The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-01-28

Having satisfactorily reached this stage
Of it's journey in the hot pursuit of
art, the next problem that confronted the
art committee was the selection Of a
painter. AS everybody is aware there are
more PAINTERS in the world than there
are portraits for them to paint, and We
have no doubt that promptly on the an
nouncement that the city had a fat por-
trait contract to let city hall was thronged
with painters out OF a Job and looking for
one. We understand that the committee
has been besieged with applications to
sdo" the Mayor in real oil, guaranteed
hand work I'M the canvass full as TO
width and length, according to the
specifications. We learn of ono artist who
offered to do a bona fide five hundred COL
lar portrait for 300 and provide his own
paint. Another agreed TO use ten differ
ent colors as against eight OF his nearest
| competitor for the job, while a third in
formed the art committee that he would
paint the Mayors portrait for nothing If
the committee would see that he got en-
p~loyinent in the paint department Of the
board Of public works after the picture
was finished.
The committee was thus placed in a d.
lemma. II 1t had been an old-fashioned
partizan committee it might have selected
a Republican artist who had a pull, and
slide the res, Of the competitors, although
we really think a Republican committee
would never have 20 far forgotten its
courtesy and the fitness of things as to Sc
lect any but a Democratic artist to paint
the portrait of q Democratic Mayor. or
course the Mayor has no voice in the
matter. The picture is to be for tho city
and not for the Mayor, and the art COM
mittee represents the city, which is going
to pay for the picture and thus has tho
right to get such a picture as 1t wants.
1t is simply a part OF the Mayors official
duties to sit for the picture. What kind
OF a picture he is'siIting for is none OF his
funeral, as 1t were. Ana so when the
art committee got into its dilemma over a
choice OF a painter it got out OF it in its
own way. And that way was a Goo-Goo
way, than which there could be nothing
stranger on earth since the ichtby osaurus
first made its appearance in the dime mu.
seums Of the chalk period.
Realizing the impossibility OF selecting
from so many painters with only one con-
tract to give out, and after consulting
with the board OF public works, the ell
gineer's department md the com mission
on awards for the State House lands, the
art committee adopted the clever ant
original scheme OF getting up a grand por-
trait painting contest and Ave artists we're
invited to enter 1t; the one who should
make the most acceptable portrait to
have his portrait accepted. This was de-
cided upon after rejecting the plan to seat
the Mayor on the platform at Infantry
Hall some sunny day and having a compe-
titicn against time, open to the world,
and painting the portrait, the artist who
first completed his picture after the word
"go'' TO be awarded the prize. The OBJ
lection 10 this plan YVES that some OF the
artists might take advantage of n per-
sonsl acquaintance TO make sketches on
their cuffs, and in this wise secure a pre-
lininary preparation for the speed con-
test that would be unfair to the other
competitors.
The rules of the competition decided
upon are simple. All the artists have to
do is to RANT the Mayor, freely, being
left entirely without annoying r~estric.
lions as to the amount Of paint or variety
OF colors used. The portrait hat proves
most acceptable will te taken and paid
for-ive hundred dollars. The four COM