Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-01-21


afternoons. Well or from the beaten
WAYS ana din Of traffic OF the great city
IS this shrine OF art. Through such a
modest entrance. and through such a
length and maze Of dark and narrow
passage ways did We pass before reach
ing q door with Chase" IN inconspicuous
letters on It that what greeted me
brought the thrill Of delight and surprise
that resplendcnt meteor does when II
flashes into the darkness Of night \
man-scrvant In a dress-suit admitted us.
| and as the door swung open. our well
come sounded in SONS strain Of faint
and fantastic music, which gradually
died upon the air as we proceeded into
the rooms My curiosity instigatcd later
on an examination OF this strange in
strumcm, which | found 10 be some
manner of ancient harp. which was hung
upon the door. fastened To 1t at the top
were few loose strings finished at the
ends with small balls. When the door
was moved these balls would swing gen
tly against the harp-strings. making the
most weird. ooalcan-like melody After
wards / learned that they were quite
Il TAU anu saw tH'U bSdul III oilt VI wv
very artistic New York houses.
IN PICTURE EXISTENCE.
II IS hard to realize when in Mr..
Chase's studio. which consists Of four
rooms leading through odd, unexpected
doorways. one into the other. that one has
not stepped into frame and dropped
into picture existence.
| said as much to Mr.. Chase. who was
doing the honors Of the occasion with the
most attentive courtesy. THAT is just
| IT," he replied. INSTEAD Of producing har-
moniou8 ana pleasing effects with color
IN the hdt upon canvas, ! simply max"
n picture upon the walls. I'm corners, or
in space. working in has relief and using
objects themselves for tone and color,
instead Of their likonesscs."
Mr.. Chase uses great many tech
meal terms. or more literally. studio
parlancc, which to the ear OF the un!n-
iiiated has an alarmingly learned sound
and Is for the most part unlntellgible.
4 golden silence and SOuifully
sympathetic gaze as he talked Of his art
! found was a successful counterfeit of
the knowledge / possessed not. In a
| moment of happy inspiration I stopped
before an unframed canvas that looked
as though an intoxicated palette had
| enjoyed Il spree upon 1t, leaving a dizzy
mass Of color Keeling I'm vague uncer-
| tanty as TO its exact purpose, ana the
whole overcast with "a veil Of VIVA blue,
| looking much like u cheap chrome COW
| cred with coarse blue muslin 10 protect
| il from flies. There must have been I'M
| speakable wonder I'm my face as ! gaze1
at this work OF art, for my host APP
preached, saying. dclightedly:
| "Ah l see YOU, too. are in love with
/ the impressionist school"
| ! made some brief response, vague TO
myself but quite definite. II seemed. TO
| the enthusiastic Grtist, who continued
| "You are right; quite right IL IS a great
| thing TO know where true greatness lies;
| TO recognize genius" and then in return
| for so much responsiveness We were treat
"a 10 "A rhapsody on the true and the
ideal In art which would have abashed
any of Mr.. Ruskins efforts, and would
have commanded a good round sum
from any Of Mr.. Chase's classes.
WORTHY OF STUDY.
Not only are the Effects OF this re-
markable studio wonderful in their beauty
but every bit Of detail Is exquisite and
| every article in it worthy OF careful
study \ spacious corner in one room
| IS distinctly eastern in its character.
Canopied over by soft drlperies of richly
hucd SIX hangiEgs. ii encloses luNu-
rious corner scat. y medley OF cushions
| in restful tones are heaped in careless
harmony upon IL. 4 few pictures have Il
place above its back. an ancient opium
Jar stands near. and mandolin lies
| across the cushions as though dark
| eyed houri had but touched it's strings.
Curios ana relics in endless variety
run riot amid rare collection Of pie
lures. rugs, and draperies. yet always
are they grouped so as 10 give that magi-
cal impression of harmony Itself. The
picture, not the picture Of Il picture,
which is as far above the reproductive
art as reality Is above artihcialty
ART AND HISTORY.
Ii was simply enchanting to rcvel IN
| so much art and history without being
disillusloued 10y a label pasted on every ar
tic.. or by searching through q cata-
loeue that would insist on making a stern
duty out OF an intended pleasure. and.
best Of all. there was a story attached
To every treasure in that ideal museum
which light and warmth. flowers and
life rubbed the relies Of other ages OF
| their natural gloom.
All of this is very fine and pre-eminent-
| " artistic, of course. but 70 the practical
mind the thought kept protrudinS itself
that however inspiring such environment
work The most successful artists know
the trials Of rea, ar,Ggery and because
their labors when done show only deli
catcly-hued blossoms is no reason that
they have not had to dig into the very
earth. as it were. to plant and nour!sh the
seed from which they have sprung But
Il may be that Mr.. Chases ideal studies
are air plants which know not the need
Of such lowly nourishing. This thought
came TO me as the door-haTp sped my
departure with its faint weird twanSing.
4 sCULPTOR'S STUDIO.
Quite n contrast to this dramatic situa-
ton was another abode Of art which
visited the same afternoon. II was Ike
leaving a crowded playhouse where the
hot air. the excitement and the music
stined the senses. and stepping into the
cool pure air, refreshing and grateful at
every breath. on the top floor OK the
Judges building did ! appreciate this
most pleasing sensation on being bid
heartily welcome on the very pleasantest
personal score by Mr.. William X.
O'Donovan. sculptor. / had never seen so
white "a place as this studio seemed. The
White City" had not then been born to
us. The whited sanctum l thought.
There stood its presiding genius, heroic or
stature and literally clothed In garments
late. White walls against which rested
casts OF every description in their pallid
cuplds and fragments OF hands, feet. and
plaster. ideal heads. death masks. airy
arms CLEANED everywhere. On pedestals
1Ips I9lIqM p0Moqs Aoul pSIIsA
ard stands there stood heavy pieces OF
unfinished work yeilel In white, yet I'M
OF WASHINGTON.
At that time Mr.. ODonovan was en-
gaging In filing an order for one OF the
finest monuments in the United States. and
since then, In fact 20 late as November,
II was unveiled at Trenton. y. j.. where
the voices of thousands OF threats were
upl'fted In a shout for the great sculptor
whose genius had given them a statue
OF Washington which will rebound TO the
praise OF the Father OF 'rr country ana
the art OF our country as well through
the ages 10 come. In miniature. as
saw II, the statue was noble work OF art,
AM when u, i.ftrl In all the grandeur OF
It's l.eroic proportions upon column or
immense height II must he, as all accounts
testify, a superb masterpiece.