The San Francisco call., 1895-07-20
ART At MECHANICS FAIR.
Leading Painters Will Exhibit
Their Latest and Best
Pictures.
THE PRELIMINARY MEETING
Upon a Jury and Hanging
Committee.

Solly Walter, superintendent of the art
department of the Mechanics Fair, is
sparing no effort to make the artists show
ing at that time highly creditable one.
He says that most of the San Francisco
artists will contribute to the array of paint
ings. He will devote especial attention to
reproductions, as wood-cut, half-tone work
pen-and-ink sketches and ithography.
A novel feature will be representations of
the different stages of press art work.
Many ask when they see a newspaper
illustration, "How do they do it?" Mr..
Walter proposes to answer this question
by display of the pen-and-ink sketches,
negatives, stereotype plates, matrices and
stereotyped copies of the completed sketch,
as used in the newspapers. During the
course of the fair Mr.. Walter will deliver
three lectures, one on "Art Reproduction, :"
another on "Art Tuition" and a third on
the general theme of art.
Visitors to the studios find closed doors
| and card bearing such an inscription as
"Closed until August l, or "Sketching in
the Sierras," confronting them very often,
although few geniuses of the pencil and
brush are bringing up their work" which
stands unfinished on their easels, and turn
| ing deaf ear to the wooings of the sum-
views among the mountains and marvellous
music of streams.
John Stanton is one of the toilers under
a skylight and amidst the picturesque con-
fusion of studio His duties as superin-
tendent of the art department of the coming
! State Fair combined with his wish to finish
some figure paintings have kept him in
| town. He was working yesterday on a
| study of ballet girl in a crimson gown sit
| ting beside table whereon was a glass of
white wine and rolled cigarette.
| II am painting a series of ballet girl
studies" he said, producing one OF the
voluptuous type of dancing girl clad in
white gauze with skirts properly bouffant.
81 intend to do one i'll black" he con-
tinued. In reply to the query What
| pictures do you intend to exhibit at the
| Mechanics Fair?" he said smilingly, "Well,
| the ballet girls. l shall also have on
exhibition the portraits of Coroner Hughes,
| w. G. Stafford and Robert Howell
Fletcher" He uncovered large painting
of a twilight scene on one of the rocky
! plains of Brittany. One OF the rough stone
| crosses that serve as landmarks is in the
foreground and near it the figure of an old
peasant woman in a devotional attitude.
A flock of sheep are grazing about the
cross. This striking picture has been
exhibited in New York, and until recently
! has had place on the walls of the Bohe-
mian Club. "Clam Gatherers in Brittany"
| and moonlight in Brittany" will also be
among his collection at the Mechanics
| Fair.
Joseph D. Strong will exhibit portraits
of James Hamilton, Hugh NJ. Burke and
Evan j. Coleman. If possible he will COM
plete his portrait of Colonel Chadbourne
| by that time and may exhibit that of Cap
| Spreckels. He will place on exhibition a
| character study, The Watermelon Boy"
which belongs to a resident of Oakland.
| He may also show some scenes on the
islands of the South Seas.
| Views of the sand dunes of the Alameda
| fats and those seen from the Presidio and
! Golden Gate Park, the latest work of A.
! Fair. Mr.. Joullin has found the glare of
sunlight on the sand very trying to the
| sight during the four hour sittings in
which he made his sketches. In conse-
quence he has not been able to paint for
some time and it is probable that those
views are all he will be able to exhibit.
William Keith was unpacking some
Crags. One is of Shasta as seen from
Castle Crags Hotel, a line point of view.
He has ''laid I'M a large picture of the
Crags, which he will complete at his
leisure. He will leave for CaZadero to-day,
and if he returns before the opening of the
MeCnd0lCS air Will e4lliDlb SOule new
forest scenes, and, with that gentleman 8
permission. portrait of Irving NJ. Scott.
This would be especially appropriate, as
Mr.. Scott was once president of the Me-
chanicS Fair.
Ernest Peixotto will leave for the Red
woods tomorrow, and will probably return
in time to exhibit some of his pictures.
Meyer Strauss door displayed one of the
discouraging placards, and the public was
informed that he would reopen his studio
about July %. 1t is understood that he
will exhibit some landscapes.
L. P. Latimer will probably exhibit his
paintings, "a Hayfield Under the Oaks"
and "a Stream in the Redwoods." He
will also have some studies in black and
Mr. Matthews, Miss Froelich, Miss Lou
Wall and Miss Chittenden will be among
the exhibitors.
There was small attendance of artists
at the meeting which Solly Walter had
called for the purpose of discussing the
pictorial showing at the Mechanics Fair.
The meeting was held at the Mechanics
Institute, and Grove Ayers, one OF the dl-
rectors, presided.
Mr. Walter stated that the purpose of
the meeting was to choose from among the
artists present jury that should pass upon
the pictures presented for exhibition and
arrange for the hanging of the same. He
thought perfect justice would be done to
the artists collectively and individually if
they as body chose that jury. In view
of the small number present he thought 1t
best to postpone action in the matter until
the next meeting, which will be held in the
same place next Friday evening.
l.. P. Latimer inquired what induce
ments would be offered to the artists for
competition and Director Ayers replied
that while the amounts of the cash prizes
were not yet fixed, it had been decided
that only first prizes would be offered.
John Stanton said he thought artists who
exhibit at the fair should receive season
tickets and called attention to the fact that
they are accorded that privilege in other
places quite as much as are the exhibitors
of onions and potatoes. Mr.. Ayers
promised to call the attention of the board
to the matter, and the meeting adjourned
for one week.