The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-11-05
THE ART DEPARTMENT
OF THE WOMAN'S BOARD

The art department of the state fair,
which is in charge of Mrs. Scion Jacobs,
will be one of the most interesting and at
tractive departments. 1t will show the
aesthetic and artistic side of the people in
a state noted for its progress.
William Sartain says the first work in
a new country is necessarily that of build
ing up the physical Surroundings. There
must be a long period of this constructive
formation before the arts of adornment can
be thought of; consequently the art of
painting commenced its existence in Amer
lea short time only previous to the Rev
dictionary war. But at that period 1t was
exclusively in the direction of portraiture
that 1t received attention and encourage
ment Although such work as has come
down to us from the colonial period Is not
the evidence of the cultivation of art, prop
erly so called; yet 1t Is an interesting evil
tience of the germ of the idea, and also
furnishes an interesting mass of valuable
historical data. The first who practiced
painting in America were, of course paint
ers from abroad, who came generally for
a limited sotourn In the hope OF shortly re-
turning with a goodly reward for their
iabors.
A few portrait painters have left traces
of their vocations previous to the year 100.
but such evidences are too vague to be sue
cessfully examined as to deserve notlce
Fifteen years later Watson, a Scotch paint
err established at Perth Amboy a studio.
The arrival of Watson and the coming of
Smybert, also Scotch, who brought with
him the copy of a painting by Vandyke,
which gave to Copley, Turnbull and All
ston their first ideas of the possibilities of
perfection of color and style, was the first
impulse given to pictorial art in America.
The first cast from the antique that was
seen in America was brought to Philadel-
phia by Robert Edge Pine, an English
man. The morals of the Quaker city were
protected from contamination by the sight
of this cast of the Venus de Medici, by its
being securely imprisoned in a sort of
sentry box, and only few were the chosen
friends to whom he ventured to display
this. at that time, unique marvel of art.
Foreign recognition was then alone the
support of the aspirant to historical COM
position. Today, although the prestige of
foreign recognition is a powerful influence,
an indubitable, strong faith in our own art
instincts is the controlling influence.
The part of the south in art development
appears relatively more important as We
go back toward the colonial period Dur
ing that time the names of Allston, barley.
Anderson, Bingham and Whistler are
prominent in our art history.
The colony now known as the state of
Rhode Island was the scene of our earliest
art life, and thlther the artist Rmybert
was brought by the celebrated Bishop
Berkeley. thus in 172S transplanting art to
American soil.
Charleston, S. c. stands out prominent
in the early period of our art history, not
only as the birthplace of several distin-
guished artists. but as generous encour-
ager of art. Later Baltimore became the
nursery of southern art,
Among those who commenced in Baltl-
more were Thomas Hovenden, who met
such a tragic death few years ago. His
painting, Breaking Home Ties" at the
Worlds fair, Chicago, attracted more at
tention than any subject In the exhibition.
Nashville is today ahead of any city in
the south as an .encourager and patron of
art. But Alabama is not behind in her