Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-09-13
WOMAN AS AN ARTIST.
Five Recognized Authorities Talk
About Her Future 10 Art
NO NEED OF GOING TO EUROPE
American schools ~ Good ~ Any-She
Can DO rs Well as NIcn and Get Good
Prices for Her LabOr-Fame md For.
sune Within Reach Of All.
tCopyriThted.1
Written for The EVENING STAR.

| Ia Never before in her history has she had
| al HAso many avenues open to her. She is no
longer dependent upon the sterner sex
N3e1W She is bread winner herself. She Inns
invaded every branch OF manual work. and to
her credit DO it said she has proved herself
| painstaking and hard worker.
Now. it would seem that she has gone In for
art not because she wants to while away an
idle hour, but because she wants to earn her
| living by painting. Five distinguished artists
! have given me their opinion on her chances of
success. They are Messrs. Chase, Smillie, De
| Haas. Kenyon Cox and Siddons Mowbray.
They speak unreservedly. and what they say
may we'll be needed. All agree that women
| should and do make as good painters as men
| when they settle down to work. There IL fame
| and fortune for them, too and an ver-widening
| field of usefulness. One feature that all of
these gentlemen make clear and dwell upon ia
that it is no longer necessary for women to 60
abroad to study. Our own schools are Just as
good as those in Europe. Those who can
| afford to will OF course be benefited. but a
journey to Europe is not necessary. Another
| important point brought out is that women are
| now doing strong work men, as 1t is
| almost impossible to tell whether mans or .
| woman's hand has held the brush.
WILLIAM NJ. cHAsE's VIEWS.
''What woman can do in art and what there is
for her in it as profession 10 now being tested
| for the first time" said MIR. William NJ Chase,
| the artist, to me the other day. Mr. Chase, in
| addition to painting beautiful pictures, finds
| time to give instruction to classes at the Art
League. He is known to everybody as great
artist, and this school he considers tho best in
| the country. Here the young woman has an
| opportunity to show her capabilities as an ar
| fist, and from her Mr.. Chase declares that he
| i,,<t ,aF
| has never before Been thoroughly tested, and
now that a course is open for her she must
| work. The pretty little pansy in gold frame
| hanging in one corner of the academy is q
| thing OF the past. 1t is crious work now.
| ''Of course, rs in everything else, she must
| be absolutely thorough" said Mr.. Chase. Zone
great drawback with women is their SUPER
sensitiveness. They fear they won't reach
their goal and often become unnecessarily dis
| couraged
II have had great many lady pupils and
have been much pleased with their progress;
| for instance. Rosina Emmett. now Mrs. Sher-
wood, Miss Dora Wheeler and Miss Hecker
| have made very successful records for
themselves as artists and have shown what
women can do with the paint brush. In France
there is Miss Bertha Morsot, who is quite
I famous painter, and a young Philadelphia,
Miss Mary Cassett. has done some good work
Yes. there is q long list, from Rosa Bopheur to
| Elizabeth Gardner, who have shown that
|
| Louise Breslew, mentioned III the story Of
Marie Bashkirtsef.
| PROFESSION NOT An ACCOMPLISHMENT.
| AT present, however, the successful woman
! artist is the sxception-and for this reason,
that painting is too often taken up as an &c
complshment and not as a PROFESSIONALS the
| field should be open for women and the ques-
| ton never raised whether a painting IL by a
| man or a woman; the character OF tho work
4 oh oil hn he fvv,n a,t ivo,r IT.
courage woman in this field prizes have been
| offered Of late at The academy. Among tho sue
| cessful competitors ut different times have
been Mrs. Condie Lamb and Mrs. Jewell. Tho
| idea ia to bring ont the best possible ideas of
| women IN this direction.
Il seldom assist my pupils; they must do
their own work, SO that when they leave me they
may be Independent. In one OF my classes NJ
| the Art League the pupils are doing very
| strong work; I would defy any one to tell
whether the work was by o man or O woman.
Whether women can make fairly good living
| az artists do not know. There is no reason,
| it seems to me, why they should not do so. In
| regard to an education, they can learn better
here than any other place that know Of al
| though l should advise q girl to 60 abroad
after she had taken . thorough course in this
country"
WHAT Mn. GEORGE n. SMILE THINKS.
Painting is not good business for any one
| from peeuniary standpoint" Mr.. George H.
| Smile, the artist, declares. "Nor is it well
for her to enter field already filed with men,
| who are physically stronger and better able to
make the fight for a living, although I think
that women are well adapted by their natural
good taste and instinct for color for the profess
sion Of artists. There are few women markedly
gifted; when they possess extraordinary talent
| il is q different thing-with the average Of
talent there 10 too much competition. As for
! the branches Of the art which offer the most
l arax; oh Av;an
ing. There is large field for designers for
wall paper, carpets and book covers, aud textile
| fabrics are always in demand and pretty well
paid for. The potteries, too, have at different
times offered prize, just how much I do not
| remember, for an improved postal card, SO
| you see this field ID broad one and widening
all the time
II think, as a rule, the woman who seeks for
an immediate return for her years Of study
must turn to teaching. Here she can earn
| from six to twelve hundred dollars q year, il
| she makes a connection with a school. l am
surprised at the number of women who make
| a Living in this way. Many come to me during
their vacations to brush up and keep them
selves fresh. and my busiest times, as far as
teaching is concerned ARE during the Christmas
and summer holidays. Teaching seems to be
the best outlet, as it offers q fairly good and
reliable salary.
'In regard to portraiture, IL IL the last round
Of the ladder and the young woman who has
realizing substantial returns for her work, for
there Ii no more remunerativs branch OF the
art, In my opinion. There are few good por-
trait painters, but always greater demand for
| them than for ideal work.
ART EDUCATION.
Concerning an art education all the requisites
Of one eau be obtained In this country. There
are many good schools and mon directing them
who were educated abroad and who bring to
| bear all the methods Of the European schools.
OF course it Is lberalizing and broadening for
one to 60 to Italy or France, but il IL not 90
essential a. 1t was fifteen years ago. For now
We have the metropolitan schools, where they
have q corps of instructors In technical design,
| for the study Of the cast and fgures. There
arc the Academy Of Design and the Art League
The latter 10 an offshoot Of the academy, some
| Of its members being teachers. Cooper Union
| is . very good school; then there are o number
| Of private enterprises that have more or less
excellent qualities. A very liberal education
can therefore be obtained in this country. II
| is a sort Of q polishing process, going abroad,
where one puts on the last finishing touches A
few years ago residence in some Of the art
cities Of Europe was quite essential and much
| the fashion, but that has died out, both q
fashion and ~ . necessity.
As to young girls living remote from cities
! and art schools, there are very few who un-
| aided and alone can develop their genius
/ once In . while, In literature, you find man
| who 10 able to develop high grade Of talent
| out Of the western wiids, but he IL obliged to
come 10 civilization to make ii bear fruit. Un-
| she must spend much time in the schoois lido
L Eno ~ ri ~ "A han