The times., 1899-09-24
JOURNALIST And PAINTER
An Artists Observations on the
Man of the Fourth Estate.

Writing for PubIication-IoveI
and HoImes-Interestfug Leaves
/ From Summer sketch Book.
| Drawing Pictures by Moonlight.
Columns are nothing to that undiseoy-
cred genius, good news reporter Patient
and spider-like he will spin olt page af er
! page of copy-those clever webs which
catch and hold the readers reluctant at
tention. With the painter, it often hap
pens when his newspaper duties confront
him that he would Ike to hide away.
That he does not shirk is because it would
not be painter-like to do So Problems
are common to him. EIe meets them in
every new picture he undertakes. Hunt
! once said to a discouraged pupil: Don t
! give up; you should see me strugg and
lose heart over my picture. l am often
tempted to quit trying" Then he adds:
Into the painting of every truly good pic
ture comes sooner or later this period Of
despair
Painters are given credit for more con-
tidence in their ability than they possess.
| Coneeit, THE Autocrat of the Breakfast
/ Table declares, is a wholesome thing
within reasonable limits and he takes sew
! eral pages in which to make himself clear
! ON that point, for he knew as well as any
| the danger line Other masters of ltera-
| ture, too. know that art is not always re-
sponsive to ones touch. 1t is something
| different from the hysterical electric door
| bell when the button is pressed. Lowell,
in his ''Fireside Travels tells his Dear
/ Storg the sculptor story-that "a man
may scratch an idea, but it is often like
damp match; it splutters, struggles, and
| Pickering, finally goes out 1t is this
/ power of the born journalist to be enter
! tanning, column after column. on a given
| subject, against time and under the most
| distracting conditions, which inspires deep
admiration in his brother of the brush who
may have yentured far enough into the
field of journalism to learn its difficulties.
John La Farge's Advice.
| John La Fargo, the master painter and
the profoundly interesting writer on art
topics, in a recent issue of "Scri5ner's Ma
| gazine," argues at length against the wis
dom of painter writing for publication.
| 1t is not likely that any painter ever wrote
! a column for publication that he did not,
( somewhere In the course of his manuscript,
agree entirely with Mr.. La Fargo; still,
they go on writing, these painters, and
some of them are important contributors to
| the literature of the time.
! f. d. Millet George Wharton Edwards,
! w H. Shelton, William Hamilton Gibson,
| f. Hopkinson Smith, George H. Boughton,
and John La Fargo are painter-authors
readily recalled, while among the poets are
T. Buchanan Read, Kenyon Cox, and Theo
dore Robinson all eminent names in the
profession.
There is one American painter who early
| laid down his brush and made literature
his profession, and that is the genial and
very charming writer, Tudor Jenks of the
est. Nicholas" editorial staff. Successful
as he has been in the field of letters. there
| is little doubt that his heart leans strong
| ~ toward his first love. There is in the
! art criticism of jerks knowledge, sympa-
| thy, and a sincerity which is highly es-
| teemed by the artists themselves. However
much one may argue to the contrary, 1t is
! believed by these painters that one must
| have painted some to write clearly and in
terestingly about art "Once painter al
ways a painter the reply of Rubens, who
was in London on diplomatic business for
his King would be painters reply today.
''You are a statesman who paints. l be-
lieve?" said some one, to which Rubens re-
piled, mo. l am a painter who sometimes
"shop Talk, of the studio.
1t is the purpose of this column 10 re-
fleet the atmosphere of the studios and re-
veal to the student and interested unpro-
fessional reader something cf what is
happening in the art world from week
to week If digressions occur, they viii
not be so far from shop as might at
first appear Shop talk" in art is not that
narrow thing it is in some professions 1t
is quite as comprehensive in painting as 1t
is in literature. All things contribute To
the painters development. His knowledge
/ cannot be too wide and his memory must
be alert and never falling, for, Ike the
poet in "Festus,
All things were inspiration unto him,
Wood void, hill, field, sea, city, solitude.
And crowds and streets and man where'er he was,
And the blue eye Of God which is above US
He drew his light from that he was amidst
As doth lamp from air, which hath itself
Matter of light although it show it not. His
Was but the power TO light what might be lit.
Sketch books have an interest that is
little short of fascination to some people.
They will pass over collection OF finished
pictures in the studio with small enthusi-
asm. but let them discover sketch book
lying on a remote chair and they immedi-
ately exclaim "Oh, may l look through
that?' Given permission, which the art
ist usually does with the apologetic re-
mark that the contents are only rough
memoranda. and have little meaning to
anyone but himself, how interested they
become. Their eyes glisten as they ask
questions about the figures and written
notes, the shorthand record of fieeting and
unusual effects, a kind OF help to memory
which every painter invents for himself,
1t is only the written word greatly alb
breviated since no artist known to the
writer is a master of stenography.
A Summer Sketch, Book.
CHANGING over my sketch book of July
and August, l find sketches which bring
back recollections of days that were de-
lightful almost beyond comprehension at
the time. 1t is ever so. Notwithstanding
that on the inside of one cover OF this
sketch book is pasted these truthful lines
of Saxon:
Midway about the circle of the year
There is a single perfect day that lies
Supremely fair, before our careless eyes
After the spathes of floral bloom appear,
| Before is found the first dead leaf and sere,
1t comes precursor OF the autumn skies,
And crown of Springs endeavor. Till 1t dies,
We do not dream the fawless day is here.