New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-04-30
A PORTO RICAN ARTIST.
FRANCISCO OILERS PRESENT ACTIVITY
AND WHAT HE HAS DONE.
HIS ADVENTURES IN PARIS AND MADRiD-ho"
HIS SLAVE PICTURE WAS STOLEN


spectfully beg Of Your Excellency to grant me per
mission to found art gallery In san Juan na"
tista. For eight years before the coh'i"e Va
American army Of occupation lmpiore" '"' :"
vain OF the Spanish authorities. ana now A"o"e
the kindness of heart and enlightened understand
ting that grace all you have done for this hither.o
unhappy island. come to you with my huho,'
request The painting are all mere. 'housn ''
tered through the different departments OF gov
eminent and all that is necessary is your authority
10 have them delivered TO me. There shal pe ho
expense to the Government. as charge myseIi per
sonauv with ENHANCING them placing them In po-
eition in the room assigned and caring for them as
long I live" 49,
This was the first intimaton The military authori-
ties had that painting art existed IN Porto
p,oo. that ,bere was any desire for artistic edu-
cation among the natives. and that there was d
master at hand willing and able TO found galiery
and TO teach in his declining years the results Oh
a lifetime spent at home and abroad IN tne s'uu'
and practice OF his profession
Two weeks later, all the formaites having peeh
arranged the objections Of this secretary and that
secretary having been overcome. this same arus''
| dusty and tired could be seen experimenting the
efforts Of a gang of convicts as they laooreo WIN
the large paintings in the halls and offices wnere
| they had been and admired by clerks anu
/ ofice-seekers for whole decade
| And now between the hours Of and O'CLOCK
each afternoon, in San Francisco-st, the passerOy
| will see curious crowd gazing through the nan
open door Of the Disputacion Building ana Watch-
! ing Don Francisco Oer. happy and smiling teach-
ing his classes in the tastefully arranged gallery
which he considers the crowning work Of his career
At present the fact OF the existence OF this gal
| lery the only In the Island Is known 10 out
few people in San Juan and to none at all oulsloe'
There are about twenty five paintings on exhiouoh'
! Of which ten belong to the Spanish Government
For when Spain's sovereignty ceased. the depart
irg Ciovernor-General Macias. had received no IN
structons from the Colonial Secretary in Spain
concerning their disposition. The result Is they are
now held in trust ny the Secretary OF Finance IN
| Porto Rico and will in all probability he mace the
subject Of a claim IN the near future through the
United States Department Of State. The best paint
ings in this collection OF ten are the "Carnicero
| Romano" Roman Meat Stall" by the Italian
| artist Jose Juiana, and "Antes de dar e 81 C'be-
| fore Saying Yes-in the marriage ceremony. by
! Jose Ura. The other paintings in the gallery are
| the property OF the island government, number
! of them having been donated by Mr.. Oner on con-
dition that they were to be exhibited in the ART
gallery when it should be founded. The best OF
| these paintings are La Hiandera' C'The SPIN
| nerO by Ceco Ia La Tardo" C'The Afternoon
| -autumn). by Nicolas Raurict; I'm Cesante CA
Discharged Ofice-seekerC; Una Cabeza' ca
Head'O; Una Emboscada" can Ambuscade'D. and
eel velorio' C"The Wake') all by oler
FREE CLASSES IN PAINTING.
Amid these surroundings Mr.. Oler gives instruc-
ton in drawing and painting free. He has day
class in painting for young women between and
o'clock each afternoon. and night classes in draw
ing and lectures on art, for women on Mondays.
| Wednesdays and Fridays. for men Tuesdays,
Thursdays and Saturdays. from to 9 o'clock-sep-
arate classes for each. since co-education Of the
sexes is under all circumstances prohibited by pub
| lie opinion.
Poor receiving nothing for his work except from
the generosity Of some of his day pupils this man
is devoted 10 his cherished art that he considers
| II privilege and an honor TO be allowed TO incul-
ideas of truth and beauty in the minds of the
| youth of his native land.
history of painting in Porto Rico is very easily
| written II comprises two names-Campeche and
Oller. Porto Ricans claim others who born
in the island. left it early in life and after
ward lived abroad. The most important OF these is
! Pedro Pablo Pommayrac. known IN Paris as a
painter of miniatures. where he first prize
in the Salon in 1872 1t his wish late in
life to return "Borinquen' and die there but the
close of his In 1880 at the age of slxty-one
| saw that wish unfulhlled.
Campeche was mulatto who born in the
! latter half Of the last century and died early in
the present one He mystic and reveled in
educated genius, whose works show poor perspec-
i've and faulty mixing Of colors Two of his best
Juan while many others are owned by Porto Rican
Don Francisco Oller was born in San Juan in
d. and soon gave signs OF such unusual talent
| that General Prim. then Governor General of the
island. proposed sending him abroad Govern
ment allowance TO pursue his studies. but Oilers
mother interfered and objected to the arrangement
ON account of his tender years. Campeches paint
ings at this time were his only models but he was
far more interested in the scenes of everyday life
by which he surrounded He went TO Paris
when eighteen years old and remained eleven years
years IN Europe, leading checkered career
trative Of Porto Rican life. he offered in 1859 MS
"Boca-Abajo" for exhibition in the Salon. II was
snkes 10 20 adder eG o fnS WTs'T IS and
CT haxfns OR DO
given number of the hundred murderous
strokes with the lash that are the poor wretchs
dispassiohate onlookers of the daily scene there
daughter nc concubne Of the slave master "e Sitting
near by at table slipping coffee and gloating over
the writing torture Of the victim
When the Spanish Ambassador at Paris heard Of
the picture he protested to the Government OF Mac
Mahon, and It was refused admission. since the
OF a friendly nation Photographs of the picture
were however, sold throughout Paris, and later on
II was exhibited in smaller salon. where II drew
great crowds and made the artist famous.
On going to this salon one day Oller was met by
the excited caretaker. who expostulated with him
dumfOunded and denied having done so; but the
man produced note signed Francisco oller. order
as he had decided TO withdraw it from the gallery
The spanish Ambassador was suspected. but moth
dress. From that day to this "Boca-Abajo" has
His next picture was the 'velorlo," or Wake"
which is valuable chiefly because 1t is true pict-
! ure Of a most barbarous custom still practsed In
the remeter country districts When child dies
the neighbors, Including the priest, are supposed
TO come in and make a night Of IT," The last
7 centairo is spent and frequently the only
horse is sold to provide funds for the velorio If
all efforts to raise money fail. the body Is gladly
taken care Of by some Weather neighbor who is
only too willing 70 use 1t as pretext for nights
carousal The painting represents such an interior
I scene at the time when the rising sun sheds It's
& light upon tho bacchanalian orgy. The corpse
occupies the place Of honor in the room. while
seated In silent protest are old negro
slave and old man. the grandfather OF the child.
The poor mother stands by suppressng her grief,
for II is one OF the features Of this superstitious
notion introduced by the early Spanish invaders.
that tears sully the wings OF the little angels who
carrying the soul of the child to Paradise
Oller has made such a scene a lifelike picture-a
picture that seems grotesque 10 US the reality
itself would appear. All the details Of the sin gle
room. the native woods. the roof. the decorations.
the scenery beheld In the background through the
open door with some Of the party leaving on horse
back the dress. the domestic animals, the musical
instruments. the erotic dance. the priest are all as