Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1895-08-07
HAWTHORNE, ESMERAIDA COUNTY, NEVADA AUGUST : 1885,

comes. He becomes part of the spirit
of an evening, whether it is merry or
sad, serious or light.
1t might be said of him that the
gamut of life's harmonies and discords,
lights and shadows, have come within
the compass of his understanding and
his sympathies.
For some two or three years Tade-
mas paintings and the reproductions
of them have brought higher sums and
sold in greater numbers than the
works of any other painter in England.
These reproductions in black and white
are unusually fine, especially the etch.
ings, the reason for this being that
Tadema gets first proof from the
etcber or engraver and touches it up
where it fails; and the work he puts
into such an engraving or etching is so
carefully and closely done as to be
almost as fine as one of his original
pictures.
One Of the interesting things about
Mr.. Tadema's painting is that he never
paints any of his important pictures as
he originally designs them, but, as
he advances-often when the picture is
nearly tinished-he will pick up sharp
instrument and scrape away third of
the most exquisitely finished work in
it, and begin new months labor ON
the space he has destroyed. just as
another man would brush the ashes off
his cigar and then set to lighting it
again. Tadema nearly always has his
wife or his youngest daughter. both of
whom paint, sit beside him as he
works. Their criticism in no way dis
turbs or frets him. When he thinks
some detail he is painting is not as
good as it can be he appeals to their
Judgment; if they agree he grasses his
work. and so saves, perhaps, many
days of doubt-the doubt that all great
artists suffer from. Tadema has no
fear of his work; he is its master, so
that when he destroys, it is because he
has not done it as well as he knows
it lies in his power to do.
1t usually takes Tadema four or five
months to paint one of his more fin
ished pictures but it was nearly four
years from the time he began until he
finished his last one. 1t was painted
as commission for Berlin gentle
man. The sum paid for it is too fabul-
GUS to be believed, though of course the
artist would prefer not to have the
commercial side Of his art discussed
yat frrth 70
was memorable sight to see the pack
ing of this last great picture and its
frame, which was designed for it by
Tadema himself. Tadema finishes all
his important pictures in their frames
In the first place the frame was meas
ured. and then the embroidered cush-
ions about the studio were taken and
laid ON the floor to correspond with it
in size. When the picture was re-
leased from the frame, to which it was
attached by means of a number OF
brass bolts. Tadema would trust none
of the professional picture packers who
came to remove it. but took the pic
ture out himself and stood it on the
floor. 1t was an anxious minute, for
parts of the picture were still wet. and
it had been signed by the painter but
moment before. Then the frame came
down from the easel. was laid on the
cushions, the picture again put on it.
the bolts closed and new linen sheeting
swathed around it, to keep out any
particle of dust. The very packing of
the picture was work of skill, which
Tadema directed as an architect might
direct the master builder in placing
the cornerstone of a cathedral. There
was enryous tension in watching the
operation, which it took over an hour
to complete, but at last the picture was
ready to start to Berlin. 1t will be
safe to say that this picture will be
considered his masterpiece, and it is
equally safe to prophesy that it will
eventually find its way to the walls of
some great national gallery, and there
remain to proclaim his power as
master, if not of emotional or devo-
tional art, master of his own art,
an art perfect in technicality, draughts-
manship. color, form, life, truth and
IN idaol classic beauty