The San Francisco call., 1896-07-26
The Seasons
First Pictures
Hmedee Joullin's Brush HAS
Been Busy With Out
door Studies

For the last six weeks nearly all of the
studios in the City have been closed, the
artists being at work out of doors, paint
ing or sketching from nature. II is still
too early to tell exactly what has been
done, as many of. the painters have not
yet returned, and those that have, with
one exception, are not prepared to show
any finished work. The exception hap
pens to be Amadee Joullin, and the work
he has finished and ready for exhibition is
worthy of the greatest praise.
During the present season Mr.. Joullin
has worked upon the same motifs with
which he was so successful last year-the
sand dunes about the bay and along the
seashore and the ever fascinating streets
of Chinatown. And taken altogether his
last work shows much improvement over
his previous efforts, both in technique and
composition. In his previous works Mr..
Joullin was content to make simple tran
scripts from nature; that is, he painted
his pictures from nature, but made little
attempt to tell story by the positions OF
models and the careful selections of sub
iects. While ne has not entirely departed
from the old scheme his most ambitious
work this year is alike and yet unlike any
thing he has heretofore painted.
In all there are six new canvases in Mr..
, JouIlin's studio. Three of them are scenes
along Alameda Creek. All are treated
broadly and show the different-colored
sands of the different localities, which are
so much alike and yet so different.
One of the new canvases shows a long
stretch of the Oakland estuary and
| the Alameda bridge in the distance.
This picture is full of light ana color. II
has the light hues OF the sand, sky and
water, and at the same time is flied with
the pearly brown-grays so common in this
locality. Truly a creditable study.
The most ambitious picture which Joul-
| lin has undertaken this year he has en-.
titled "On the Trail, and very realistic
! bit of painting it is. AS the title indicates
| it shows couple of Indians on the war
path. They have come to ridge of sand
and one of them is stealthily crawling uI
the side while the other waits near by
| gun in hand, ready for the sudden appear
ance of foe.
The picture is about 21zx4 feet and wa:
| all painted from nature. 1t is unusually
| free from conYentionalities, particularly
| in the selection of the garments worn BY
| 1uuldllS. IL Is COmuOn III
such pictures to attire the noble red mar
in garments decorated in all the colors O
the rainbow, so that they appear as bril-
liant splotches of red, yellow and blue
But Mr.. Joullin has entirely departed from
this idea and the garments worn by hi.
Indians are of that peculiar gray tina
makes them appear almost the same color
as the sand. The few bright colors worn
in the headgear and around the belt ar,
as they should be.
The painting and drawing in the pictur,
are particularly good. The handling i
bold and free without any attempt at fancy
brushwork. The working out of the value
was difficult task, as it was necessary il
some cases to make light come out of
shadow. This is apparent in the figure O
the Indian holding the gun. As land
scape the work is most truthful. The gras
is of the vivid green it really is withou
any rawness of Color
Mr.. Joullin also shows another am
bilious piece of work in the shape of
street in Chinatown. This is undoubledl,
Mr.. Joullin's best work on Chinatown sub
jects, and is, very likely, far in advance o
any thing of the kind ever painted by
local artist.
In the treatment of the picture th
artist has grasped the forcible eff, ct o
light and shade and the strong contrasts
OF color produced by the flowers and vege
tables in front of the stores. At the sam
time every object, no matter how insignifi
cant, is made to keep its place. The line
of perspective are most skillfully handled
as they are broken in just the right place
to overcome any stiffness. Taken as
whole. the picture is most creditable. |
is painted with the full force of tn
palette. and is brilliant in color.
The principal change observable in Nj
Joullln's work, when compared with hi
last years productions, is freedom from
"paintiness." His pictures are, il any
thing, more brilliant in color, but lool
more like nature and less like pigmen
and canvas.