The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-05-30

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the studio ard art gallery Of the Seattle
Art League and School Of Design on Friday
afternoon when the regular public recep-
ton took place. Every department was
well represented. among the best being the
fruit paintings by Mrs. Frank X Hoil.
who In recently FROM the East, where Nor
art training was acquired among some OF
the best artists. Mr.. J. Z. Cla&ues water
coiors are exquisite touches or nature,
which command admiration from all be-
holders His work in oil Is brilliant and
vigorous Pen and ink sketches BY Mr.. A.
H. Lee disclosed originality and talent as
deiireator OF character. In oil colors tho
paintings Of Miss Ada Forsay. Miss
Blanche De Mers ard Mrs. Mossman were
much admired. In the antique class good
work was exhibited by Miss Grace N.
Wishaar. Miss Marie Martin. Miss Nell
Campion, Miss LeoIe Davis. Miss A. A.
Clarke. Miss Blanche De Mers. Miss Hat
tie Bray Mrs. d. A. Galley. Mrs. George
Ward. Mr.. ]. r. Clague. Mr.. Shirley
Squire, Mr.. E. w. Barnes. Mr.. Charles
de @. White and Mr.. Wal Smith, and In
casts by Miss Sadie Kellogg. Mr.. Leland 8.
Armstrong. Mr.. J. Gunterman, Mr.. VIII
wishaar and Mr.. Fred La Roche.
"Ruskin, tie Renaissance, Rationaitsm
and Religion. were all considered In the
lecture before the league Tuesday evening.
when the famous critics Stones OK Ven
ice'' was the theme for a second time. The
iavaiike torrents OF vituperation In which
Ruskin gloried. as did his master. Car
lyle were quoted in allusion to the men
who resurrected art from death and OBJ
livion the "Rationalists" and Roman
ists.' Such literary style has Its fascina-
tons: but excessive zeal overreaches, and
truths so couched become grave error in
the aggregate. Thus Ruskin makes declar-
atoms so comprehensive. sweeping and
biased that they become worthless. II rot
false. Religious bigotry blinded him as 1t
has and ever will those who suffer II to
mould and cloud their understanding. He
could sec how that. rejecting the arts.
Protestants cramped their intellect, but he
fails to note that religious bias-Protestant.
Catholic. Jew. Mohammedan or any other
docs the same thing. The artists OF the
Renaissance had faults. grave faults 1t
may be admitted. The same is true of the
Catholic and all other religions. but it does
not necessarily follow. as Ruskin would
have us believe. that all faulty things are
bad or worthless. Though the sun be spot
ted, ~e should only prove ourselves poor
humorists. II not ridiculous. to call II an
orb Of darkness. At the dawn Of the Rem
aissance art was degraded by affectations
and artificial formulate. The grandeur.
simplicity and naturalness of the Greek
had been buried In Oblivion. To restore
Of the Renaissance artists. That they were
not without faults only proves that they
were human. and Ruskin does not cover
himself with glory when he attempts 10
hold them up to scorn and contumely,
though he is more readable than ne would
be in merely stating the bald facts devoid
of his high art of rhetorical vituperation.
In a sense those artists were pioneers.
many of them masters Of the highest arts.
who have left imperishable work to immor-
talize them. The same cannot with truth
be said of Turner, Ruskin's idol, who has
left nothing that future generations will
ever see, though Ruskin has declared some
OF II beyond criticism and absolutely per-
feet. the artist himself being mot only the
greatest landscape painter who ever lived.
but that he has In him as much as would
have furnished all the rest with such
power as they had" From such statements
Isolated one might easily reach the con-
ciusion that Ruskin is absolutely woyth-
less as a critic His style and method OF
criticising Renaissance artists would JUS
tify us IN so doing but the world would not
accept the judgment as 1t never will his
verdict on Michael Angelo. Scamoxzi.
Sansovine. lingo Jones, Wren and the
other masters ot art and architecture OF
modern times. who received their inspira-
ton from the Renaissance.
How to Judge Works OF Art" will he the
subject of the lecture on Tuesday evening
next. when Ruskin and his stones OF
Venice" will be further reviewed.
Yesterday afternoon sketching party OF
the league devoted itself to picturesque
spots In kiunear park and the scenery
which from that ncighborhood equals the
grandost on earth. the weather being all
that could te desired.
The regular meeting OF the Monday
Fortnightly Club was held last week at the
residence of Mrs. Y. j. Huston on East
Thirty-fourth street. Exhaustive ESSAYS
were read on the subject Of The Koran and
the Women Of Turkey. The paper read by
Mrs. w. ID. Lambuth was especially inter-
esttng giving as Il did. pen picture OF the
daily life In the harerfs of the sultan and
other Turkish dignitaries.
The next meeting viii he held on the ,sh
Of June. when Mrs shook will r, ad raper
on scenes In and about Constantinople.