The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-02-26
ARTISTS INSPIRED BY WAR.
Many Powerful New Pictures and Statues Based On the
Conflict in Cuba.

The general, art-loving public of New
York, or at least that part of it which
passes through Broadway near Madi-
son square. is divided as to the merit of
a certain picture which hangs alone in
| the window of an art dealer The
painter is Frederick Remington. and it
/ is war picture. 1t is one of the first
/ fruits of the Spanish-American contest
in the world of art. The scene might
have been laid in any of the north New
! York parks. The background is blue
! thicket of underground, from which
leads a wide level road. Along this
road, some staggering, some falling
and some lying face downward, are a
/ body of rough riders. They have been
/ fired upon by the deadly, mysterious,
smokeless powder which gave the
| SpaniardS their chief advantage during
/ the short and bloody conflict outside
Santiago.
It is not the kind of picture that
some art lovers would like to hang in
their drawing rooms. In some respects,
| the horror of war which marked the
great canvases of Verestchagin. the
Russian painter, is shown in this work
1t exhibits a phase of war that is grue-
some. 1t is distinctly unpleasant to
contemplate. The rough riders are not
them from view. They stand out clear
and distinct in the wonderful tropical
summer atmosphere. Surprise and
dread are depicted on their faces as
they meet these bullets which come APP
parently from nowhere. 1t is not the
purpose of this article to criticise Mr..
Remington's picture. but merely to
chronicle its appearance. Seventy-five
per cent of those who pass the window
daily stop and look at it. This would
seem to indicate that the pictorial side
of the late war appeals strongly to the
public taste. Indeed, the war seems to
have had a marked effect in stimulat-
ing American artists in the production
of military pictures. The Spanish
American war viii certainly live on
canvas.
THE ARREST OF THE SPY"
At the outbreak of the war many
famous artists went to Cuba Among
them were Lyell Carr Remington, Zog
baum and Chapman. but by far the
most famous painter of war scenes, ac-
cording to most critics. was disappOint-
ed by the shortness of the conflict and
was let at home. He is Gilbert Gaul, a
distinguished National academician.
He was waiting for the fighting TO be-
gin around Havana before leaving his
busy studio in this city. AS the war
ended with the Santiago campaign. he
missed one of the great opportunities
of his life. The public, however, will
not feel this disappointment as keenly
as Mr. Gaul does. as he has turned out
since the beginning of the war a num-
Der of remarkable pictures represent
ing stirring scenes in the conflict. One
of his most important works is entitled
The Arrest of the Spy" 1t depicts a
man stripped Of most of his clothing,
being searched by squad of American
soldiers and officers. 1t is instinct with
life and ranks among the most meritor
ious of this great painters late can
vases.
Il expected to go to Cuba" Mr.. Gaul
explained 10 me, but the war ended
too soon. l have, however, spent a
large number of years making war
studies. and this conflict has given an
added inspiration to my brush. My spy
picture is one of my latest. 1 shall
probably paint other war pictures, as
have been doing for many years past.
and / hope that the national feeling of
patriotism now so widespread Will
stimulate the purchase of this kind of
painting. Heretofore, however, pictures
of this class. painted by American art
lists. have not attained the appreciation
which 1 believe they have deserved.
They have pleased the public but not
the collectors and the dealers. a man
who has no collection may buy war
picture for his only painting. because
he likes it, but you find very few in our
large private collections. l do not be-
lieve that you will find a single war
painting by an American artist in the
Vanderbilt galleries"
THE WOUNDED SOLDIER"
Among the most hopeful of American
artists as to the effect of the war upon
art is Johannes. Gelert. the famous
sculptor of the Haymarket monument
in Chicago. Mr.. Geiert, who has recent |
ly moved to this city from the west, /
has won additional fame by his great
statue of The Wounded Soldier"
which has already won one gold medal !
and recently attracted a large measure |
of praise at hte exhibition of the Ma !
tional Academy of Design.
l found the sculptor the other day
working upon a new war medal in r. |
studio.
DO 1 think that the Soanish-Ameri- /
can war has affected art / should say /,
that it had. most decidedly. In my opin- /
ion, it is an inspiration such as art in (
this country has not had since the civil |!
war In sculpture it will have a most /
beneficial influence in the way of eques- !
trian and military statues. The public |
parks for a decade TO come will be dec .
Grated all over this country with the /
figures of the brave men who gave uD .
their lives for their nation III the wear /
1895"
What feature appeals particularly to .
yo,::''
SOLDIER LIKE GREEK. /
Il am giving only a sculptor's idea. /
but l should say that it is the figure of /
the American soldier. He is a different |
type from the soldier of any other ma
ton in the world. He is something like 4
the Greek. and partalles of the Goth .
and the Briton, yet he differs from all /
three. To my mind. he is the ideal sol /
der
The sculptor looked across his studio '