Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-09-13

are very much At limit A boy 10 expected 70
acquire an education; a girl is expected to ac-
quire one II it happens to be possible or con-
venient In regard to painting, If girls
parents are in good circumstances this art 10
looked upon as an accomplishment and she de-
veiops into q very passable amateur. III the
girls parents are poor she must be expected to
earn something toward her own support while
learning her art All this binders her and
makes it impossible for her to get a thorough
education.
EUROPE NOT NEEDED.
The idea Of going to Europe to study is a
wrong one nine times out of ten. Why, do
you ask2 Because there are good schools here.
Let girl get thoroughly grounded in her art
here and then 60 TO France or Germany to see
the beautiful works of art; but if she study
there from the beginning she is apt TO lose her
originality and to become simply o copyist OF
the master she prefers. Hero there is no par
ticuiar school to copy; there is no American
school OF painting as yet You know.
Now, my idea in regard to n course OF art
study abroad IL that young woman may paint
pretty pictures, but they won't be her own.
They will be her masters. or course it 10 very
delightful being abroad, rs all the surround
ings of the art world are pleasant but II it is
question OF study one can do that quite as
well in this country.
Most young women want to paint figures.
Now flower painting is to me delightful
study although, as you know, my specially 10
marine painting. But women are very apt to
think lightly of flower painting. ANY one,
they think. can paint daisy sunfiower.
For this reason we see much amateur work in
this line. but no very good results, simply be-
cause flower painting is considered so easy
that any one can do it, while in reality to paint
a flower is just a. diff ;ult as to paint anything
else.
think designing is an excellent thing for
woman to learn. q work that is more her
province than a mans, as she has better taste.
some women have succeeded admirably as
stchers. There is Mrs. Moran. for instance,
who excels in this line. The demand tor etch-
ings however, depends upon the fashion Of
tho hour-a year or so ago everybody etched
and everybody sold etchings because they
we're the fashion; but this has been overdone
until etchings are drug in the market and
one can buy them now for almost nothing.
There are. OF course, etchings that always keep
their value.
KENYON COX,
ono Of the instructors Of the Art League School,
thinks that if women wish to accomplish any
thing as artists they must work more thor
oughly. His experience in teaching has been
that while they take up the art more quickly
than men they have not the perseverance to go
us far. Schools in Europe are not as good AZ
they are here and generally young woman
her very much to her own devices. The JULIEN
ut Paris is good school and in Copenhagen
there ia also fine art school.
There have been very few women artists;
Rosa Bonheur stands at the head of her pro-
fession, but had she been man she never
would have achieved any great renown; her
brother Auguste consider quite a. good a
painter, yet what Is his reputation? Illustrat-
ing I consider rather lucrative branch of the
art, and some women make worry good living
by this means; Miss Barber. who illustrates for
Scribners, has been very successful. The
prices paid for illustrations vary from fifteen
to twenty five or hundred dollars; the latter,
think. ia the highest price ever paid for Q
single illustration. There is something pre-
carious about this work, however; sometimes
have nothing to do in this line.
tPastels at present are the fashion and
should think girl who has q taste for por-
traiture, as well as talent, might make q very
good living at pastel portrait painting. The
prices paid for a portrait are not high, but the
work is more quickly accomplished than paint
ing in oils.
Mr.. n. sIDDoNs MowBRAY
studied in Bonnat's atelier and is the instructor
in drawing and painting from life at the Art
Leaugue and the Metropolitan Museum School.
Speaking from his experience az teacher he
says that there are too many women
going into pictorial art That is all very well
if they do not expect to make their living by
IL. He thinks it is q mistake to offer too much
drawing unless q girl has marked talent. At
the Art League there are nearly eighty pupils
hoping to get into the life class. He fears
many Of them will be disappointed.
Most OF the pupils in his classes at the Art
League and the Metropolitan hope to make
their living by their art II girl wishes to fit
herself thoroughly she must spend three or
four years in constant study. She cannot get
a dose OF art in six months; the length OF time
to devote to study, of course, depends in
measure upon the pupil. We take all our
students upon the superstition that they are to
become fuil-fedged artists. The test comes in
the life class, and one by one they must be
dropped out If they show lack OF talent or ap-
plication.
1.-THE quickest results from pecuniary view
come from illustrating for the papers and
magazines; yet here is the drawback, that all
our best artists are now willing to illustrate,
aud naturally they occupy the field to the ex-
clusion OF others OF less experience. The
magazines, however, are very fair and always
pay the price for the best work, whether by
man or woman"
1t naturally requires something more than
the ability to draw and paint we'll to illustrate:
one must also possess that rare gift-imagins-
ton. Often very clever pupils-those who do
really strong work-fail az illustrators from
this very want of the ideal faculty.
Practical designing is going to prove a lucra-
tive profession and one which the wise Young
woman, who has taste for art will study.
So it will be seen that the field is wide and
the harvest II promising, but the laborers
must work, work, work, INCREASINGLY. It il
the only way to success. Go in and win, little
sister! FOSTER CoArEs.