Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-03-10
PALETTE AND EASEL.
A Gradual, bur Marked Return TO Oii
Painted Portraits.

Previous to the invention of photography IL
was considered essential to the proper NAM
tenance of the family dignity to have its leaolng
members sit for portraits in oil. with Wnlcn 70
adorn the chief room of the dwelling. But
photography came and, like Othello's, the por-
trait painters occupation was gone, and the
family album upon the table quickly took tne
place of the family portrait gallery upon the
walls This was step in the direction Oh good
taste, even though made with an altogether
dlnerenr object in view. As means Oh pre-
serving true likeness of persons the work OF
the camera is superior to that of many of the
artists whom it has supplanted, and its COM
parative cheapness admits of numerous pictures
being taken at different times and under vaTi-
ous conditions. while true art is the gamer by
the absence of the portraits from the walls,
even though no other decoration had been
found to take their place.
Of late years. however. there has been evil
dence of very marked desire to return to the
old custom OF having portraits painted IN OIL,
and photography has been pressed into service
to aid and simplify the work OF the artist.
There is. however, an essential difference be-
tween the portraits of to-day and those of for
mer times; we may be in danger of encounter
ing an avalanche of commonplace work, but
nothing so abominably bad as at one time
found sale is likely to De imposed upon Us, for
people accustomed to photographs will not
long rest content with such execrable pant
ings. A really good likeness in oil possesses
many valuable features which cannot be at
they have also one serious drawback, and that
is their expensiveness. When high price has
been paid for a picture it is not regarded as be-
ing complete until it is supplied with corre-
spondingly elaborate frame, and by that time
1t has become such costly article OF furniture
that 1t must be given the post OF honor and
shown off upon every possible occasion.
There is noticeable of late years, however,
marked improvement in public taste in mat
ters of this kind, and it is altogether probable
that those who cannot easily afford paintings
viii, for the most part, content themselVes
with the Less expensive style of portraits. and
that those who do buy the former will have
the sense to not make them too prominent a
feature of home adornment nor yet to over
power them with frames, the costliness
and beauty of which renders them of
far greater interest than the pictures
they inclose. The increase in knowl-
edge and appreciation of art works
will also go far toward precluding the possi-
bility of return to the old-time daubs, and it
is reasonable to assume that the number of
portraits not having some positive merit, which
find their way into our homes, will be exceed
ingly small. The class of so-called artists who
painted portraits in much the same spirit as
modern sign writers execute an order. has also
passed away. and their place has been taken by
men who have reputation to sustain. and who
think more of producing work satisfactory to
themselves than Of the praise they are to re-
ceive for it. With better artists to do the work
and better taste on the part of those ordering
1t, portraits in oil are likely to be infinitely
superior to what the majority of them were at
one time, and in place of being eyesores will be
something to admire and value.