The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1900-04-20
miss S3oW's
art Talks

When we come to the consideration
of American painting we are confront
ed by the tact that ms yet we have no
distinctively national school with
all our strongly marked Characters
tics, and all our fundamental pro.
gressiveness, our national life is yet
made up of too many elements inn
ported from the old countries, and we
have yet had too little time to develop
a special artistic influence. No one
questions lie American gift of creative
conception, so thoroughly has 1t
been proven in our rich and various
literature, and the special artistic
scility has been from the first very
fully exempifed. But having no
government schools we have been
obliged to go abroad for our best
teaching, and lacking the recognition
and encouragement of our own peo-
pie we have adopted foreign ideals
with foreign methods.
1t is true these conditions at the
present time are being greatly modi-
fled by that cultivation of artistic
taste aud appreciation that accom-.
anies more general wealth and
leisure. Our great expositions have
given fine opportunities to our native
talent, and we are coming 20 under
stand that our noblest work must be
the exponent of American themes as
bodied forth in the American way.
But through our Colonial and Revo-
lutionary periods we were entirely
dominated by the ebbing forces of the
EurOpea movements of the times.
AS our colonial life neglected that of
the mother country Onr artistic in
stincts found the same kind of express
ion The demand for painting was
largely limited to portraits and so our
painters, who had begun their pro-
fession in the decorations of carriages
and signs devoted themselves most
generally to this kind OF work. They
were mostly self taught as well, or
else very poorly taught, for masters
of superior power were not attracted
to the wilderness, and the artists who
came over belon ged to the lower
grades.
During this first period, however,
we have four artists of such ability
that they became conspicuous MEM
bers of the English school, West and
Copley, Newton and Leslie. The first
two of these are the more distinguish
ed, and Bepjsmin West was not only
court painter and great favorite of
the King but president Of the Royal
Academy On leaving home he went
first to Rome, and besides the skill in
portraiture developed later in Eng
land he had also great facility in his
toric and scriptural subjects. He was
ambitious and calculating rather than
inspirational, but he had genuine
feeling for color, and he has affected
the world OF art in the innovation he
made in the death of Wolfen in
depicting the soldiers in the dress of
the time instead Of the classical cos
tune which the modern artists had
hither to retained in such conceptions.
He has the honor of exerting more
characteristic influence than any
other American painter, and he al
ways took warm interest in the
young countrymen who went to
London for study.
Among those whom he befriended
was Gilbert stuart who had begun
his career as pupil OF the Scotch
Alexander and came to West in a
time of great need. With such teach
ing and encouragement he painted a
full length portrait of the Master
which led to much larger success. He
painted George III and minor men,
bers of the nobility, was taken to
Dublin by the Duke ofRutland where
he lived in splendor and painted
many people of rank, while later on
he had more famOus subject in the
person of Louis XVI. In 1893 he re-
turned to America inspired by the
desire of making a portrait of Wash
ington for whom he had passionate
, admiration, and after destroying his
first attempt succeeded in making a
satisfactory likeness. He had the
rare quality of being true to his sub
ject and yet infusing it with the ideal
qualities which bring the art of por.
traiture to its highest plane. 1t is
said, however, that while he gave
such admirable attention to the head
he sighted the other parts of the
body, and that as he often worked
only for the money that his product
ion was very unequal. Yet his
numerous canvases are greatly priced
nnd ana nxhihiIinnn Of thn Oh