' Paintings.

bition Of paintings in the city of Hallowell
oy native artist, which IL Of 20 notable a
character as to merit not only recognition.
but high eneoniums, even though we are not
qualified to adequately criticise or describe
the productions. They are the work of Mr..
Alger v. Currier, native of Hallowell, son
Of Mr.. A. c. Currier, head craftsman of the
Hallo~ell Granite Company's works. Mr..
Currier is now but rs years of age. After
studying at the public schools in Ha'lowell he
decided to make painting his life work, and
entered the Boston Art Museum where be
studied crayon stump work for two years and
a half Here he hal for teachers Mr.. Ot,o
Crovmann and Mr. Frank Crowningshield.
France. and studied one year in the Academ,
Julien, the most noted school of figure draw
ing in the world, where there are constant,
from four to five hundred students from all
parts of the world. Here Mr.. Currier en-
tered the first division under the instruction
Of Boulangerand LeFebevre, studying con-
stantly whsti known as charcoal point draw
ing. At the end of his first year abroad Mr..
Currier came home on brief visit returning
to Paris again in four months. Arriving
there he placed himself under the instruction,
of NJ. Carolus Duran, the mos. eminent
living portrait painter of the world, in
his private atelier. Here Mr.. Currier
painted for one year, chiefly from the nude,
in the forenoon of each day, and in the af-
ternoon he studied at the Atelier Colarossi.
in the costume class, At the end of this
time Mr.. Duran said to Mr.. Currier that it
was time for him to work alone; and he &C
cordingly went to work in his own studio, on
his work to Mr.. Duran from time to time for
private criticism. During his last year in
Paris Mr.. Currier painted four pieces for the
Salon, two in oil, two in water colors. Out
of seven thousand paintings presented for the
Salon by different artists, the committee
selected 2500 to be hung-which shows how
severe was the standard required for admis
sion.
The productions which Mr.. Currier has
allowed his friends to see at his rooms in
Hallowell this week comprise the -four Salon
pieces, and about forty other pictures and
studies. dozen or fourteen of which are
water colors, the remainder oils. The Salon
pieces are the head of an old MN, and 10
termed "Sante." or ITO your Health"-the
figure being in the act of drinking from a
glass. held in his left hand. his right holding
a bottle. 1t is wonderfully strong,
fascinating production The second i.
= nude. the xsubject being young
girl in seated posture, in half pro-
file The two Salon water colors are full
length figures in costume. The three CHIEF
paintings on view are the heal of Corcassian
giri. in costume, front and profile. 1.-TWO can
vases. and full length figure of MAN
lolin Gi-l'-the type of au Italian Spanish
II koumauian costume The ether ictures and
s'ulies are busts in various poses, both male and
female, in costume anl nude. Mr.. Currier
has already hal numerous applications for the
right to reproduce the Salon productions, and
among these have been requests from the
Messrs. Appleton. New York, Goupil, of
Paris, and Braun of Germany. The right to
reproduce the head of "Oll Man. Mr.. Cur
rier has transferred to Mr. Horace Fletcher
chief of the Paris Association of American
Artists, a copy of which we had the pleasure
of examining at Mr. Curriers' rooms.
a b;,sI, ~ ,f
these paintings. That we should praise them
if we only knew how, will go without the say
ing, for who ever before in Maine saw
paintings by native artist that had
upon the walls OF the Paris Salon
amid an array of 300 master prOduc-
tons? The most we can say is that the
effect of studying them for an hour is won
derful one. They seem TO be looking at
you, not you at them. You forget yourself,
and want to hear item speak. You do not
think of them ~ brush work upon canvas,
they live. And when you come away, and
have left them, they follow you, and you
seem to be in a crowd, the people of which
possess the faces you have left in the studio,
and which are not faces but real men and
women.
Next week Mr.. Currier will exhibit his
production in Portland. and the week fol-
lowing in New York. We shall be proud to
have the art critics of those cities study these
pieces as the work of young Maine artist,
IL k.a
reached an exceedingly high plane at the
very commencement of his professional
career. and for whom it is almost impos sibie
to prophesv too high attachments which be is