The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-04-28
THE INDIANA GROUP.
ME-. Meakin Speaks Of These Painters
influence on Western Art.

L. II. Meakin, a Cincinnati artist, and his
pictures are entertaining every day this
week at Lieber's. The exhibition is a large
one and consists Of oils, pastels, water COL
ors. etchings and monotypes. Most of the
pictures are Of landscapes in Colorado. in
Ohio near Cincinnati, on the New England
coast, in France, Holland and Germany.
Mr.. Meakin's exhibit has been in several
cities during the winter and he has sold a
number Of them Four canvases were sold
in st. Louis. and the st. Botolph's Club, OF
Boston. bought one and sold others while
the exhibit was at the clubs house.
Mr.. Meakin was in Munich in 1926, and
Messrs. Forsyth. Steele. Stark and Adams,
who. with Mr.. Gruelle. form the group
known as the five Hoosier artists were
there at the same time. These five Indiana
artists" said Mr.. Meakin yesterday. have
a strong influence on the art of the West.
Their work is distinctive. and. while they
form a group, each one has his W indi-
viduality. One hardly looks for a great
artist in Kentucky, yet there was found
from outside influences. He was as great
a portrait painter as any this country has
ever produced. His name was Jouette and
he worked about seventy years ago. His
work is not widely known. A few years
ago several Cincinnati artists gave an ex-
hibit OF portraits. / was among the number.
We heard that an artist named Jouette had
done some fire work in central Kentucky
and We went out TO hunt for some of 1t.
We visited several towns in central Ken
lucky and collected a number OF portraits
by Jouette. The work was as fine as Gil
bert Stuart's. Jouette was an attorney. He
painted for three months with Stuart in
Boston and went back to Kentucky. He
died when he was twenty-nine years old"
When asked about the picture market MI.
Meakin said: "When there Is a stringency
of money the artists are the first to feel
pie cut off. The artists are also the last to
feel the return OF prosperity. For several
years the picture market has not been good,
but now 1t is improving. The recent sale
OF pictures in New York was one or the
largest ever held in this country and the
set up housekeeping though they buy pic
lures, IL Is seldom that they buy good ones.
Many a house is furnished at a cost Of
$1,000, but IN few Is there spent as many
hundreds of dollars for pictures. And yet
If half Of the $1,000 were spent Tor pictures
instead of furniture the interior or the
house would be much more impressive or
culture and refinement"
Mr.. Meakin spoke of the sure foundation
now possessed by the Indianapolis Art Asso-
of art in Indiana and said he expected to
see great development after the Art Asso-
citation established the school and gallery
planned.
"The pictures that last said another
artist to MIR. Meakin, ARE these that have
been digested and long thought over. The
picture that is dashed of may have spon-
taneity, but ii only shows the painters tom
perament. The pictures that live are those
that are long thought over before they are
That is the sort Of conversation that OBJ
fainS at Mr.. Meakin'S exhibit.