The morning call., 1891-02-22
CHRISTINE'S
CRYSTALS
The Manner in Which Pretty Stage
Pictures Are Made.
A Famous Master of the scenic-Painters' Art
Is Communicative and Reveals Some
Interesting Professional Secrets.
Written for THE SUNDAY CALL.

manager, and in the absence of that flnc-
tionary his duties devolve to a great extent
upon the scene-painter. To be sure, every
combination has nominal stage manager,
but the arrangements for the production OF
the play must all be perfected before his
arrival.
scene plot giving list of all the seem
cry required, is sent to the scenic artist
week in advance of the company, and he
must select from his stock on hand, or paint
If necessary, such scenes as he deems most
appropriate. He must make for the stage
carpenter models of any houses, staircases
or other structures which the latter is re-
quired to build. and so must be a mechanic
as well as painter. He is frequently called
upon to assist the propertyman also, and
his mechanical ingenuity is often taxed to
the utmost to construct movable moon,
an aurora boreals or some of the other
heavenly bodies, or to fit the fieShly ones Of
fair ballet-girls with realistic wings in spec
tacular pieces.
THE PAINT-RooM OF A THEATER.
There are no schools in which the scenic
artist may acquire his profession save in the
paint-room of the theater. While pre-
paratory course of study similar to that for
landscape or portrait painting would be of
them ever enjoy such an advantage. They
generally begin as apprentices to some
scene-painter by making themselves gener-
ally useful about the paint-room. The
salary OF scene painter ranges from SIS to
500 per week. Harley Merry, the English
artist, received the latter figure at the
Chestnut-street Theater, Philadelphia, dur
ing the season OF 1876, under the manage
ment of Gemmill, Scott & Co. A good
average man is usually paid about $40 per
week.
The question what nation has produced
the best scenic artists has been often asked.
and it cannot be denied that America has
given birth to some great ones. First and
foremost of those now living is Richard
Marston, for so many years scenic artist OF
the Union-square Theater, New York.
Then there is Henry Hoyt, who for several
years was the scenic artist CT the Arch
street Theater in Philadelphia, and who is
now lo"ated in New York. As a painter of
draperes, he has never been surpassed by
any scenic artist. While at the Arch lie
painted blue-lace chamber which is such
model of beauty, realism and good lasts
that it has become famous throughout the
profession. 1t is still included il the stock
scenery at the Arch, and every combination
playing there and requiring a handsome
chamber set asks for Hoyts "blue lace"
HOyt is also famous for his drop curtains.
Those which he painted for Niblo's Garden,
New ork and Tor the Arch street Thea ter
In Philadelphia have been greatly admired.
THE CRUCIAL TEST.
Drop curtains, by the way, are the crucial
test OF n scenic artists ability. A scene that
Is poorly painted may be made TO seem
triumph of art by the aid of yariously COL
ored calcium lights, or its worst defects may
be concealed by set pieces placed i'll front of
it. Many an incompetent artist has won a
spectacular piece, mediocre scenery which
has been made to look positively gorgeous
III its way But poor drop curtain can call
none Of these adventurous aids to its relief.
1t hangs straight UP and down in the full
glare OF the footlights, and must stand or
fall wholly upon It's own merits,
One OF the Oldest veterans in The ranks of
clever scenic artists is Richard Hawthorne.
In his prime he ranked with the best, and
Howard Rogers, who was for many years
connected with McVicker's Theater, Chi
cage, where be produced some noble tri-
umphS of theatrical painting, deserves to be
ciaSsed among the most gifted of scenic
artists. But, taking all things into consid-
GRAFTON, think the palm for superiority in
painting for the stage should be awarded to
the scenic artists OF old England. | speak
solely from an artistic standpoint, and my
judgment is wholly free from national bias,
for | am an American.
English sceBic artists as a class possess
breadth and freedom of style that are un-
equaled by those of any other nationality.
These qualities, which are the highest ex-
cellences in scene painting, are especially
noticeable in their landscapes, which are
simply unapproachable, possessing, as they
do at once beauty, Il realism and a fidelity
to nature which we look for in vain in the
work OF the scenic artists Of any other
land.
THE BEST OF JOHN BULL.
America has got the best of John Bull
IN many instances. She has beaten him at
war, at boxing, rowing, yacht-racing, shoot
ing and many other things, but in stage
painting SIZE is not yet his equal She has
had too niany forests to cut down. too many
rivers to bridge, too many railroads TO build
to have much time left for the cultivation of
the fine arts as they are cultivated abroad,
but when she shall have attained the present
age OF England and shall have ACCOMPLISHED
all the tasks of more prosaic nature al
lotted to her, there is no reason why she
should not surpass England in the matter of
stage painting as she has done in SO many
other things.
Among tile best of all the English stage
painters, whose works have been shown in
this country, is James Roberts, scenic artist
OF Days Theater, New York. Harley
Merry. whom l have already mentioned as
having been at one time connected with the
Chestnut-street Theater, Philadelphia, is
another of rare merit
Both France and Italy have produced
good scene-painters. The works of the lat
ter have been seen here in several of the
great spectacular pieces produced by the
Kiralfy Brothers and other managers. Gus
tave Dore. the great French artist, has
painted at least one drop-curtain for an
American thsater. When the Kiralfy
Brothers built the old South Broad-street
Iheater in Philadelphia, they employed
Dore to paint their act drop at his studio in
Paris. 1t was beautiful represen taton OF
the finding of the Enchanted Beauty By
Prince Perfect, and depicted the Prince Just
as he was approaching his castle lost in
amazement at seeing all the courtiers and re-
tainers wrapt in their 100 years sleep. 1t
was beyond all question the most magnlfi-
cent WORK or art ever painted for any the a.
ter IN this country, and many persons visited
the, South Broad expressly. to see it,
and not the performance. 1t was first
displayed when thu theater opened its
doors for the first time during the CenteD-
NAL Exposition, and during the continuance
OF that great show it elected warm express
slons OF praise from art critics Of all nation
alites.
A wELL@KNowN ARTIST.
William Voegtlin is probably better known
In this country than any other French scenic
artist, his name having been made familiar
to our play-goers by the Lights O. Lon
dom and other melodramatic productions
OF semi-spectacular kind for which he has
furnished the scenery
But the greatest OF all scenic artists, In
my judgment, was the late Mnard Lewis,
an American, who died in destitute crcum-
stances in Chicago several years ago. He
painted for the late Laura Keene during
her entire career as a manageress, and she,
than whom there was no one better qualified
to Judge, regarded him as the equal Of any
| Of the great English scene-painters, whom,
| Indeed, he greatly resrmbled in style. He
often used to say that in scene painting two
| or three bold strokes of tile brush would
| produce more brilliant effect than two or
three days of finicking, Miss Nancysh
| touches, and his work possessed holiness,
breadth and freedom that fully attested the
| truth of this remark. Poor fellow, he was
his own worst enemy, and his fondneSs for
drink completely wrecked his life.
While scenic artist of Laura Keene's
| Theater, New York, in 1862, he painted for
the spectacle of ''Blondette" some of the