The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-01-24
Among Women's Clubs.

EDITED sw MRS stlu,t o. PsrrIs.

and beauty OF diction, Keen afalysls
81 tho charScteristics of English art.
growing out Of the very life OF the peo-
ple. showing that their environments
their landscape. their love or nome
their affectionate natures, and SUD
stantial enjoyment of rich surround
ings.aH go TO make up these character
istics. Mrs. Chaffee talked of Engllsn
country landscape as though she loved
II ana said: The physical landscape
of England is refining, enhanced py
historic antiquity, and the tenuerly
hallowcd associations of her poets anu
writer's
Continuing, Mrs. Chaffee led her au-
dience from the abstract To the concrete
i'm a reference TO oxford and Cambridge
Universities as fostering the intelec-
tual foundation of English taste. She
proved her points made IN the lntr"-
duction by showing the works OF tle
early painters, viz: Hogarth' hollhsS
and Constable of whose paintings the
speaker showed fine copies To illustrate
her theme.
PASSING. Mrs. Chaffee led her au-
dience i'm Imagination into the natlonal
gallery at London, where they pauseu
for "A prolonged and delighted stay III
the REYNOLDS and Gainsborough room.
Here the painting of the" "Parlsh CleIh'
nj Bradford, IAN ideal picture OF
provincial unsullied, amiaDle ana soou
man as could he conceived, riVeted the
attention of ALL Near by, i'm the same
room. is still another, by Gainsborough
viz: the celebrated portrait OF Mfs'
| Siddons painted i'm London in 1854 MIS-
| Chaffee's description follows:
"The great actress is represented
| three-quarters length, seated her race
| i'm profile wearing black nat WIN
! feathers. Her whole attitude Is bright
|
| Ter and here she lives before us.
Mrs. Chaffee then described number
| of the more noted paintings by Galns-
| borough and Reynolds illustrating the
same by excellent copies OF the ollglh-
| ais. OF the companion paintings, Inc
| Age of Innocence" and The Angels
! Heads" by Sir Joshua Reynolds, she
said: These hang i'm the same room
| with II others, by Reynolds
continuing. the lecturer gave an IN
| teresting glimpse into the lives or Doth
+, artists "lt Is said that the lie or ltey
| nolds would have been interesting II ne
| had never painted a picture. his com
panions alone would keep his memory
| before us. for they were the illustrlous
names of the Burkes, Or. Sainue
Johnson, David Garrick, Richard Brlns-
| lev sheridan and oliver Goldsmith.
The description OF the strong trlend'
| shin and mutual 9dmiration Whlch eN'
listed between DR. Johnson ana Sli
Joshua Reynolds. characters so utterly
diverse. was most entertainingly de
picted. Dr. Johnson said that Reynolds
never touched portrait without aua
ing dignity and grace" while Reyhoid'
declared that from DIR. Johnson he re
ceived his highest inspiration.
"Gainsborough," said Mrs. Chanee
avoided the intercourse of literary
men as carefully az Reynolds guilty
ated IL. Gainsborough never left Eng
land. Nature was his teacher ana th'
woods of Suffolk were his academy
| REYNOLDS and Gainsborough were un
doubtedly the founders of the British
school They stand, side by side. at
tractive and strong examples or Eng
| lish artists
In succeeding lectures Mrs. Chane
will speak of Turner, of whom Ruski
has written so much, OF Landseer, o
Sir John Millais (whose interment y
st. Paurs. London she witnessed
George Frederick Watts, whom sh
met and enjoyed in his own home, ais
Tadema and Leighton.
Judging from the insight, study an
research displayed in Mrs. Chanee
first lecture, we may expect not ohl
n rare pleasure but much pront froi
| tboso which are to come.