St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-09-04
ART IN ST. PAUL.


Snug within the mansions of our city a few
art vaults give slight consolation to their
masters The public, though must feed its
tastes and desires on the occasional gener-
osity Of all itinerant artist who may show his
product, incur heavy loss in so doing, and
continue on his way "a wiser but poorer
man. HILL Shepard Mannheimer, and pos
sibly one or two others imprison art to their
hearts content, but it's generally European
art, at romantic price and not for the public
good. Who in st. Paul ever saw Mr.. Hills
gallery, Mr.. Manufacturers rare collection, or
Mr.. Shepard's gilded walls? A few, yes,
very few-those fortunate in the personal es-
TEEN of the patrons. St. Paul as city. or in
any other capacity. has neither the display
nor the inclination to foster the more liberal
means OF educating and refining the tastes of
Its populace.
1t is quite different with our enterprising
sister, even if she is laced and padded. In
her splendid library gallery art circulates by
loans and donation and the multitude alb
serbs its passing benefit Then there are
citizens who purchase literally the works of
modern masters, and who hurry them home
to Minneapolis with press heraldry in loud
acclaim of the new link in the act of ciyiliza-
ton. Then all the city and country round
HOcK 10 see anu anu
condemn, the latest addition to Minneapolis
art.
Artists talented and versatile, but poor
and difIident and always eccentric. have come
here and made the effort of selfsupport and
gone. Gone in sheer despair of ever awaken
ing the frozen heart of man or opening the
palm Of our booming aristocracy. Flagg, Past,
Larpenteur, La Grange, Owen and Fjelde, all
were here once They have quit us for OBJ
vious reasons. 1t takes an unusually brave
fellow to hazard his fortunes, his
art ana his family in a hostile country.
Gutherz, destined soon to be one of the
greatest of living painters of the Biblico-
romantic, exhibited here last year to little
purpose. He is here this summer, not ex-
hibiting, but doing some of the grandest work
of this day for few appreciative patrons.
His collection at the Exposition is the cyno
sure of every eye. Late in autumn Mr..
Gutherz will return to Paris, where he will
hang a new canvas in the salon. The fort
une of this new creation should interest So
ciety here by reason of the fact that charm.
ing st. Paul debutante has posed, and is the
glorious embodiment of the subjective
beauty Of an exquisite work Of art.
I +
N. r. Brewer is the only studying artist
now resident in st. Paul. No sooner were the
portals of the Exposition thrown open than
the GLOBE tripped into the the art gallery to
see what st. Paul had done the past year.
ST. Paul has twenty eight of the most worthy
eanVasses in the exhibit. They are all the
work of Mr.. Brewer, and bespeak tor him all
the praise we are capable of bestowing Any
man who, i'll the face of such adverse cir
cumstances as surround an artist here, can
lxhi hIt ftua xaicr ,,fa Ill
our people and our local nature. deserves
the heartiest Endorsement for his ZEAL He
must, indeed, be of interchangeable energy to
paint genre for pittance and nature at an
expense, and in year turn over to the pub
lie gaze such full collection so varied and
so high in quality.
tits Mr.. Brewers distinction to have paint
ed the most popular canvas at the EXPOSE
ton. This was manifest on the very first
day. 1t is q lfe-size portrait of Hon. w. W.
Erwin, C'BIll Erwin''), ("The Tall Pine'O,
the prince of criminal lawyers in the West
Mr.. Erwin's physiognomy, stature, Cicero nj
an head, gray, keen, pupgent features, are
portrayed with realism altogether surpris-
ing. The personality of the subject in the
flesh. we all know, is striking but Brewer
not only gives us respiring, thoughtful 'Bill
Erwin but the qualities of character
such as Mr. Erwin's most intimate students
know him to be. The composition of pose,
mood and expression are high in tn rule OF
art. AS the throng passes the portrait there
is halt an eddy of peering faces and gen.
eral expression of admiration. IAN Indian
Summer" phenomena which, in its pc
. culiar perfection. belongs to Minnesota, is,
in my opinion, one of the strongest land
scapes ever painted in this state. Our au-
tumnal tints are the marvel of many who
come from the Hudson, the AdIrondacks or
the Allegheny mountains. 1t is this rich
brown, turtle-green, Indian-red and lumber
that Brewer has suffused with transparent
shadows, subdued tone and firm qualities,
which make his Indian Summer price
less gem.
Among the canvaSses noticed charming
portrait af Mrs. Senator Davis, which does
ample Justice to that accomplished lady.
1.-The Brook, When the Leaves Are Fallen;''
1.-The Maiden's Prayer ''The Shepherd"
Twilight in Northern Minnesota - Comb
ing Mama's HAIR" "Bele Hamilton, as Page
in Olivette." and New York at Twilight"
are among those which challenge the admir-
alton of competent critics. In Brewers
work one reads his nature and his profess
sional tendencies. The tone of his work is
rich, wholesome, if not too clear. His key is
high, and his color pure and transparent.
His pictures are tinged with melancholy,
and it is readily apparent that he would
rather paint repose than action, peaceful
ness rather than violence in either genre or
landscape. There is where he differs with
Bouquesne. whose scenes from the Franco
Prussian war are violence typified. But
then, Brewer has wide range, and in his
latitude he finds success in portraits, fruit.
flowers, landscape, cattle and genre. His
happiest success is when he paints from
nature-his invariable design.
I I
The Brewer collection is the exclusive rep
resentation of St Paul at the Exposition. Its
extent and quality makes our place there
amply filed. Among the treasures TO which
the connoisseur will be glad to turn a studi-
Gus glance, is Van Dyke, loaned by A. j.
Sawyer. tits portrait of the Duchess de
Grammont, and magnificent specimen of
Van Dykes color and treatment Sir Joshua,
Reynolds has an only portrait, and Daubigny,
Charles Louis Muller, Bouquereau, Jean
Clays, David and Lefevre each have can
vases Of their most renowned work.
H.W. W.
FOYER FANCIES.
Augustus Pitou's new stock company will