The San Francisco call., 1899-06-11

! salon, Miss Clara McChesney,
~ young painter of whom California
may well be proud, has all but
reached the top rung of a ladder in her
art.
Four thousand pictures were submitted
by artists from all over the world to the
judges. the number of canvases corre-
spending almost TO the number of artists.
Out of this great number only $50 were
selected; and in these $50 were the two
offered by Miss McChesney. double
tribute to her genius.
One of the pictures accepted a portrait
of Moncure d. Conway, the friend of
Emerson and the author of the yet un-
published Life of Tom Paine was one
of the most widely admired in the Salon.
her other work was a still life.
But the picture that was talked of most
and that, but for its size. would have
brought from the Salon walls more celeb
r1ty II not more honor for Miss McChes-
ney. was not hung. 1t was too large and
could not be accepted. Artists saw it in
her studio on the Rue Boissonade instead
OF a the great Salon. And they heralded
its magniticence everywhere, SO that she
was forced to throw open her doors in
order to accommodate, on stated days, the
people who wished to view it.
The painting is called "The Sleeping
Mother and is now in New York, having
been brought across by Miss McChesney
very recently. 1t is the strong figure
work-for Miss McChesney has not
swerved from the line of genre selected
when in San Francisco several years ago
of d mother and a child. The mother,
though of the poorer classes, is Madonna
in face and majestic in figure. Her head,
robed in its dignity of the peasant stamp,
IS thrown back in tired abandon and in
perfect enjoyment of a moments sleep
snatched from work. The upturned face
is beautiful and full of sorrow. 1t is out
lined and shrouded by long, black, coarse
hair. 1t is pronounced the faithful de-
piction of type not uncommon among
the peasantry and the finest piece of work
that Miss McChesney has yet done.
What gives beauty to the mother, fig
ure and feeling and sentiment to the can
vas is the sleeping babe snuggled close
to its mothers bosom. The face is hidden
except the cheek and ear, and the curly
head is pillowed softly on the dress of
faded blue. Divinity and love sit upon the
picture, out of the union in it of womanly
beauty and motherly grace.
A companion picture, The Sleeping
Child" is as sweet in conception, if not
as strong. The mother, peasant, leans
above her infant tenderly. And as a set
ting to the pretty scene is the interior Of
the cottage. The face is more youthful
therefore artistic and harmonious.
These pictures are now at the Academy
of Design, New York, and hundreds view
them daily. They may not reach this
coast, where Miss McChesney was born
and raised, and where she has hundreds
of friends to rejoice in her success. So
art lovers will have to content themselves
with two or three representative pictures
that may be seen at Morris. One is
THE Lost Stitch" Another "A Dutch
Interior; third, Learning to Count"
is the property of Mrs. Traynor w. Park
of San Rafael and is the union of a
chid's figure with that of a woman's.
Miss McChesney is the daughter of Pro-
fessor and Mrs. J. B. McChesney of Oak
land. Professor McChesney is principal
OF the High School. She studied four
years at Hopkins and three years at the
Art Students League. New York. Then
she went abroad. where she has been ever
since. Steady devotion to work IN France,
Holland and Germany has accomplished
the long-dreamed-of victory in art.
Miss McChesney has followed Millet and
his admirers. Figures. strong. confident
and true haye been evolved, full of senti-