Arizona weekly journal-miner., 1897-07-07
ARIZ0NAJ0URNAL-MINER
Y....,. June 30, 1897
THE FINISHING TOUCH.
How an American Art student Electrified a Berlin Audience.


 a Berlin Audience
 "It is probable: that the young American who entertained a Berlin audience unexpectedly one evening half a dozen years ago may have set up studio of his own somewhere in this country, and if he has I'll guarantee that he entertains we'll, said an artist at the Lotos club one night last week. .t'I-was in Berlin doing a little painting at the time, and fell in with little colony of Americans who made my stay very pleasant.
 "We dropped in to see a variety show one evening at the ReichS. hal len. The star performer was a light ming sketch artist who. figured on the bill as professor. He was a tall, long haired man, with arms that reached almost to his. knees. A large easel held his canyases, and the rapidity with which he worked greatly pleased his audience. His arms worked like a windmill, and as he swung them the paint: flew off his brush in a steady stream. The result on the canvas didn't resemble anything until, with a quick spit spat of the brush, he put a touch hero and a touch there, and, behold, a picturel The picture wash t a work of art, to be sure; but, then, the spectators were by no means crit icaL As the professor $ arms flew around and his brush whacked the canvas, turning out new pictures m less than half a minute, the enthu> siasm increased. The professor sat down to rest. A well dressed yonng man, very evidently an American, called out ill very shaky German:
 oh, professor, you areslowand your pictures are bad. ..-..',
 Come up and try one yourself, if you think so, replied the profess or sneeringly. -'.
 ".An right, said the young man, and while the rest of the spectators were shouting and laughing at the invitation he climbed up on the stage and took possession. of the professors paints and easel
 Ut was apparent that he: knew something about painting from the ease with which he handled his brush. After two or three prelim- mary motions to Timber up his arms he turned and bowed low to the au- dience in the professors best man ner. The carieature was appreciat- ed, and a terrific howl greeted him. Turning to the canvas he swung his paintbrush at rate that made the professors previous efforts seem slow by contrast. He seemed to bo in frenzy, and the eyes. of the stolid Germans in the theater bulged out with astonishment. They forgot to drink their beer. In less than a ulAuuAo- Auc .AllENL4Ntlh AAtAAANN t-~N' bowed again to the spectators to i'm ply that his picture was completed, and he awaited their decision. As he stood aside and the canvas on which he had been working was eX- posed there was silence for a mO ment, and then came a storm ol jeers, in which even the profes,oi joined. The canvas was merely ; blotch. Not even the widest imagi nation could trace any suggestion of picture on it.
 "The Ameriean looked pained al his greeting and then turned toward his canvas. X surprised expression came over his face That cuuldn | be his picture. The spectators were still jeering him when, as if it were a second thought, he sprang to the easel and tlrne1 tho canvas bottom side up. The jeers were changed ia cheers. The canvas now bore an eX cellent landscape, with no detail lof! out There were trees, a stream, an old Dutch house, and in the back ground several cows. 1t had been painted coarsely, but itwas effective and far superior to anything that the professor had turned out. While the spectators were laughing at the young Americans ready wit he sprang off the stage and, accompa- nied by several friends. left the hall learned that he was studying art in Berlin, and that he spent more time in practical jokes than at the art schools He had fairly beaten the professor at hls own game, how ever, and there were no more light ming sketches that evening. New York Sun. -..- ....5.--.-.-. .-