The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-11-27
That De Forest
Brush
COMES THIS WIN TER


Rumor has it that George de Forest
Brush, the eminent portrait artist,
whose fame is International, is TO come
to Worcester this winter for the
purpose of executing a, portrait COM
mission, Mr.. Brush spent several
months here last season while working
on the portraits Of Frank Buckley
Smiths family and the Art Students
Club was fortunate enough to secure
him as instructor for a life class dur
ing his stay. Naturally, the possibili-
ty of Mr.. Brush'S coming again has
aroused considerable interest among
the students. In case he does come,
the club will endeayOr to conduct
class under his guidance. In case he
does not, there will probably be no
sketch class this year.
The necessary money for the in
struction can be raised in some way.
Mr.. Brush would willingly undertake
the work without recompense, but the
club members cannot allow this. AL
though they do not feel able to pay him
a sufficient amount, they certainly
mean to see that he has some reward
other than gratitude. Few great
painters are willing to do so much for
art workers as Mr.. Brush, and he
is held in tender regard by every art
student who has come to know him
well.
The Spanish have long boasted of
their superior esthetic graces and gifts
as compared with those Of the more
practical and commercial peoples.
Spanish decadence is evidently as COM
plete and absolute in art as in other
departments of life. The great mas
terpieces are going to ruin from he
glect and Thomas r. CongdOn has this
among other things to say in Art Edu-
cation about Spanish art and artists:
The number of good painters in
Spain. when compared with that in
other nations. is indeed small. Those
who wish to become familiar with mod
ern Spanish painters would do we'll to
study the works of Senior Sorrota, IS
he is regarded by both his felloW-cOun-
trymen and by the artists of the con-
tinent as the most talented of the mod
ern Spanish school had the honor
of an interview with him at his mtg
nificent studio.
"SenOr Sorrota has a canvas in his
studio fourteen by tWenty-four feet in
size, representing the coronation of the
present Queen-regent. The work is com
pleted except the head of the queen,
and he has waited five years fC %
mOre-the final sitting. The pa Ig
was ordered by the government.
THE slow and [ may say lazy habits
of the Spanish are a great detriment
to their progress in art.
Genius alone will never make a
great painter. Ask the masters of to-
day, men who in the next century will
be regarded as geniUses, to what they
attribute their success, and they will
tell you as they have said to me, work!
hard work-a supreme effort to over
come all obstacles
But the young men in Spain are
not constructed on such principles
They spend the greater part of their
time at the wine table, and then com
plain of the many obstacles in their
pathway to recognition.
Their art schools, where a good
foundation for drawing should be laid,
are far inferior to those of France,
Germany, or America
Mr.. COngdon says further that the
Spanish art student is constantly boast
ing of Spain's great masters, but he
does not study these, and has no idea
Of their principles OF art. He will talk
volubly about Velasquez and others,
but he can practice nothing that such
artists teach in their works, and would
much rather go to bull fights than
study.