The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-04-19

West Thirty-tirst street. Ncr is this all, for
the picture is a distinct reminder OF some spe-
cial occasion WHEN clay Greene. the President,
or "Shepherd." whose features Just come
into view at the left of the picture. sat by
the Vice. President. and contributed his share
to the wit and fun OF a e d-letter night.
Just back OF Mr.. Thomas on the wall IS
seen family another portrait, that OF a painter.
in Rembrandt cap, with the tools of his art
In his hand. 1t Is a clever sketch Of
himself by the Dutch artist, Hubert vos,
who has presented to the Lambs Club
this portrait OF its Boy and shepherd. Tho
picture thus comprises the portraits Of three
well-known men Of the hour, and for that rea-
son alone would be valuable. aside from Its
quality as n work OF art. but 1t has also a unique
claim to distinction in being the first portrait
painted entirely under the inCaudesccnt light.
At first blush this use OF the incaudescent
light strikes one as impossible. Its golden
glow is SO frankly yellow that a portrait or
other canvas seen under its light, satisfying
the eye as to its truth to nature, would inev-
itably appear ghastly and bilious by the pure
light OF DAY. This is undoubtedly the fact.
but the Thomas portrait. is an exposition of the
ability Of an artist who has mastered the new
and practically To lcncthen his working day
from five or six hours to twentY.four. In
other words. he is.sct free from tho old limit
ing conditions of light. A glance AZ this por-
trait shows such TO be the case. Whether ono
looks at 1t In the broad. crisp New York spring
sunshine. or sits opposite to II after the. thea
tres are out and the house is full OF actor folk,
lite flesh tints are naturally pink and white.
The ruddiness OF the complexion + that Of nor
NAL man. The white lights and dark shadows
day in order To be pleasing ut another; but
throughout the chanGlnG, hours the strength
md .TaUtf Of fla NrIA1n "a mud Fln
Colors are harmonious 20 IL degree whose salts
faction can only he realized after an inspec.
Before Mr.. Vos left for Washington last
week 10 execute his commission for tho por'
trait Of secretary Of state oinc! he ran over
benefit OF his fellow artists, went into many
valuable and extremely Interesting details Of
technique as related TO the experiment that
has yielded already such happy results.
II cannot help thinking" said Mr.. Nos.
that a new and large reid or painting has
the enG OF the chaptcr in its fundamental
principles, but rs the rules OF war are modl-
of existence, 80 art has It's regime modified by
new ways Of preserving for pistcrity the mem
IN our Of a lSe n SGM, p p@a snol Scu may mSs' not ,,T' ha2S
taken much note OF oil painting done at night,
but II you have 1t must have struck you as
extremely yellow, or orange even, by contrast
with daylight. Somehow the right 1ompar-
stivc values could not be caught. aud yet
artiticially! Thu. the fish market By candle
CLEAN, the Waterman with a lamp, and 50 on.
In fact, the temptation often leads men OF
real talent to lie fantastic, You have seen
the weird pictures where Il wan woman work
ing with the dim light OF q taper is surprised
by the first beams ~ u slckly sunrise. The
only effect Is that OF contradiction and dis
harmony. Il Is hizaIr" and nothing else.
"Anqther point is that tlls artificial light
Is steady. We all take daylight as "A standard,
but how prccariuus the standard Is. Counting
hy actual Seconds, II will vary 10000 times
IN Il summer dav. and each Of those seconds
Is surcharged with the emotions OF physical
nature, with the eject of floods OF sunshine
or ~ rain, with ui,t and cloud and dust, with
black storm and coming sunset. To catch
those .lretiHg expressions Is the glory Of a true
artist; out how often can we be satisfied Of
fidelity when we know how transltory was his
glimpse OF that ideal landscape or play Of
light on the face"
Nov. before / tell you about my use Of pig
ments. lust a word a. To the Lighting mctl,ol.
Along the luwer line ~ my north light. as you
see. | have a row OF frosted incundescent
LAMPS. can thus supplement- or absolutely
exclude my daylight As a gyaelal thing, 1
but | have tried 32.,tndle power, -four OF them
IN one instance over the subject and one over