St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-12-25
CULT OF THE CANVAS
A Fear Of Form Rather Than
Color in Minnesota Art
Circles.
But the Etching Needle Has
Had a Very Inspiriting
Season.
Reasons Why the Discussion
Of Art Is Pertinent to the
Season.
st. Paul Should Contemplate
a More Liberal Mood Upon
This Subject.

LII minnesota this has been a year OF
form rather than color. And isn't it
strange that, Notwithstanding, the
years cOmpensations have been we'll
balanced? Natures phenomena has
reared all abundance in meadows and
woods and harvest fields. Foliage has
been dense, vines IuXurient, grasses
soft and thick and fruit rich and plenty.
And with all this the landscape artist
hereabouts has occasion to lament.
But while the pallet may not have
been as crowded with color as might be,
the etching needle has had a season so
lnspiriting as to need but numerous
school of students for its expression.
''As the violin is the great eXpresSional
instrument III music, so is the etching
needle the greatest expreSSiOnal iDstru-
ment in art" Philip Gilbert Ham
erton and Seymour Hayden are
agreed on this, and these names
stand as among the greatest
critical opponents of the etcher's
craft. 1t may have escaped you, but it
has been sadly observed by natures
close students, that Immediately about
st. Paul, Minneapolis. and we may say
within radius of sixty miles, there
have been no such autumnal tints this
year as have charmed the eye and
quickened the sense of the sketchbook
tramp for many seasons past. Why there
should have been so little color here
abOuts has been a matter of frequent
topic.
Among that very small set in this city
who have hearts and heads and praise
and favors for art, but who, fOrSooth,
have not the means wherewith to give it
permanancy in our public halls and our
magnificent library building, and audi
forum and schools, and all the other
notable marks OF philanthropy which
have been promised. until now one can
not imagine anything but stupendous
structure of promises aud defaults sup
ported by political pillars of punk.
Minnesota, however, had no reason to
blush at her yield. In peregrlnatlng in
all directions, that fact is ever present.
But it was the popularity that in nearly
all parts of the state color was wanting
where bulk was the acme of develop
ment. So the easel and camp stool has
had to hustle, and what was put onto
canvas is all the more precious, not
altogether because of the rarity of stud
les, but because what color there was
for study seemed entirely new to the
region, often surprising in tone and
effect anything heretofore perpetuated.
During the summer the state has
been visited by several distinguished
masters. Some OF them tarried awhile,
others were ell route for the coast. The
MOrans were here in midsummer. but
saw nothing in our patronage to interest
them-a sad conclusion arrived at by
almost every worthy artist who chances
amongst us. Brown, of New York :;
Stewart, Chase, Harvey, of st. Louis;
GutherZ, of Paris; and several
others have come and gone and
l dare say few of us are the wiser. n.
r. Brewer took up his residence here 4
few years ago, yet it is in New York
where he sells his pictures: it is there
he is appreciated, recognized, patron
lied and liOniZed-nOt here. Gutherz
returned TO Paris early in November,
after having executed one of the grand
est canvaSeS which the salon boasts
this season. Who in st. Paul has
seen ii? Probably a few of his
immediate friends and those of his sub
ject, Miss Stickney. He devoted over a
hundred arduOus days to the work, his
design being to make it a fit subject in
color, composition and execution for
the obstinate competitions of the French
salon. But where were our leisure
surfeited monarchs who would retain a
thing or two of interest and pleasure
within the confines of this city? For
CRIME and smoke, and factory greases
and stenches, and manufacturing din
ard noises, there seems to be an endless
endeavOr, but for all that enlightenS,
enlivens, pOliSheS and cultivateS, there
icl Ia nd w hau apJf
we at least the beginning of an art gal
lery? Ask the moonl where is your
library building, please?" inquiries the
visiting stranger.
you will find it on Hennepin ave-
nue., fifty minutes ride from our court
house, is the satirical reply of the
quick-witted GLOBE reporter. And in
promise and gossip there have ended
all things suggested for the culture and
refinement of our rising gentry. There
have been begun score of art leagues.
Call the roll now, and you will see nine
teen Disguised ghosts rise up and pre-
sent their bills for charcoal, crayon aud
rent.
Now what makes the discussion of art
more pertinent at this time is the fact
that within week about the last of our
resident artists VINO have attained re-
putable positions i'll many places from
Rome to the Golden Gate will leave for
New YOrk-and to stay. Fagg, Post,
LaTpenteur. De GernOn, Knox, Mrs.
Knox. Anderson, GutherZ, Brewer and
some others have all tasted of US and
quit.
But we can still say that we have
men who are liberal in their views of
art in so much as the term view" ap-
plies to the optical survey of their own
picture vaults. Men with big, bullying
pockets and bigger keys to them have
some good works. But we don't see
them. In the language of high school
for if they aren't to be looked
at and unused over and mentally
digested? They can't be smelled
OF to profit. eaten with safety,
nor can we laugh, weep or think over
them, absorbing lessons of life, nature
or philosophy, if we cannot come in
contact with these ennObling compost
lions of genius, color. light, shade, air
and foTmr' If we were only granted a
schoolgirls dissertation upon them,
their beauties and purposes, we
might appreciate spur to
our imaginative faculties. But we
are even denied that little. Who
that owns pictures lectures about them?
w
Der in this city speaks of them to the
multitude, or who of such could speak
of them intelIigently? Tell me that"
quoth she of the parchment class, land
| Will crown the benefactOr with a
doughnutI' Now the fervor of this
little speech of this sweet girl graduate
was not half so extravaganza as some
things of private purpose in our pub
lie life"-leaving instances unclted.
Our broad-handed railroad magnate,
J. J. Hill. has splendid gallery, and
his magnificent stone house up on Sum-
NIT avenue more than ever hides these
treasures from public view. Mr.. Walk
er, of Minneapolis, with a smaller
house, simply delights in the enjoyment
that others find i'll a study of his works.
A short time ago there was exhibited
here what, by competent judges,
was conceded to be superb
portrait of one of our oldest