Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1889-05-22
WHAT A PLUcKY WOMAN CAN
DO
Some Achievements OF a Brave
American Girl IN Art

II Is gratifying 20 know that In at
least one branch Of art We can success
fully compete with foreign schools, and
more than gratifying to be able to maine
a woman as one of the four pioneers TO
whom the honors of this achievement
are due.
Up TO a very few years ago all stained
glass windows worthy of being ranked
among works of art were imported from
abroad. Small country churches might
indeed filter the sunlight for their
sanctuaries through American cunglon-
crates Of color, but no cathedral or
memorial chapel with wealth at its com
mand would give room 10 the gaudy
panes Of our crude manufacture. Now
this Is all changed Even Grace
Church, New York, where nothing but
the best, the very best, that man can
devise and money buy Is admissible,
Miss Mary +. Tillinghast, an American,
has IA window, jacobs Ladder" p" which
even the most critical coucede to toe
equal to the finest foreign production
in the edifce.
The placing of this particular window
was intended by the Countess de Moltke
and the MarchiOness de Portes as a me-
mortal 10 their parents. Miss Tilling
hast was among those who sent in de-
signs for II. The Committee accepted
her design, after much reluctance TO
give So important an undertaking into
the hands of "A woman, and an American,
but the beauty of the design compelled
them They then. stipulated that at
least II should be made Of English glass.
This Miss Tilhnghast refused. She
held that American glass, the manufac-
tUre Of which had languished for years,
was now equal 10 any produced abroad,
and her patriotic determination carried
the point. American glass Is now con
ceded TO he superior to the English
Other triumphs had been hers. Mrs.
ID. L. Morgan gave her carte blanche
for the decorations of her Washington
home, now the Don Cameron house;
Edward Field, son of Cyrus, did the
same for his house in Gramercy Park;
Bell, of telephone fame, did the same;
with her then partner, La Fargo, she
got the contract for decorating the
Union League Club and the Vanderbilt
houses, and Cornelius Vanderbilt paid
her $50 600 for Inventing and making
the new kind Of tapestries which hang
IN his home. The window in Grace
Church, therefore, was not her first
laurel
Her latest work is Just approaching
completion, and is intended for st.
Marks Church IN Orange, where il
viii hc placed IN a few days. IL is
memorial 20 Mrs. James L. Field by
her husband. The motif Is the annun-
citation. The heavenly messenger ap-
pears To Mary as she Is kneeling at
prayer. The figure of the archangel Is
IN strong relief against background
Of sky and distant hill, showing beyond
the porch the temple. The figure Of
the Virgin Is slugulurly graceful, and
the draperIes are eXqUIsItely managed.
The culurs are rich and effective, yet so
carefully chosen and graded as 10 I,
wholly eliminate the chromatic dis |
cords frequently seen IN stained-glaSs |
work. Above Is trefoil, filed with |
cloud effects and thronged with cherub ]
faces, and below Is a seated angel hold I
ing the memorial scroll The grada- /
ton of light Is charmingly managed, /
bringing the Virgin and the messenger |
out as though sources themselves Of the /
radiance which fills the scene. In ]
drawing. composition and color IL Is
strikiuglv beautiful and effective.
For a Young woman who began art as
"A dIlletautc, and only took it up as a
profession when reverscs in the family
fortunes compelled, these are notable
IL cannot be said. in
deed, that Miss Tilliughast's schooling
was American, for she studied for six
years under the great Carulus Duran,
IN Paris, but the pluck, perseverance
and tlreleSs energy which have placed /
her fame and fortune where they are
these are American to a degree.