The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-05-20

will be soft purple haze. through which
the picturesquely attred people wander
like the inhabitants of dream city.
All this would make picture equal IN
composition TO the best works OF FOrtuny.
But let camel wander into the fore
ground and stand against the bright light
of the walls OF the buildings and the
Illusion is cOmpete. 1t seems 10 be really
an evening in Cairo.
Gerome would also find hundreds of SUBJ
1ects In this quaint street. and II painted
on the spot none could tell from the result
but what they had come into existence IN
the land of the pyramids.
AS the evening shadows deepen sentl-
mental pictures will suddenly spring into
existence all over the ground. What was
few hours ago Only a clunlp of common
place trees will be relieved against the
Orllllant sunset sky, and the characteristic
masses OF shadow form pictures of great
beauty. Even those buildings whose cOlOrS
are most I'm pleasant in bright daylight be-
come sottened, and change into delicate
shadows of great beauty. There are pic
lures on ell sides. In the west the build
ings and trees are dark against sky of
flaming crimson and yellow, and in the
east they sand out in soft pinks and
cream cOloTs, while behind them the sky
is Hood OF pTiSmatic tints.
1t is at this hour that Danbigny would
have loved to wander about the grounds
searching for positions to please him.
self. The east would be beautiful, hut
Daubigny would not look that way. His
interest would be turned TO the blazing
light in the west. Nor would it take him
long to find a subject for there are hun
dreds in his line. The stronger and more
violent and the more simple the sky line
the better Daubigny would like it. But
the sky line must suggest something be-
meath.
A composition most suggestive of the
work of Daubigny can be found just after
sunset IN the Southern California building
and the road leading up it. Not much
10 make picture OF, TO be sure, but when
Daubigny had finished it would be gem.
lie would give the greatest attention to
the sky and make it glow and scintillate
with light and color. Then would come
the building, which in the daytime is a
dirty yellow color, but in the twilight be-
comes rich brown almost devoid of all
detail. Daubigny would paint only the
sky line and dark mass of color beneath
1t. a patch OF light would do for the road
and few dark daubs for shrubbery. The
trees relieved against the sky would APP
| pear almost black, growing out OF blacker
shadows in the foreground. There would
be no detail really painted about Daubig-
Dy's pictures. but an endless number of
| things suggested. While none of the forms
| or ornaments on the building can be seen
| the beholder feels that they are there. IL
| tie dark shadows near the door people APP
| pear TO be walking to and fro, and palms
and flowers appear to be waving in the
evening wind. Examine it closely and
! 1t Will appear as if nothing mas
been painted, only a few daubs of
! color that in some mysterious manner look
| like houses. trees Hand glowing sky. But
| IL is really an impression of twilight full
/ of poetry and sentiment.
1I ia ho
would hud something to please him, but
| his subject would be one most people
would laugh at and many wonder what il
was. Then again he would give it some
peculiar esthetic name that would be con.
| fusing. but nevertheless it would be a pic
! ture and be claSsed IS a masterpiece.
That artist would be the American. En- Q.
| lishman Whistler. and there is a view al
| tine Midwinter Fair greatly like a picture
| by him that created Juror few years ago
After Whistler had it painted be woulC
call il 'noctuTne," or something like that
and. If the persons who saw it understood
the subject, they could make out the Ad
miDislration building with brilliant flashe.
| of color crossing the sky in every direc
! ton. 1t would really represent some fete
evening with fireworks being discharged
on Strawberry Hill. But Whistler would
not care whether it was Straw berry Hill
or not. or even be particular about the out
| liue Of the Administration building All
he would want would be the effect of
| brilliant color and inkv blackness. CON-
bined with confusing movement Whist
Ter would get what be was after and thou
| sands would admire the picture.
There is one time when the Midwinter
| Fair grounds are not paintabe and that is
on moonlight night. There is some
thing pleasing to the senses in the glow of
the thousands of lights softened by the
ray of the moon, but to the painter it is
only a confusing mass OF speeks sprinkled
over a background of sickly looking
shadows. However. this one displeasing
effect can be overlooked among the
Thousand really beautiful ones which
should be enjoyed to the utmost as it is
more than likely that such a number of
highly picturesque compositions in such a
small area will not be found again for
years.