The morning times., 1895-09-08
Aestheticism One of the Characters
tics and Essentials of the New
SehOoi-0R the Other Hand the Con-
servatIves "Take"' an Individual In
Any Guise or Attitude.

means but you know her IN the same reTnIn-
iscent way, and you begin to wonder what
she could have been thinking OF when she
consented to pose for the public or TO bid
for admiration against the half hundred
or more distinct loyelinesses who are cased
with her i'll the same frame.
You wouldn't ask that question il you
were up in the mysteries and motives Of
the neo-photOgrapliic school There ha2
been a neo-Platouic school of philosophy,
a neo-Gothic style of architecture and many
other renaissances, and now comes the neo-
Photographic.
Photographic.
SUPERFICIAL CRITICISM.
little knowledge OF this interesting
departure would make pubic criticism
ofpubiic hotographs less caustic, and more
charitable. Only yesterday a lady, one OF
a group, surveying the faces in street
salon." remarked: what vanity! l
wonder who that fright thinks she is,
with her hands clasped at the back Of her
head?" Or. as another said, 'Just look at
that child on its fathers knee with the
>,ack OF its head only photographed. What
sense is there in that?"
These critics were superficial. They
motive in each case. and IN both they were
mistaken.
Mr. A F. Bradley, of this city, an artist
and photographer, is one OF the high
priests of the new idea in photography.
What l understand as true pbotog-
rapher, he said, lis one who makes study
OF art in the highest sense OF that term as a
necessary foundation FOR the best results
in photography. Otherwise stated, should
say that the cameras highest function
should be to reproduce artistic ideas, just
as the artist uses his brush to emDody on
canvas his conceptions OF the beautiful.
the grotesque, the bizarre, or any other
characteristic of a given subject.
The Washington photographer, it is
true, is handicapped in the matter Of color,
but some of the most famous of works are
in black and white, or as our Italian friends
say, in chior' '-uscuro. There are engrav-
ings OF the masterpieces which, you know,
are of superb and OF eminent merit"
WASHINGTON BELLIES SEEN THERE.
In the studio of this artist photographer
are seen the photographs OF nearly every
beauty in the higher circles Of Washing
ton society, 10 tone of which, by the way,
is 10 be seen in the street hallway. BESIDES
these there are the photographs Of nearly
all the distinguished men in public life
in this city ard from Some other cities.
The Cabinet ladies and tleirchildren, high
legal, legislative, army, and navy fuuo-
tionaries and their children big and little,
and a great many of them in striking at
titudes.
This was particularly favorable place
in which to discuss the common idea OF
the vanites OF human life a S expressed in
the various poses assumed by the female
form divine clad wholly or in part in fab
RIGS of the "aurum textile" the woven
air OF the looms.
Mr.. Bradley, by the way, was artisticaIly
indignant at the assumption that the
pictures represented studied poses. Il
will test YOU he said. Then he pointed out
reephotographs-op Gen. Breckinridge,
another of Senator Hoar and another OF
ex-Congressman Conn, of Indiana, now the
editor OF the Washington Times.
What would you say of these?'' queried
the artist
That are undoubtedly without intention
or suggestion OF posturing for effect
Quite right said the artist. Now look
at this handing the Times photograph
of Senators Allison, Manderson and Hale.
Allison was in the middle, Manderson on
his right and Hale or his left.
LOOKED THEATRICAL.
Hale and MaHderson were leaning over
AIiisou's knees, and geSticulating violently
with fingers up, the expression on Alison's
face being either that he wits a martyr or
intensely Interested. The whole business
looked extremely theatrical.
What is your Judgment on that?' asked
the artist.
why, it's a clear case of Senatorial
vanity The picture was talked over by
these conscript fathers, and they came
down with malice prepense to put it in
cold black and white"
THAT is where you are completely out
of touch with the facts The history OF
that picture is this: These Senators came
in to be photographed. They took seat
ON the sofa there, just as you see them,
and got into a spirited conversation.
saw that there was a good picture and
story in it, besides, and l took it with
out their knowledge. They accepted it
instead of the pictures they intended to
have taken.
$50 you see that what to some people
and O great many-appears to be a pose
is nothing but an incident of real life; and
that is q concrete Illustration of what
mean by union of the artistic sense with
the purely mechanical process OF taking
pictures l hold that there is no sense in
the criticism of presentments which are
| reproduCtions Of realities. lady re-
| cljning at ease on a sofa to some ''e' pie
| world appear as a strain after pictur-
esuue effect, but what is q more common
| domestic incident than lady reclining
J on a sofa?
! This artist was not ''sui generis." !"
| There are several others who take what
! is Offered" and they make some marvellous
pictures. The secret history OF some of
| the grotesqueries that one sees in the
galleries of these factotum photographers
| is decidedly more Interesting than the
pictures themselves. One of the recent
pictures in salon OF this kind is q
''Marie Antoinette" in balloon sleeves.
The young lady, who is the modern Sweet
Marie, n this case, is a rather well
| known, queenly looking girl n an +
street cafe. There is no telling what the
4 motive was, but perhaps somebody told
| her that she looked like the Austrian. Had
the photograph been Of the French Queen,
1 after her decapulation, the picture would
have been even more satisfactory To Mr.
| Bradley's neo-photographic disciples.
There is just now 10 evidence III the
school of Photographic caricatnrc, and re-
yivaI of the Marie Antoinertes and Mary
Stuarts or Ju6liths down to date. that the