The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-04-07
CRAZE FOR PoRTRAITURE.
Pictures of Pretty Women on stones,
Plates and Stained Glass.
Chicago Post

Chicago Post.
Portraiture has become a gentle rage in
the millionaire feminine bosom. Full length
paintings in oils by the most eminent Pa
riSian artists and miniatures on ivory are
among the methods of picture-making that
the rich women are beginning to tire of, and
as necessity is the mother of invention a
whole new series of schemes for Inning at
tracttve faces has been obediently brought
forth by the prevailing condition. 1t was
Mrs, Fred Gerhard, comments the New
York Sun, the owner of one of the most per-
pains to hunt out little old genius hidden
away in a back street of Richmond, Va,
and request him to cut big and beautiful
cameo of her face. He made very effective
likeness, in white on background Of
sapphire blue stone, and when Mrs. Geb-
hard had this set about with large diamonds
and wore it as one would miniature
brooch every woman who saw ii and could
afford the expense went and did likewise.
The little old cameo cutter has, since that
stroke of lucky patronage, been over
whelmed with orders, and the women who
have their profiles carved do not all wear
One Of the G popuar fancies is to set the
cameo as a belt buckle, as a shoulder
brooch, as clasp for sable or ermine
cape or mou1t 1t in a broad gold band ana
wear it on the arm.
Not all women, however, can afford to
have their features Clipped out in agate
stone, and q great many of them are going
to the photographers to have cameo photo
graphs taken. This is process brought
over from Paris, where they are Just now
photographs, the figures in brown or gray
thrown on a polished white surface. The
cameo process is nothing more nor less than
a face in clear profile, photographed in
strong white lights against block of pre-
pared and polished black wood. The block
of wood is usually about six or eight inches
square, with a circular depression in the
center Into this the picture is thrown and
shows like a carving of pearl agaist ebony.
Every curl and stray strand Of hair, every
filmy bit of lace and flower about the Shout
ders is outlined by the camera, and pretty
woman could not find more perfect me-
dunn for faithful likeness Of her fine
features.
A new industry, first put forward under
the patronage of Mrs John Jacob Aston has
one of the most prominent and beautiful of
New Yorks fashionable matrons, has had
her own sweet face painted with most eX-
quisite art on six very choice Sevres plates
That are only used for her smallest and
most select luncheon parties. The plates
show Mrs. Aston in evening dress, tailor
dress, reception gown, skating furs, in a
delicate summer muslin and in her bridal
gown. 1t is no secret that the plates cost
$3.50 apiece and were made in France.
Mrs. Potter Palmer has given to an Amer
lean girl the valuable order of decorating
half dzen plates, much like those of Mrs
Aston while Mrs Sloane, of New York, Is
having her likeness transferred to six
plates for use at small breakfasts. These
platters are all Of fine American china, and
the feminine artist who is decorating them
is going to show Mrs. Sloane in skating,
bicycling, golfing, riding, fishing and yacht
ing dress.
II has remained, however. for Mrs. Oliver
Belmont TO lead all the rest in portraiture
of an original, beautiful and the most eX-
pensiVe sort known on this side of the
water Only the beautiful but eXtravagant
Queen of Italy has anything TO show like
the huge window of stained glass that fits
into the space at the head of the stairs in
Mrs Belmont's New York house. This win
dow. fourteen feet high by eight broad,
looks toward the west, and everyone who
enters the hall of the house cannot fail to
look up at this window through the many
colors of which all the light for the hall
comes In a framework of marvellous glass
roses the mistress of the mansion stands
arrayed in the most gorgeous yellow bro
caded satin, wearing her famous turquoise
tiara, necklace and brooches. The window
was designed and the glass work done by
American artists, and the crystal pieces of
glowing color and many degrees of thick
ness are put together in a framework of
silver instead of lead. II required nearly
two years to complete the work, and no
one save the present owner and the maker
of the window knows the price that was
paid for 1t. At some points in the decora-
ton genuine jewels are set In with the
glass, and at night heavy iron door closes
at the back of the window, which, by cum
ningly arranged electric lights is softly IL
Illuminated.
The Queen of Italy has had her picture
done In painted glass, and of late one or
two Americans, having seen Mrs Belmont $
lion portraits made of themselves In the