The record-union., 1893-08-05
CALIFORNIA ARTISTS
At the Fair Keith, Bush, CarIsen,
JouIIn, Taverner
Some Charming Anecdotes About Peo-
pie Well-Known in Califor-
mia Art Annals.
[Chicago Tribune, July 24thI

[Chicago Tribune, July 24thl
There is an American artist who ap-
proaches canvas with much the same
reverent feeling for the religious in art
that is manifested by Mr.. Inness, and
that is William Keith of California. There
is symbolism in his clouds as well, rever-
ence for the spirit of nature as manifested
in all its forms, and a conscientiousness
in interpreting as well as presenting those
forms which is awe-inspiring at times.
Mr.. Keith's "Glory of the Heavens"
which is hung in the art gallery of the
California building, is an instance of this
Teligio-artistic fervor. There is some
thing more than glowing sunset de-
picted. 1t is the spirit of worship, glori-
flying the Maker through one of his
beautiful manifestations. A few hundred
years ago, when the old masters were
painting for their day and future genera
tions, this spirit found utterance in paint
ing frescoes and panels in churches, holy
families, and so forth. To-day who shall
say the latter form of devoutnesS is not a
more sublime manifestation In this
GLORY of the Heavens" the artist is not
forgotten in the enthusiast, however, as
drawing, coloring and artistic jusitlca-
SONAA
the religious lover of nature.
WILLIAM KEITH.
The fact that Mr.. Keith is represented
in this Californian gallery by something
like dozen pictures-or some other un-
explained reason has given rise to a
singular story and one as unjust AS it is
singular. That is, that the reason the
artist shows so many works in this gal
lery is because the jury on American
nil tho ANnr1dfa Eair rliaetpH all
of them. This, it may be stated by
authority, is not So Mr.. Keith sent only
one picture to the Worlds Fair proper,
and that was accepted, and appears in
the United States collection, numbered
631. Probably the reason Mr.. Keith, Mr.
Ilill and other California artists make
such display in the Californian build
ing will be understood by anyone who
has ever lived long enough on the Pacific
slope to understand the people there
w Mhile they can scarcely be called mar
row, they are intensely local, not to say
provincial, and are a world to them
selves-in art, in literature, in customs,
in everything. They set out to make a
good display i'll art as well as in other
realms of industry, and they accom-
plished it. They have two of our big
American artists who are distinctively
Californian, and several others who are
in the second and third ranks, and they
Though Mr.. Keith was born in Scot
land, he came to America when very
young, and his first work in this country
was in the line of wood engraving for
Harper Il Brothers of New York. He
went to San Francisco early in the sixties
and began to paint in 1865. He went
abroad soon aiterward, and made a thor
ough study of his subject, and returned a
couple OF years later to his adopted coun-
try, and, after season in Boston, re-
turned to California, where he has lived
and worked ever since. Ha was here at
the opening OF the California building
and lett Immediately thereafter for New
\ Ork, where he was Joined by John
Muir. the historian, and the two are now
sailing the ocean blue" on a European
trip. he artist will be absent about six
months, and during his stay Will make
thorough sketching tour in Palestine,
where, undoubtedly, his strong religious
instincts will find many congenial sub
ject.
The last picture painted by Mr.. Keith
before setting his face to the East created
quite a sensation in San Francisco, and
was purchased by Mrs. Hearst, widow of
the late Senator Hearst. Its title was
"Moonrise Among the Oaks" and its
weird character amply justifies Mr..
Keith's remark about 1t, that he was so
lost to ordinary surroundings during the
time he was painting it that ne could not
remember his progress upon it, step by
step. as he usually could after work was
done that, in short, he sometimes found
it difficult 10 believe that he really painted
it. This has very humorous sound, to
be sure, when looked at from asuperticial
standpoint, with no real sympathy with
the artist and his peculiar mental charac-
teristics; but, at the same time, it brings
10 mind the remark OF the late DIR. J. q.
Holland, uttered nearly generation ago,
to the effect that he longed for the old
times, when the poet was strolling min
stre, and the painter not much better
than a vagabond in the eyes OF society, as
each one did better work under the con-
ditions he found then than he does now,
when be is a gentleman. The rather
pessimistic doctor was undoubtedly very
cynical in his remark, though entertain
ing as we'll; but there is a subject for
thought in his remark. Let US hope that
Mr.. Keith, during his travels in the Holy
Land, may often forget his everyday sur
roundings, if he remember in lieu thereof
spiritual insight and sympathetic touch
as an artist.
NORTON BUSH.
Norton Bush is another of the early
California artists. He is in charge of the
local gallery in the California building
and is not unreasonably proud of the ex-
hibit the State has made IN the Depart
ment of Fine Arts. About 100 pictures
are shown and OF this number forty are
by artists born in California, quite a
number OF them by those who have never
been outside tho State. Mr.. Bush must
be well on toward 10 now, though his
years sit lightly on his genial face. Be-
fore he went to California he belonged to
what he calls the old Hudson River
crowd of artists, which as definition is
not half bad, inasmuch as il includes the
New York painters who scarcely ven
turned beyond the palisades of the Hud-
son when they wanted picturesque sub
jects. unless they went TO Europe, as
fewer did in the middle of the century
than now in its closing years. Mr.. Bush
was a pupil OF CrOpsey when he was
a youth, and tells with good deal of
pride OF his first picture exhibited in the
New York Academy in 1851, when he
was but 10 years old. The picture was
painted Sundays unbeknown to Mr..
Cropsey and was submitted to the jury of
examination without his knowledge
either. The picture was accepted and
hung and the veteran artist says he has
never been so big since as he was on the
occasion of the first night OF the exhibit
ton a sort of vanishing day reception
when only those who mad pictures on
exhibition could gain admission. In
strolling through the rooms almost the
first person whom the boy met was his
master, who said 10 him:
"Why, Norton, how did you get in
here ?'
80, the doorkeeper said it was all right
he replied, scarcely able to contain him
self in his glee.
But it isn't all right" was the stern re-
ply of the other. We'll go and see about
He took the boy by the arm and started
with him for the door. They had gone
Int q few steps when they reached the