The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-05-10
HONORS TO AN ARTIST,
Arthur Lemon, Once of Oak
land, High on the Pin
naCIe of Fame.
A Royal MISUNDERSTANDING Ups and
Downs of Bohemian
Quartet.

In those days when the Art Association
was in its infancy, and Denny, Brooks,
Avery ands others used to meet in Wande-
forde's house at South Park to formulate
its constituency, Arthur Lemon, young
Englishman of Italian birth, was painting
in an attic studio in Oakland. Mr. Lemon
is now recognized as the head of the ami
NAL painters of England and will shortly
place A. R. A. after his name. To his
natural genius he has added the most I'M
firing industry, and has faithfully and
honestly won his honors.
Lemons life in California was one of
difficulty and privation. He lodged with a
couple of friends in building known as
the Wilcox block on Eighth street, and the
author of the Vie de Boheme would have
found material quite as suggestive in his
studio as the QUARTER Latin could afford.
Fortunately for Mr.. Lemon and his asso-
eiates, the lessees OF the building got into
quarrel, and all the dodgers were served
with notices from each party not TO pay
rent to the other. Therefore, the studio
and the adjoining sleeping apartments
were virtually rent free. An architect
with no plans to make, a musician with
no engagements to fiddle, and writer
who was of necessity industrious, COM
salary was regarded as the food fund, and
respected accordingly. When Lemon sold
picture, or Payne, the architect, made a
| drawing, or Schmidt, the fiddler, played at
an evening party, the money that accrued
was religiously devoted TO the purchase of
| luxuries.
| a supper party was given, and those
who occasionally stood by the quartet in
their dark hours were sumptuously re-
| called Broken glasses and dishes were re-
| placed, big stock of tobacco and other
! groceries laid in, home cooking tempo
rarily abandoned until the balance of the
treasure was deposited behind the counter
of the French restaurant, and then house
| keeping on the former limited scale was
! begun again.
| One memorable day Lemon, with beam
ing face, appeared in the studio he had left
/ an hour before with picture which was to
| be deposited with the butcher as collateral
for roast of beef subject, of course, to re-
demption within stated period. His pro-
longed absence had filled his comrades
with uneaslness, which was but an unSat-
| isfactory substitute for dinner. Fears were
| freely expressed that Arthur had gone
astray, and that the steak money had been
consumed in improper and illegitimate in
| diligence in conviyial pleasure.
They wronged the loyal soul. He had
met Dr. Samuel Merritt and had sold him
| the picture on the spot for 500, which that
worthy M@cenas drew from his deep and
capacious pocket. Nothing in Oakland
was too good for that famished band.
Next day they paraded the streets in new
| clothes, drove about the streets in open
! carriages forgot the homely pipe in the
delights of expensive Havanas, and were,
indeed lords Of the creation as long as the
doctors money lasted. Finally came sep
aration. Lemons parents, then residing
in Italy, called him home, and he went
through a severe course of study, which,
com bined with his splendid talents, placed
him in the position he now occupies.