Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-07-22
ARTISTS IN JAPAN.
Illustrations of How ConscieutiousIy
They Do Their Work.

From Pearson's Weekly.
In olden days, long before the introduce
ton of European civilization into their
country, most of the artistic work ordered
by the lords of the land of the mikados was
done on their own premises either bv
artists who lived there continually and
formed part of their retinue or by special-
lists who were called for the purpose and
renamed in the house as guests of the pa
iron until the work was completed.
whether the artist was a member of the
household or not, he had everything he
wanted while he was working, even to the
nfldlng of his clothes and pocket money
ana painting materials, and when the work
was finished he had a gift of money CORE
sponolng with the size of the picture and
the excellence of the work done the lat
ter being determined by the praise of the
critics who came to inspect it.
Inc artist worked when he chose as he
Goes now; he had free liberty given to him.
ana ne went hither and thither out and
ABOUT, without being questionable license
whlch has yet to be found given to any
BODY of any rank in Japan
A native nobleman of great power wealth
ana influence once invited to his house
generated artist to paint picture for him.
the subject of which was TO be a flight of
certain native birds winging their way
across the face of the full moon. To show
lnat the gentleman meant business he in
closed money, a douceur of 5000 as
guarantee of good faith.
such commission as that would be
equivalent to wealthy Britisher sending
an artist like a Munkacsy or a MISSIONER
a request for a picture accompanied by a
check Tor about $4,000, for the ambition of
the Japanese nobleman was to have q n;c
ture painted by the first painter in the
empire and which would be regarded most
valuable IN the land of the rising sun.
me duke waited for nearly year for
tne reply from the artist and as none had
peen received from him up to the expira ton
or that long period he wrote again incIos-
ing further 5000 gentle hint that a
iePls was wanted and eagerly looked for
Inc artist wrote Immediately, returning
the money that had been sent and saving
mat ever since he had received the favor
OF the communication from the duke he
mad watched at the period of eyery moon
for good opportunity to make the reouis
tie STUDY from nature, but had not yet sue
ceeded in doing so.
1t was impossible to say when he would
pc able to do 1t; it might take him five ten
hiteeh years; II might be that he might
never see flight of such birds in such a
way as to be able to reproduce them cor
rectly, and he therefore returned the duke,s
most magnificent present
rms illustrates how very conscientiously
Japanese artists work, their idea being not
10 paint subject unless they are closely
bound up in the story of the picture they
are painting and versed in ali the details
connected with it.
Another powerful noble-a member of the
court circle of the NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. of
having sword case of gold bronze made
invited to his house an artist who was
celebrated in that line. 1t was to be orna-
llehted with an autumn landscape and an
OK in the foreground 1t was after the
usual festival in connection with the new
year (When nobody works for nine davsl
that the artist arrived. He went to work
win VIII, mixed his metals, made his
Designs, passed on to the engraving and in
laying and in three or four months had his
sword case nearly completed. In fact. with
the exception of the figure of the OK to be
iE!ald IL was practically done and to the
satisfaction of the courtier
But suddenly the artist was seized with
an apparent fit of iaziness. Instead of fin
ishing the work he took up his book. nine
ana tobacco and day after day went out in
till evening.
Months passed by like this but being an
artst as has been pointed out earlier no.
body questioned him interfered with him
or his liberty.
But the imperial courtier wanted his
fancy sword for special occasion at
court, and so Ventured to ask the artist
why he didn't proceed with the work, since
there was not much more to be done to it
The patience of the patron was really
getting exhausted. The reply was as orig
inal as 1T was characteristic of the coun-
try. With mind conscious of rectitude
and a heart full of devotion to his work
the artist said that when he came to make
the OK required In the foreground he knew
not whether the expression of its face in
autumn might not be different from what
1t Is at other seasons of the year, so he had
been waiting through the spring and sum-
mer for autumn, and now that it had ar
rived he would study the animals face and
the sword case would be ready in a few
days.
The answer was deemed satisfactory and
the artist was not again questioned or dis
turbed and his work when completed re-
ceived due praise.