The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-10-30
Local Artists
w ant It.
PLANSOF STUDENTS
Death Of De Chavannes-
Art Notes of Interest.

oefA artisls are not wholly in SYM
pathy with the people who are throw
mg cold water on the attempt of Mavor
Dodge to have some of the oil nor
traits of ex-mayors painted in the civ
they are willing to accept commissions
Iubject to the approval of the MAYOR
and supervisor, or a commission if
need be. They only ask for the on
portunity to be given trial.
There is good deal of nonsense
about all the talk about "daubs." A
copy of a portrait in oil need not cost
$500 to be a good thing. MANY of the
ex-maVors' portraits will simply have
10 be copied, and there are local artists
VINO can do the work just as well as
prominent artists, and at a far lower
hgure. Copying is largely a mechanical
process. The painting of portraits from
photographs and crayons is not as DIFF
ncult as from life, and until the local
trusts nave been given a trial no one
ads right TO say that they cannot pro-
auce pictures which have a right In a
place in the city hall.
a great many people think that anv
picture that costs money is good. but
buch is not the case. Lots of people
pay thousands of dollars for fake
Lorot, painted by an artist of little or
no originality, and no one knows the
aIHerence 1t is safe to say that MANY
pf the portraits of ex-mayors, now in
Inc city, could be copied nv sew
eral local artists so cleverly that the
owners would never be able to tell the
copy.
Local art patrons have spent a good
neal or money for oil portraits which
would not pass muster at the academy
snd nave paid good money for them,
There are several local artists who
eould equal much of the work in Me-
chanics or Horticultural hall. which is
generally conceded to be all right. The
city cannot pay for Sargents, Brushes
and Vintons. All that it needs is pic
lures which are of artistic merit. and
which shall not be a disgrace to the
building or shall exert a bad influence.
The finance committee of the CITY
council, which has the order for the
appropriation of money for the pur-
pose under consideration, has tabled
the order to investigate. Many mem
bers of the committee are coming to the
conclusion that a great deal of the agi-
tation is forced, and there is little rea-
son to believe that local artists will
not be given chance to see what they
can do. Among artists it is not con-
Bidered very great trick to paint
portrait from a photograph. To at
tempt to produce a Salon picture from
such model is out of the question.
But artistic, harmonious and good
things can be secured, and they can
be painted by artists of ability.
Worcester has a few such portrait
painters and they can do good work.
A fair trial is all that is asked and
such trial is pretty sure to result in
success for some OF the local painters.
If the sum appropriated for the pro-
traits is not enough more can be Sc
cured.
The Art Students Club has fairly
begun the winters work by the APP
pointment Of committees for the an
nual fall exhibition, which will be held
at the clubs gallery, 405 Main street,
from November 14th to 18th. 1t is yet
too early to prophesy, but there is
every assurance that the show will be
a representative one, averaging with
those held recently. The members of
the club have been busy during the past
summer, and many have been revealing
in the magnificent fall color. The result
has been the accumulation of much
good work by the members, and the
coming exhibit should be one in which
art lovers will be Interested, and from
which the members OF the club will de-
rive benefit s3af
During the last few years there has
been. a most noticeable falling off at
the exhibitions both in point Of exhib-
itors and contributions. This has been
due to a variety of causes, but mainly
to the adoption of the jury system.
Previous to its acceptance, the MEM
bers were not only allowed, but urged
to send in liberal contributions to the
exhibitions, and every picture sent,
good, bad or Indifferent, was hung.
The result, as may be seen, was not
wholly satisfactory. Frequently the
poor canvases We're so numerous as
to completely swamp the good
things, and they often gave the whole
exhibit a mediocre appearance.
Under the new rule, all contributions
are passed on by a jury, the only con-
dition being that each member is en-
titled to have one canvas hung whether
it is up to the standard or not. This
rule, naturally, lessons the number OF
pictures shown. 1t should not lessen
the exhibitors, but it has done 50. Some
have felt hurt at having pictures re-
tected, and in some cases withdrawn
from the club Others, while remaining
in the club. have not sent pictures In
addition. several members whose contri-
buttons have always added to the inn
portance OF the exhibitions, have let
many exhibitions pass without sending
pictures, or sent only one or two where
in the past they have sent many. The
exhibitions have suffered much, par
ticularly from this latter cause.
one encouraging feature, however, Of
recent exhibitions, has been the adj
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