The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-10-04
HOW ARTISTS WORK.
Putting Paint Upon n Canvas Is Not
to u Studio.

Jeanette Glider, in The Outlook.
Back of the house, shut in by a high
wall, is the kitchen garden. 1t is not, as
with us, entirely given over TO the raising
of vegetables. Lovely flowers OF every de-
scription have their share of the rich soil,
though the flower garden proper lies just
garden wall is a door. and through this
door you pass into a courtyard, and racing
on this courtyard is the studio where Mr..
Abbey and Mr.. John S. Sargent are at work
upon their decorative paintings for the Bos-
ton public library.
This studio does not go with the house.
That is, il was not there originally, but
was built by Mr.. Abbey and Mr.. Sargent
for large canvas work. / do not know it's
actual size, but ! know that 1t as enormous.
and that it took one hundred and fifty
yards Of yard-wide goods to make a cur
tain to run across ii.
Mr.. Abbey has chosen for the subject of
his frieZe the story OF Sir Galahad and the
search for the Holy Grail. One panel OF
this frieze. twenty-four feet long, was ex-
hibited at Chicago. Unless one has some
special reason for knowing otherwise. he
imagines that Mr.. Abbey or any other
painter takes a book of costumes and the
poem or episode of history he is about TO
illustrate, sets his palette and goes to work
Nothing could be further from the truth.
To begin with, Mr.. Abbey read every story
of the Holy Grail that he could lay his
hands upon, and Mrs. Abbey translated
from the old German and Morse languages
such accounts as have not already been
put into English. These 4ir. Able studied
with all the ardor of a historian, and weld
ed together SO as to make the most ac-
curate as we'll as the most picturesque
story. Then he and his wife set forth TO
travel through the countries that Sir Gala
had is supposed to have passed through.
There, from ancient pictures and statuary,
ture of the time Mr.. Abbey had
molds cast, all of which are now
in his studio. He made sketches
infused himself with the story that he be-
came as enthusiastic as Sir Galahad him
self. Running the length of the studio is a
deep closet, and In this closet are hundreds
Ct costumes that have been made with
the greatest care for the models to wear
who pose for Mr.. Abbey. Mrs. Abbey has
a large room in the house called the ZOOS.
tune ROOM" where she herself superin-
tends the making of these costumes. They
are beautifully made, and are historically
accurate. To show you how carefully Mr.
Abbey goes into details: He wanted a de
sign for the posts of the kings bedstead
so he himself modelled a design in clay
made a plaster cast of it. and then gildeo
the cast so as to get the exact effect OF
the light and shade on the gold relief.
Mr.. sargent's frieze is to illustrate tn,
about as much work with it. He has made
models in wax until he blistered his hands
Then he took to modelling in butter, which
while il did not blister the hands, was net
1 believe. altogether satisfactory. Thos,
NAAtAt 49, h8t Obly -
read the foregoing to see that even twt
such talented painters as Mr.. Abbey an
Mr.. Sargent do an enormous amount o.
hard work before they touch the canvas.
They will each get, I believe. s15.o 600 TO
their @friezes, and were given seven year
to do them in. Three years have passed
and each has finished one panel. / dom
know for a fact, but ! will venture to sal
that before the work is done 1t will hav'
cost both painters more than the price the,
receive. The mere paints and canvas cos
enough, but when you add time, cos
tunes, travelling expenses and models yoi
soon come to the end of $4,000. 1t was no
to make money that either OF these paint
ers accepted the commission. IT. was 70
the love of the work and to set the bal
a-roliing. They are great believers I'm dec
orative painting, and hope 10 see "A reviva
of the art. and for this reason and not 70
money they were willing to be among til
pioneers. They nave had an endles
amount of hard work and much discourage
ment, but they have triumphed. as MI
Abbey's Chicago panel and the one III
Sargent has in the present exhibition o
the Royal Academy prove.