Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1899-06-28


but the living painter was glad to get for
his "Alcyone" a piece Of Stilton cheese.
From 1910 to 1643 there were 1900 pictures
willfully destroyed. In the reign OF Queen
Elizabeth It was the habit of some people
to spend much of their time in knock
ing pictures to pieces. In the reign Of
Charles l: 1t was ordered by par
lament that all pictures OF Christ be
burned. Painters were SO badly treated
and humiliated In the beginning OF the
clear down out OF the subiimity of their
art and obliged to give accounts Of what
they did with their colors The oldest
picture In England, portrait OF Chaucer.
though now OF great value, was picked out
Of a lumber garret. Great were the trials
Of Quentin Matsys, who toiled on from
biacksmtth's anvil till, as n painter. he won
wide recognition. The first missionaries to
Mexico made the fatal mistake OF destroy
ing pictures. for the loss Of which art and
religion must ever lament. But why go SO
far back when In this year of our Lord to
be painter, except in rare occasions.
means poverty and neglect. poorly fed.
poorly clad, poorly housed, because poorly
Appreciated?
When hear a man is q painter, have
two feelings-one Of admiration for the
greatness OF his soul and the other OF COM
SO 1t has heen In all departments of noble
work. Some OF the mightiest have been
hardly bestead. Oliver Goldsmith had
such big patch on the coat over his left
breast that when he went anywhere he
kept his hat in his hand closely pressed
over the patch. Tho world renowned
Bishop Asbury had = salary Of $G4 a year.
Painters are not the only ones who haye
endured the lack Of appreciation. Let
men OF wealth take under their patronage
tho suffering men Of art. They lift no
complaint: they make no strike for higher
Rnf With Eoo af
organization which almost always charac-
terizes genius these artists suffer more
than any one but God can realize. There
needs be concerted effort for the suffer-
ing artists of America, not sentimental
discourse about what we owe to artists,
hood; for am in full sympathy with the
Christian farmer who was very busy
gathering his fall apples, and some one
asked him to pray for poor family, the
father Of whom had broken his leg, and
tho busy farmer said: al cannot stop now
to pray, but you can go down into the
cellar and get some corned beef and butter
and eggs aad potatoes. That is all ctn
do now"
Artists may wish for our praye g, bu,
they also want practical help from men
who can give them work. You have heard
scores of sermons for all other kinds of
suffering men and women, but we heed
sermons that make pleas for the suffering
men and women OF American art. Their
work is n ore true to nature and life than
some of the masterpieces that have be-
come immortal on the other side OF the
sea- but it is the fashion of Americans to
mention foreign artists and to know little
or nothing about our own Copiey and Ais
ton and Inman and Greenough and Ken
sett. Let the afiuent fing out OF their
windows and into the backyard valueless
daubs on canvas and call in these splendid
but unrewarded men and tell them to
adorn your walls, not only with that which
shall please the taste, but enlarge the
minds and improve the morals and save
the souls OF those who gaze upon them All
American cities need great galleries of art,
not only open annually for few days on
exhibition, but which shall stand open all
the year round, and from early morning
until 10 O'Clock at night and free to all who
would come and go.
What preparation for the wear and
tear OF the day five minutes look In tho
morning at some picture that will open a
door into SOME larger realm than that in
which our population daily irudsel Or
what good thing the half hour of artistic
opnorfuosfv<s.the She way home in the even
ling from eI,,at that dep,apds recu-
peratfon for mind and soul as wen -
bodyl Who will do for the city where you
live what W. w. Corcoran did for Wash
tnSton aud what others have done for
Boston and Philadelphia and New York?
Men of wealth, if you are too modest to
build and endow such place during your
lifetime, why not go to your iron safe and
take out your last will and testament and
make codicil that shall build for the city
OF your residence throne for American
art? Take some of that money that
would otherwise spoil your children
and build an art gallery that shall associate
your name forever, not only with great
masters OF painting who are gone, but with
the great masters who are trying to live,
I,N
tens OF thousands of people who, unable to
have fine pictures of their own, would be
advantaged. BY your benefactions build
your own monuments and not leave II to
I he whims OF others. Some Of the best peo-
pie sleeping in Greenwood have no monu-
ments at all, or some crumblfng stones that
In few years will let the rain wash out
name and epitaph, while some men whose
death was the abatement Of q nuisance have
q pile of Aberdeen granite high enough for
q king and eulogium enough to embarrass
q seraph.
oh, man of large wealth, instead of
leaving to the whim Of others your monu-
mental commemoration and epitaphol-
Dry, to be looked at when people are going
TO and fro at the burial OF others, build
right down In the heart of our great city,
or the city where you live, an immense
Tree reading room or free musical con-
servatory or a free art gallery, the inches
for sculpture abloom with the rise and fall
OF nations and lessons Of courage for the
iisheartened and rest for the weary snd
life for the dead, and $50 years from now
you will be welding influences in this
world for good. How much better than
white marble, that chills you II you put
your hand on it when you touch 1t in the
would be a monument I'm colors,
IN beaming eyes, in living possession, in
'plendors which under the chandelier
would be glowing and warm and
ooked at by stroliing groups with cata-
logue In hand, on the January night when
he metropolis where the body sleeps is all
showed under! The tower OF David was
hung with 1000 dented shields OF battle,
)ut you, oh man OF wealth, may have
srander tower named after you, one that
shall be hung not with the symbols OF car
1age, but with the victories OF that art
which was SO long ago recognized in my
ext as pleasant pictures" Oh. the power
If pictures! 1 cannot deride, as some have
lone. Cardinal Mazarin, who, when told
hat he must die, took his last walk
through the art gallery OF his palace, say
ng: Must suit all this? Look Mt that
Titan! Look at that Correggio! Look at
hat deluge OF Caraccii Farewell, dear
)icturesw
As the day of the Lord of Hosts, accord
ng to this text, will scrutinize the pic
ures, fmplore all parents to see that in
heir households they have neither in book
lor newspaper nor on canvas anything
hat will deprave. Pictures are no longer
he exclusive possession OF the af1iusnt.
There is not a respectable home in these
titles that has not specimens OF woodcut
'r steel engraving, IL not OF painting, and
Iour whole family will feel the moral up
lifting or depression.
I1Saflll Hints