Evening journal., 1897-02-17
/, BEGGAR'S ARTIST.
IVES IN A CELLAR AND PAINTS
SIGNS FOR MENDlCANTS.

Ie Makes a Good living and Would Rather
BE Painter For Beggars Than Beggar
Painter-How tho Pictures Are Used and
& what He Charges For Them.
q A new school Of art has been discov-
! red. So far as known, this city has its
& sole professor, and he is as odd as his
2 art But this is the source whence come
E the thrilling pictures which the beggar,
4 manned, halt or blind, displays when
( he mournfully relates just how he was
injured and strives to impress upon the
charitable how deserving he is of aid.
In one Of the shabbiest streets Of the
city, away down in basement, a flick
ering gas flame lights the studio of this
queer genius 1t is place of business
such as would appall the well dressed
banker, but it is no exaggeration to say
that its occupant has an income which
many more pretentious painters would
rejoice to receive.
Technique and perspective meet with
small consideration at the hands of this
king of the beggars, for such he seems
to be. To watch ingress and egress Of
his patrons would give stranger the
impression that some philanthropist had
established charity hospital in the
basement.
When the writer paid visit to this
unique studio the other day, the artist
was found attired in a pair Of overalls
and greasy woolen shirt, as guiltless
of ornamentation at the neck as was
-
and water. A bushy beard that had evil
IDENTIFY been brown in other days covered
the lower portion Of the artists face,
and his shocky hair stood up in indig-
nant protest against the possibility Of
invasion by brush or comb. From under
rather bushy brows a keen pea of eyes
looked out Mind was decidedly in evi-
dence; conventionality was below par.
Both cleanliness and godliness were
quite ignored.
The furniture Of the studio consisted
of an old couch covered with a material
which in days gone by had probably
been very pretty chintz Now it was
thoroughly disguised by the accumu-
lation of dirt. A real rag carpet cover.
ed the floor, but not a single picture
was hung upon the walls, although
standing about the room were several
pictures in various stages Of progress
Permission was asked to examine them
and they were we'll worth seeing
One was lurid representation of ;
powder explosion. So realistic was the
picture that if you cared to place you
finger ON what were alleged TO be burn
ing grains Of powder you could feel tina
the grains We're there, though the arts
denied that that was the intention. HI
said the painting was intended for
patron Of his with two wooden legs
substitutes for the pair that powde
explosion robbed him Of The object O
the painting was TO show the charitabl
stranger just how it happened, and tn
artist said that in his mind there wa
no doubt that his legless patron woul
greatly benefit by the scene thus place
on canvas.
There was another picture, which rel
resented the blowing up of man-of-wal
The flames that spouted from the deck
of the unfortunate vessel were Far NOR
red than the light that shines from tn
chimneys of an iron mill'at night. M
ture has never succeeded in producin
anything quite so glowing as unmiti
gated red paint, and there was no lac
Of it in this picture. The persons VIII
were sailing about in the air seemed
have suffered frightful injuries, and th
artist said that this was purely to il
woke sympathy for his customer, wh
was supposed to be one of the actors
the scene so graphically portrayed.
The price Of such paintings vari'
from SO to $12. The artist can complies
one in about 1-2 hours, if he does ~
hurry. If it is a rush order, the woi
can be concluded within an hou
though in that case the price is increa
ed somewhat When asked if he ma.
much money by this sort Of work, Il
artist replied that he did; that he gain'
more than many painters who we
striving TO do great things are able
secure. His patrons were general
prompt pay-indeed the usual terms a
cash on delivery.
As for embarking in higher art, Il
artist would have none of il. He terse
remarked that he would rather be
painter for beggars than a Leggar pair
er, and as he waved goodby there W
contented look on his face, viii
showed that he meant exactly what
said. -Philadelphia Press
A eeIx-Fn0lish pm