Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-10-26

5S'' w.
WILLIAM NJ. CHASE, the we'll kno wn painter,
disoourses in recent issue of the New York
Herald upon the art of portrait painting. Mr..
Chase is always entertaining when he writes or
talks, and in this article he relates many anus
ing chats with distinguished sitters, and offers
many hints to students. He has this to say OF
photography: The recent improvements In
photography have not aided portrait painting.
On the contrary they have retarded it. They
have been the means of causing to be accepted
kind of work as art which Is not art at all.
We become accustomed to see ourselves por-
trayed by 4 camera, ALWAYS blissfully conscious
that we are about to perpetuate our likeness
Tor all time. Photography has caused many
persons to fail to appreciate the differ-
ence between the mechanical catchlng
of likeness and real art work. They
gauge the value of a portrait solely by
it resemblance to the living original. Great
portraits have great art value in addition to
their value as likenesses' They are valuable
as pictures as well as portraits. The
caricaturIsts on the comic papers make like.
nesses. yet their likenesses are not works OF
art. They are not fiue pictures. Upon every
corner we find photographers case nl!ed
with machine made pictures, and after seeing
them many of us assume that we know great
deal more than we really do. Some of us are
able to buy Bouguereau ana we really like
lt-yes. we really like it; and we think we
know what is good in art after having seen it
and are ready to pronounce Judgment upon
anything we come in contact with. We are too
much given to looking at the surface of
things"
Mr.. H. s. STEVENSON shows this week, at
Boyd's, three small water-color paintings which
give evidence of conscientious work and in
creased strength. Two are pictures of cattle
and one landscape, evidently painted at Long
Run, Mr. Stevenso, is now engaged on portrait
work, and his evening class has resumed with
a promising attendance.
.t.
THE quality or quantity of color which en-
ters into the production of an oil painting is
not usually considered of any moment what
ever. 1t is a simple fact, hewever. that the
quality of the color used is of the utmost i'm
portance and has much to do with the final ap-
pearance of painting. There are certain col
ors which, if used, will almost certainly destroy
the brilliancy and finer qualities of work.
Indian yellow and bitumen are notably danger
oGs pigments In a comparatively short time
they will change color and effect to greater or
less extent all the colors with which they have
been mixed. The Journal Of Photography
recently gave some interesting information
concerning the sources from which colors are
secured. Sepia, for instance Is the inky fluid
discharged by the cuttlefsh, Carmine is OBJ
tanned from the cochineat insects. Prussian
blue is obtained by fusing horses hoofs, and
other refuse animal matter with potassium car
Donate. Blue-black is from the charcoal of
vine stalks. Turkey-red is from the madder
plant of Hindostan. Gamboge comes from
the yellow sap of the Siamese tree. Raw sienna
is natural earth from Sienna, Italy, and um-
Der is also earth. from UmDria. Real ultrama-
rine is very seldom used and commands fabu-
lous price. 1t is from the precious lapis-lazuli
Chinese white is zinc. Scarlet is iodide of mer-
curry and cinnabar native vermilion is from
quicksilver ore.
Mr.. GEORGE HETzEL is engaged on char
acteristic landscape which he will contribute,
with Others probably, to the exhibition of the
Academy of FIne,Arts, Philadelphia. The ex-
hibition will open January 29 Mr. Hetzel
has resumed his duties at the Pittsburg Art
School, which is more prosperous this season
than ever before.
Mr.. JOHN W. BLACK became the possessor
during the week, of a very excellent painting
by Mr.. WALL Mr.. Black displayed discriminat-
ing taste in the selection of this Pittsburg
work, as well as excellent,buslness Judgement
because good pictures by Plttsburg artists have
steadily increased in value during the past few
years, and they are destined to still further in
crease. This is one of the legitimate results of
the presence in our midst, at frequent intervals.
of collections of paintings from abroad. The
shrewdest picture buyers begin to realize that
good pictures are good pictures, no matter
where produced, and that there is not always
would seem to indicate. The presence of fine
pictures has also greatly stimulated the interest
In art generally, and are now no longer bought
for household decorations, but because OF their
intrinsic worth.
"a
Mr.. d. B. WALKLEY has returned from
Ohio. where he spent the summer, with many
good sketches as a result of the seasons work.
He contemplates trip TO the mountains this
week. where he will spend fortnight sketch
ing, after which he will resume his duties at
the School of Design, and in his studio.
sAx
DID you ever chance to glance within the
covers of catalogue and price list of plaster
casts? The glimpse of art caught therein is not
of poetry or the divine inspiration or
creative genius usually associated with the sub
ject Indeed there is the least suggestion of
the ludicrous in the presentation of the plaster
of-Pars wares mo. 6Oo: nose of Minerva, SO
cents: No. COL, pumpkin, so cents; CO., mouth of
King Agrippa, 50 cents; 6O3 right eye of David,
by Michael Angelo. 81; nose of David. by Mich
ael Angelo, 70 cents; ear. left, ditto, 75 cents;
ear right, ditto, rs cents, and great variety of
all fine casts. from % cents to Slr'
x+Y
Mr.. A. L. DALEY has just completed por-
trait of Judge Magee, and is now engaged on a
portrait of Judge Slagle. Mr.. Dalby confines
himself to portraiture, and has probably trans
people than any other painter In the city.
.ts
AN interesting collection of works by Amer
ran wood engravers is being exhibited in the
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, which will con-
.inue until November 30 next. Four hundred
Ind forty-two engravings are shown, including !
plates by Kingsley, Kruell, Lindsay Muller, |
Powell Putnam Putnam srillhwick spiegle. stander
Atwood, Fullerton, Hoskin, Queng. |
ing, Sylvester. Tell, Whitney and Linton. The |
irst named, Eldrldge Kingsley, received the |
highest honor at the Paris Exposition of 1890, a |
,old medal
THE Hazeltine collection of paintings arrived |
last and on Friday was displayed in
he Gillespie gallery. There are MANY notable
iames represented by the collection. and the
pictures Will doubtless receive the careful con-
LIBERATION OF Plttsburg connoisseurs.
-
ANDREW SHoRIGI, the well-known artist in
resco, returned last week from pleasure trip
o Monongahela City. Mr.. Shorigi has become
very expert amateur photographer and Sc
cured as mementos of his vacation MANY re- |
narkably clear and artistic negatives One is
specially fine in the higher pictorial qualities,
{ represents youth, standing in a quaint,
picturesque fatboat, polling it across the river.
seated in the stern is a woman with a child in
Ter arms, and the motive is as fine as need be
VI al iulpoitdhb PdintluE. |
~
THE one hundred and fifty-ninth reception
the Art Society was held Monday evening in
he Academy of Science and Art, and was
lost enjoyable one.
a..
A SMALL picture by Mr.. A. 8. Wall was seen
{ the Gillespie Gallery for a brief time last
'eek. 1t is not very often the elder Mr.. Wall
nds time in the hurry of a busy business life
D indulge his natural talent, but when he does
g touches the canvas with a masters hand. |
his little picture is unusually powerful, even