Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-07-11
ART In THE WEST
II Is Not Appreciated as II Is
in England.
ATHERToN FURloNG's VIEWS.
The Great English Artist IL Guest .
the Morton. and Chats Interestingly
About Ar Matters

Anterior FuTlong, the famous Eng
hsh artist. Is a guest at the Morton be
Is accompanied by h.s con, Anterior
Furlong. Jr. Tney are on their way
north on fishing aud skstchlng ex-
CURSOR. Mr.. furlong has painted sew
ersl pictures OF international repnts
ton, chief OF which 10 the celebrated
Jerry" representation Of bull be-
longing TO the Duke OF Northnmber-
land. One OF his pictures 10 IN the col
lection of Col. E. Crofton Fox OF this
city. 1t Is entitled, "Who Comes, Friend
or Foe@' and has been viewed with
much admiration by local art lovers.
While chatting yesterday with q re-
porter for THE Herald Mr.. Furlong said:
II devote my time now u painting AMI
mails exclusively. l am more Interest
ed in that than IN anything else. so
far a. my preferences 60, ! prefer TO
paint cattle, although they are the
most difficult OF eli animals to paint.
Their outlines are irregular and IL 10
difficult matter TO get the contour ex-
act. But the head of al OK or COW
| is beautiful IN the extreme. No other
animal has such exqulstely sweet,
! liquid, innocent eyes. They are not
| expressive OF great devotion or intelli-
gence As q dogs are; but there 10
sweetness about them that 10 not
| equalled by any other animal. Next
70 cattle think prefer the dog, and
have done some very successful! work
in painting lions. They are very dlfi-
cult TO portray accurately and satlstac-
toriiy.
Life Size WORT Il Best.
SIN Gil my painting l prefer to do
| life size work. 1t always gives che a
better opportunity To bring out the
strength and beauty of = picture. All
of the best WORK done in animal paint.
| ing has been life size or nearly 80. sir
| Edwin Landseers' sketches are almost
always so. In his subjects he has
painted only enough OF the animal TO
suggest the rest; but what he has
palnted-generaliy a heads life size.
Rosa Bonneur 10 the only importantex-
ception to this rule. Her famous
Horse FAIR Is large picture; but the
figures are only one-third Ezs. Most
| of her sheep sketches are email.
"Many Americans are now gaining =
distinct reputation in the art world.
\ .
them were first Recognised abroad. The
American public Is not quick TO sppre-
clates home genius and merit. 1t pre-
tiers something that can be indoreed.
When the average American buys q
great name and reputation; something
that has . definite value and can be
utilized in case the market doesn't 60
the right way. don't mean TO say
that all Americans are this way, but az
. ciass they don't furnish the sncour-
agement TO artists that England does.
Men like Larry Earle-geniuses, artists
and noble great-hearted feilows-are
allowed to struggle for years before
their merit il appreciated. 1 sincerely
believe that England ia the grandest
country in the world from this stand
point Of art and literature. Art can.
not flourish until it is taken into the
home and allowed to exist and grow
undisturbed for generations.
lmbibe Art lussincts.
"a people that cherish their family
pictures and portraits from one genera.
ton to the next will unconsciously
develop art distincts and tastes, even
without devotlng any time to the study
of art. 1t is something that expands
and develops unconsclously. In the
old English family MANSIONS love oil
art is breathed in with the very air.
"In any country art and literature
flourish hand in hand. England has
grandest literature the world has ever
produced, and her art has thrived And
grown hand in hand with it.
"Ruskin has hurled many anathemal
at the English people because they
failed to appreciate Turner. But they
do appreciate him-perhaps not as Mr.
Ruskin would have him appreciated
but certainly no English artist is more
sincerely reverenced. Turner's II
something distinct and marked in
art. 1t is something that must be I'M
derstood and comprehended TO be ap
preciated. No two men see things IN
exactly the same light, and Turner
vision seems to have been far diff
from that Of many of his feliow-men
For instance, friend of Turner'S wa
once criticising The Slave Snip and
said: Now that sky isn't natural.
never saw clouds look like that Rus
kin merely remarked, I'm very. sorr.
YOU never have But his memory /
very dearly cherished by English sr
lovers, and every scrap of his sketche
| x,S1l