The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-07-11

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MISS Knight Desau Oy painting "a MIN
iaLuIe oil a gray cat pclOhalAs 10 tiir
lJuCncsa - AIeucOn, VINO Muilc MAXIM .
ii VISIT tO IouuOn, Was presented Mith
'lOum, uy one o. tine EuBusn princes.
me Duchess wished 40 Keep d. but As sine
Was gOiuB Oh a travelling loIr somebody
suggested that she should secure pc
ture OF the cat instead, and mentioned d
young woman, a. stranger IN LONDON
VINO would paint IL.
The idea pleased the Duchess. who
placed the order 900 the hands oI Miss
Kmght. The young lady Was at nrst
annoyed al such q commission but. after
studying the features OF pussy, she saw
the possibilities Of cat painting. W nat
"a charming miniature sne would make.
the grays and whites combining and set
OH by the blacks, said sn' But 10
do IL well / must get acquainted with
my subject"
Master of the rug ID Aleucon was sent
to the home of the artist and 300 ten days
was sent back with miniature oil hlm-
self around his neck. IL nas Ill complete
circle of ivory. with pussy asleep in straw
in bold relief in the foreground. 4 gray
= ribbon was tied around hi- neck and his
face bore an expression OF Well-brea
cCntentment. The DuchCss was so charm
cd with the picture that she secured
other orders for Miss knight. and soon
she was fairly delused with scented CON
missions 10 paint pussies, both Tables
and Toms.
one of her best pieces of work is now
on exhibition i'm q private picture show.
IL is a miniature Of Maiden. the snow
white tabby from the Sanlringlam stock.
Maiden belongs 10 an American woman.
who obtained her from the Princess.
She is fiery litte piece. with eyes OF
gray green and beautifully rounded
upper lip. Miss Knight caught the eX-
preston Of her face perfectly and painted
q miniature that entities her. in the opffi-
ION or the critics, 10 place alongside
Rosa Bonheur in animal painting The
size OF the miniature. scarcely four inches
including the frame. must Doe taken into
consideration by the size OF BOnheur's
life-size possibilities Many Of the paint
ings are even smaller running as tiny
as an lnch, a s was the case with one
TO be set IN bracelet for a woman who
Is cat crazy.
Upon one Of the estates in Warwick
shire there is a family off bl00ded Jer-
sey COWS They are rare in that part or
the country and are greatly priced. one
OF them was sent as git 10 LADY
Beresford a short time since. and an
other was shipped 10 London 10 be- placed
in that rarest Of an things "a COW pas
ture in London's suburbs as one o. the
family pets OF Lady Abingdon. Mss
Knight shortly afterwards painted a
miniature OF the heifer She is q beauty.
with soft face. graceful horns and
stubby nose. The miniature is 10 be
placed in n Marie Antoinette cabinet OF
curios In her ladyships h0udoir
IL is passing strange that 100 one has
hitherto thought OF such thing as paint
ing the miniatures az animals. The
world is fun OF people who bestow their
affection upon brutes and are wiling 20
cXpend any sum upon them. The cheap.
est miniature ever painted hy Miss
knight brings $50. and this Is only an
ordinary painting in water colors upon
a square of canvas. The miniatures sell
for from SO % 500. and even higher u
very fine ones are wanted
For kitten belonging 20 an English
duchess Miss Knight received 90 pounds
The picture was for exhibition In char
ity bazaar. and II was intended that
some special halo should hang over n
10 make II drawing card in the art
gallery Miss knight thought morning
ard afternoon upon the picture ara stud
led the cat continually. At length snc
caught him in the act Of watching =
canary bird. far above him. and with
instant thought she sketched the clear
green ~ his ewes and the wonderful ac-
zion OF his lips That miniature was
such a speaking likeness that IL took
20 the extent Of paying her fees and
making q roodlv sum over
Miss Knight saw thar artists who
want 10 paint cats should take a good
three months for the first one. then.
when the art Is learned. the work can
be done quickly: but never should she
mako the mistake OF naiuting all cats