San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-02-11

however, as IL was uOU YET luncheon tIlle, Iue
rooms were but moderately filled. 1t was
possible to see the pictures, to appreciate the
spring dresses, and to single out friend even
across the long gallery. The usual people
were there; academicians of the old school
and academicians of the new; r. A s coming
from Kensington and the regions of cul-
ture," and r, AS coming from
more northerly and provincial neigh
borhoods where art lives little DESC
lately and barely, i'll want of the graces and
adOrnings with which culture processes to
provide her There were politicians still
capable-as it was only the first week of May
of throwing some zast into their amuSe-
mentS. There were art critics who, accus-
toned as they were by profession to take
their art in large and rapid drauGhtS, had
yet been unable to content themselves with
tie one meager day allowed by the academy
for the examination Of some 500 works, and
were now eking out their notes Of the day
before by a few supplementary iottings
taken in the intervals of conversation with
their lady friends. There were the great
Dealers bctraying in look and Ialt their pro
found, yet modest, consciousness that upon
them rested the foundations OF the artistic
order, and that if, in superficial conception
of things the star of an academcian differs
from that of the man who buys his pictures
inGlory, the truly philosophical mind assesses
matters differently And, most important
of all, there were the women, old and young,
some i'll the full freshness of spring cottons,
as if the east wind outside were not hooking
the efforts of the May sun, and others still
wrapped in furs, which showed juster sense
of the CapriCes of the English climate
Among them one might distinguish the usual
shades and species; the familiar country
cousin, gathering material for the over
awing of such of her neighbors as were I'M
able to dip themselves every year in the
stream of London; the women folk Of the
artist world, presenting greater varieties of
type than the women of any other class can
boast: and lastly, sprinEling of tho women
of what calls itself "LOudOn soCiety,n as
we'll dressed, as well hammered, and as we'll
provided with acquaintance as is the custom
of their kind.
In one of the further rooms, more scantily
Peoped as yet than the rest, a tall, thin man
was strOlling listleSsly from picture to pic
ture, making every now and then hasty ref
ercnCes to his catalogue, but in general eye
ing all he saw with the look of one in whom
familiarity with the sight before him had
bred WEAKNESS, if not contempt lie was
handsome man, with Il broad brow and a
pleasant gentleness of expression. The eyes
were fine and thoughtful, and there was q
combination of intellectual force with great
delcacy of line in the contour of the head
and face which was particularly attractive,
especially to women of the more cultivated
and impressionable sort. His thin, grayish
boir Of y
length which inevitably challenges the de-
ciSion of the bystander as to whether the
wearer be fool or poet, but still long enough
to fall little careleSsly round the head and
so take off from the spruce, conventional
effect of the owners irreproachable dress and
general London air.
Mr. EuStace Kendal-to give the person
we have been describing his name-was not
apparently III n good temper with his sur
roundings. He was standing with a dissat- |
isied expression before Venetian scene
drawn by brilliant member of group of |
English artists settled on foreign soil and |
trained in foreign methods.
mot SO good as last year." he was remark
ing to himself. Vulgar drawing, vulgar I
hasty work everywhere. 1t is |
success spoils all these men-SuccesS and the |
amount Of money there is going. The man |
who painted this didn't get any pleasure out |
of it. But it's the same all round 1t is |
money and luxury and the struggle to live |
which are driving us all on and killing the |
artists natural joy in his work. And pres
emily, as that odd little Frenchmau said to |
me last year, We shall have dropped irretriev-
ably into the lowest depth of mediocrity.'"
"Kendall' said an eager voice close to his
ear, while hand was laid on his arm, do /
you know that Girlr
Kendall turned in astonishment and saw
short oldiSh man, in whom he recognized
FAMOUS artist standing hv. his keen. mobiE=