Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-10-27
NOTES ABOUT ART.

NUlED ADUUl All. .
Mr.. D. B. wALKLEY's painting of two girls
making preparations for dinner has been sold
to Pittsburg gentleman.
Mr. EMIL FORESTER has stfll-life study on
view at Youngs. The subject is > simple one,
but 1t Is very suggestive consisting mainly Of
glass OF beer and pretzel-
"PREHsToRIc NEWPORT" Is the title Of .
new etching shown at Boyd's. It Is after the
painting by William NJ. Beard and the subject
represents colony of anthropoid apes in BATH
me costumes upon the beach. makiRg love 70
are supposed to be characteristics of visitors TO
the seaside In modern times.
AN excellent mezzotint, By William sartafn.
after the painting entitled 'symphony," BY h
Siddons Mowbray, is shown at Gillespis's
There is also fne etching. the work of Peter
Lofty Elms Abound" Both of these works
are new and Of unusual excellence, the latter
particularly is Of noble style OF composition.
Mr. q. 8. KILPATR1cK has recently finished
novel work in pastel, which may be seen dur
ing the week at Mayors. The work represents
anumber Of urchIns in school, one Of whom, a.
the blackboard. seems to bs in great doubt -
to the sum of TWO and two. There is evidences
OF good composition In the arrangement Of the
ngures, but the subject is one that it Is hard %
90 Justice to in pastel, and It would have been
credit Tor originality in his work. and also for
arriving at something above the commonplace
he does not appear TO have the fault Common
70 50 many young artists, Of resting contens
with having achieved moderate degree Of suc-
cess in single line Of work
Mr. ii. s. STEVENSON has . painting on er-
hibifion at Boyd's which deserves notice a.
being one Of the best works which that artist
has yet produced 1t is one Of the studies made
by him at Cidenau during the past summer,
hsrr HUrE e.. Ex~f--
degree OF elaboration and finish Of detail that
ID marked Improvement over his usual style
Of execution. The subject shows an open feld.
bounded BY trees. The interest centers in the
ngures OF young couple reclining upon the
grass in the shade Of fruit tree ln the fore
ground. With the exception Of this spot OF
shade the scene Is bathed in sunlight; indeed.
it is life and brightness which forms the key
note OF the work. This is a very PLEASANT
picture, OF an effective style of Composition and
strong, and at the same time clean In color.
The present exhibition Of American ars
products, which Is being held ut Memorial
Hall, Philadelphia, is an Indication that =
popular interest is being awakened in this very
important subject Aleadipg feature of the
exhibit Is the display made By the manufact-
urers Of stained glass. Thisis becoming most
important industry. and it is one in which We
are now turning out products Of superior ex-
eellence. Prizes are to be awarded, Consisting
Of gold, silver and bronze medals, for the best
exhibit In three different classes in this indus
try. and cash prize Of 500 tor the best design
Tor an ornamental window. The other most
important exhibits " viii be In pottery: poree.
york, etc, all Of which must be entirely Of
American manufacture. There will also be
medals awarded in the pottery and other allied
industries.
A FINE painting BY Julien Deprss is now on
exhibition at the Gillespie gallery, where IL IL
sure to attract the attention Of all who apprs-
ciate fne art work. The subject represented ID
scene in haymaking time, showing field OF
new-mown hay. In the foreground are the
figures Of two women and q man, the latter
drinking from a stone mug which has evident
ly Just been handed him by one Of the women,
who still holds the earthenWare vessel from
which the beverage has been found. The thres
figures are good in drawing and life-like tn
acrion, and As regards color, the work il
strong throughout Beyond the figures =
glimpse Of distant meadows may be seen, but
the landscape Is much subordinate 70 the In
terest which centers In the harvesters who arc
resting moment from their toll A great deal
of technical skin is evidenced by the manner in
which this work has been handled, particular
ly in the foreground, where the effect Of leose-
tangled hay has been clearly rendered By =
few free touches of the brush
OF late years we have been accustomed to
fatter ourselves that in the art Of wood en-
craving We could give some points to most
"
Linton, celebrated English wood engraYer.
and says this is not so, and that our wood cuts
do not show any signs of beauty OF illness, or
indicate that the engraver's possessed any
brains or intelligence. This is really too bad.
After thinking for some years past that We were
stepping to the front in tbis particular branch
Of art, and producing the finest book iIlustra-
tions that were exhibited anywhere In the
world, and after making showing at the Paris
Exposition that It would be difhcult for any
other nation to equal; after all this, to be told
that our engravers are devoid Of brains and
intelligence hurts our vanity and makes
US feel badly. Mr.. Linton, with . deep
penetration that Is all his own.has also dis
covered that American engravers appear TO have
no perception Of the forms Of objects or the
textures of different substances. Al this b
news to most of US and If it Is true We have
been Iaboring under fond Illusion. We have
grown 80 used to the idea that We did know
something about this particular graphic pro-
cess, that the pain Of this rude awakening 70 >
knowledge Of our ignoFance is scarcely amelio-
rated by Mr.. Linton's frank admission that the
modern American school of wood engraving
displays marvellous mechanism and W0nder-
full superiority as regards color and tons-
With these last mentioned excellent results at
tanned By our wood sngraFers, the majority Of
the more intelligent and cultivated people ok
the country were quite familiar even before
Mr.. Linton discovered them The niceness OF
touch, and wonderful skill in producing many
delicate and varied effects Of tone. displayed
by our best engrayers really IS marvellous. and
we know H. But In spite Of this undisputed
critic with . failure to present any eTicence
that they possess the slightest knowledge
Of perspective. Such an assertion may be ac~
cepted as q truth BY those who know nothing
whatever about the matter, but the major Dor
tion of the reading public Is too well informed
to credit II. There is not the least necessity
for denying charge like this; such bold ~
sertion refutes itself. Even those unfamiliar
with the subject may obtain the most ample
evidence of Its falsity. Let anyone take up
some OF eur magazines or other periodicals
the illustrations OF landscape spbjects which
lead the eye from the immediate foreground
over hillside and prairie, or along the winding
course of road OF stream, and they viii readily
perceive that such work could never have been
produced BY men greatly lacking In knowledge
Of perspective. It Is well to listen to criticism
coming from any one who may fairly be con-
sidered as competent 70 judge. sad Il is ex-
tremely probable that there Is spice Of truth
in what Mr.. Linton has said Of Us bur Il Is ex-
pressed in far stronger language than the 0eea~
sion calls for, It viii not do the least harm.
however, and may In the end be productive Of
good as any interest aroused in the subjeet
may tend 70 the eradication Of faults which
really exist. AS regards the work Of book y
ustration our engravers lead the world, and
the wood cuts in our periodicals. are much su-
perior 20 any similar European publications.
While this Is undoubtedly true. 1hers Is still
perhaps, much that We may learn from other
nations and they from rs, but under existing
rfrrr, will aonrna1v oa1Iad