The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-07-11
YOURS FOR cATS,MARY KNIGHT
A GIRL GETTING RICH PAINTING
MINIATURES OF CATS.


Cat For the Duchess D'AIencOrn,
who Wanted to Take II Travelling
with Her-LOckets and Charms
Contain Pets.
London, July 1.-"Yours for cats, Mary
Knight" adorns the professional card
of one of the business and, consequently,
one of the wealthiest artists in London.
The card belongs to Mary knight,
Welsh girl, who came to London three
years ago and Caught on" 10 the smart
set in less than years time. Since the
fortunate event she has been the rage
of the society set and is in a way one Of
the most sought after young woman in
England.
The secret of 1t is that Miss Knight is
| painter of the portraits of cats. She is
not a cats Raphael, but is the Amelie
Kussner of the cat kingdom. She is a
cat miniature painter. Her work consists
of painting the heads of pussies upon ivo-
ry or porcelaine to form lockets and or
naments for her fair patrons to wear.
Dick whittington's cat must have left
many female descendants behind; for
| London is full of women who have ap-
parently no one to love them except
tabby. The states has women who love
their poodles, but IL is nothing to the
English ladies' who adore their tabbies.
1t is almost monotonous to go calling, for
in every drawing room there is the pet
Angora established upon the settle, and
you must admire or die, no matter
whether you like cats or not.
Miss Knight began by painting mini
allure of a gray cat belonging to the Ouch
| ess D'Alencon, who, while making a visit
! to London, was presented with Tommy
by one of the English princes. The Ouch
ess wished to keep it, but as she was going
on a travelling tour somebody suggested
that she should secure a picture of the
cat instead, and mentioned a young wo-
man, a stranger in London, who would
@ int 1t.
The idea pleased the duchess. who
| placed the order in the hands of Miss
Knight. The young lady was at first an
noyed at such a commission, but, after
! studying the features of pussy, she saw
| the possibilities o. cat painting. what
| a charming miniature she would make,
the grays and whites combining and set
| off by the blacks said she, But to do
| it well 1 must get acquainted with my sub
| ject."
Master of the rug D'Alencon was sent
| to the home of the artist and in ten days
was sent back with miniature Of himself
around his neck. 1t was complete cir
Gle Of ivory, with pussy asleep in straw
| in bold relief in the foreground. A gray
| ribbon was tied around his neck and his
| face bore an expression or well-bred con-
| tentment The duchess was so charmed
| with the picture that she secured other
orders for Miss Knight, and soon she was
| fairly deluged with scented commissions
| to raint pussies, both Tables and Toms.
One of her best pieces OF work is now
on exhibition in a private picture show.
1t Is a miniature of Maiden the snow
white tabby from the Sandringham stock.
! maiden" belongs to an American woman,
| who obtained her from the princess. She
is a fiery little piece, with eyes of gray
| green and a beautifully rounded upper
! lip. Miss Knight caught the expression of
| her face perfectly and painted miniature
| that entities her, in the opinion of the
| critics, to a place alongside Rosa Bon
| heur in animal painting. The size of the
| miniature, scarcely four inches including
! the frame, must be taken into considera-
| ton by the side of Bonheur's life-size pos
/ siblites. Many of the paintings are even
/ smaller running as tiny as an inch, as
/ was the case with one to be set in a
| bracelet for a woman who is cat crazy.
| shire there is family of blooded Jersey
| cows. They are rare in that part of the
| country and are greatly priced. One of
| them was sent as a gift to Lady Beres-
| ford a short time since, and another was
| shipped to London to be placed in that
/ rarest of all things, a COW pasture in
London's suburbs. one of the family
| pets of Lady Abingdon. Miss Knight
| shortly afterwards painted a miniature of
the hefer She is beauty, with soft face
| graceful horns and stubby nose The min
| iature is to be placed in a Marie Antoinette
| cabinet of curios in her ladyship's bou-
| dor.
! 1t is passing strange that no one has
/ hitherto thought of such thing as paint
\ ing the miniatures of animals. The world
is full of people who bestow their affec-
ton upon brutes and are willing to expend
! any sum upon them. The cheapest mini
AZURE ever painted by Miss Knight brings
| $40, and this is only an ordinary painting
/ in water colors upon square of canvas.
| The miniatures sell for from $50 to 500,
and even higher If very fine ones are
/ wanted.
For a kitten belonging to an English
| duchess Miss knight once received $50.
| The picture was for exhibition in a char
l ity bazaar, and it was intended that some
/ special halo should hang over II TO make
| it drawing card In the art gallery. Miss
| Knight thought morning and afternoon
| upon the picture ana studied the cat con-
| tinually. At length she caught him in
| the act of watching a canary bird, far
above him, and with instant thought she
| sketched the clear green Of his eyes and
| the wonderful action of his lips. That
/ miniature r1as such a speaking likeness
4 that it took 10 the extent of paying her
! fees and making a goodiy sum over.
Miss Knight says that artists who
want TO paint cats should take good
three months for the first one. thcR.
when the art Is learned. the work can
| be done quickly; but never should she
4 make the mistake OF painting all cats
/ alike. Even their fur has a way of part
| ing itself. as a mans hair parts, in a
way all its own; and one cat is no more
/ a picture Of another cat than one mans
| photograph will do for another, just be-
cause both have a mustache and side
1 whiskers. Mrs. Grey-Candeld.
/ -s--n~-@--
JACK STILLWELL, GOOD INDIAN.