The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-04-19
PICTURES FOR STANFORD.
A Brother of the Late Senator Sends |
a Fine Collection TO the University.

A Brother of the Late Senator Sends
a Fine Collection to the University.
Stanford University, Cal, April 10
Stanford university has been magnifi-
Gently remembered by Thomas Stan
ford, a Melbourne citizen and brother
of the late Senator Stanford. He takes
his share of pride in the university. The
library is named after him, and some
day his fortune will go TO swell the en-
dowment of that part of the establish
ment and make the library one of the
richest collections of choice and rare
books in the world. He is childIess,
having lost his only child, a beautiful
girl whose idolized portrait hangs in his
apartment at his house in East Mel
bourne.
His dearest object in life is the bet
terment of the university, with which
he wishes to worthily connect his
name.
Thos. Stanford's remembrance con
sists of a beautiful collection of paint
ings which will take their place in the
art department. of the museum. He is
devoUt lover of fine arts and his pri-
Vate collection of pictures is one of the
best in Australia.
About five years ago he conceived the
idea of sending to Stanford university
collection of pictures of Australian
scenery by an Australian artist, SO that
American art students could form as
perfect an idea as possible of the bush,
the lakes, the forests, the mountains,
the plains and the rivers of that reg
ion.
With this end in view he looked about
to find an artist, who, by his truth and
fidelity to nature primarily, his techni-
cal skill and his poetic touch, could car
ry out this idea. His choice fell upon ].
w. Curtis. He had admired the work
of that artist for just those merits
which he wanted in a collection of pic
for 90 1feaz-
with Australian scenery.
The commission which Mr.. Stanford
gave to Mr.. Curtis was:
Paint what you please; take your
own time; name your own price; don't
hurry; give me the best you can do,
and make the pictures really repTesen-
tative of Australian scenery"
For four years the well known artist
has been working in a studio fitted up
in the rear of Mr.. Stanford's house, so
that that gentleman could take an act
i've interest in the progress of the work.
He produced so paintings in all.
The pictures take their choice of seen
cry from all parts of Victoria. There
are Murray pictures, Alp pictures, pic
lures of MacedOn in snow time, Grips
land lake pictures and coast pictures.
Many of the scenes depicted on the
canvas were suggested by Mr. Stanford
himself.
Mr.. Curtis has the art to be derived
only from a painStaking study of ma
ture, bringing out the minute details
OF the scene Every tree he pants mas
character of its own. His trees all
live. They seem to grow from the can
vas and to have their roots deep down
in the painted soil. The eucalyptus tree
is the one unifying feature of all the
pictures.
Snow at WOODS Point is character
lied as an Australian scene by the fan
tastic, disheveled, uncOuthness of the
trees, which are undoubtedly eucalyp-
tus..
One strong point is the painting of
water reflections. The water is in all the
pictures most delicately and softly
done It is exquisitely gentle, cool and
refreshing to the eye, executed with the
truest perception of the beauty of ma
lures images thrown back from a lake
or ripping creek.
Among a number which especially
deserve mention are "Coo-ey. Good
night" "Blood-red Sunset Between
Daylight and Dark and several in
Echuca park.
His underground is feathery, fine,
tangled-nOt a muddled mass. Rocks
are done with due observance of their
carpeting of grass.
The paintings. with the dozen or so
already in the museum, will make a Su-
perb collection of Australian scenery.