The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-10-28
AUTUMN COLOR PAINTING
Nature Allows Only a Short Sea-
son in October.
Pfcknell and Murphy-TyO Great
Painters of LandscaPe-DiHeren
in Their MethOds-Pictures and
Studfes-Artists the Final Author
fly on Their PrOfession's Labor.

Studies-Artists the Final Author.
STOCKBRIDGE, Mass, Oct. 26-Splen-
did is the color and brilliant the sunshine
when October skies are blue and the wind
blows from the northwest. 1t is something
beyond the power of words to praise, and
makes an autumn day one to be remem-
/ bered Particularly is this so if one is
permitted the good fortune to enjoy it in
the open air, and that the open, free, in
MIGRATING mountain air Of Berkshire. The
woodlands present ragged patches of color
rawlings like the waste from a Persian
homogeneous but never discordant. The
mountain sides are carpeted with a rich
fabric woven on a warp of blue. 1t re-
Indian shawl, SO little pattern or design
does 1t seem to have. The sadness Of the
month comes with the closing days when
this cloth Of gold" is torn from the trees
by the wind-most melancholy days-one
is so reluctant to have the leaves go. 1t
means naked woods, purple hills. and
bare sodden fields, cold and grey. When
November is really here one becomes ac-
customed to the new order of things and
is reconciled.
The season Of bright colors is SO short
it Is exasperating to painter. Today he
plants his easel before maple whose bur-
den of cadmium orange makes the long
looked for note in picture he has planned.
He lays in the masses of color and gets a
fine start. Finally, at the days close,
chilled and uncomfortable, he packs his
outfit and trudges back to the hotel, happy
in the thought that he will return tomor-
row and complete his study. Tomorrow
comes with leaden skies, the wind is in the
east, and by o'clock it has settled to
steady rain, which continues till o'clock
in the afternoon. When it ceases to pour
the clouds lift on the western horizon and
pale lemon-yellow streak of sky appears,
which later turns to q delicate apple
green, with flakes of brilliant salmon and
orange floating upon it. OF course, the
painter has seen all this, for when the
rain ceased he left the work he had been
happily engaged upon all day-a picture,
mountain memory which he elaborated
from pencil sketch, some beautiful fleet
Ing effect he had observed on some pre-
vlouS tramp over the hills.
The painter has no dull, cherries, rainy
days. Those are the valued opportunities
to work up his memory notes. When the
rain stops he slips into his rubber boots
and, with sketch book in hand, starts
out for sunset notes. He knows well that
for richness and tone no sunsets equal
these which follow an autumnal rainy
day. When the morrow arrives, clear and
bright. he starts out to finish his maple
tree study" and. arriving at the spot, he
can scarcely believe his senses. A naked
tree with only here and there pale yell
low leaf clinging to the signing branches
all that remains of the splendid garment
the tree so proudly wore less than two
days before. Artists soon get used to such
appointments, though, happily, nature
seldom produces such sudden changes as
this is a description of. If he is mex
perienced he will sit down there and try
to finish his study, but if he is wise he
will go back to his room at the hotel
his improvised studio-and finish it there,
and at once. relying on his recollection.
making the most of fresh memory, for
delays are dangerous.
1t is surprising how rapidly Impressions
fade. They may not entirely disappear,
but they SO soon mingle with other i'm
pressions that, from pencil sketch a
week old, 1t may be difficult to get any
thing like true picture. There are some
sketches, however. from which one may
successfully work months, or even years,
afterward. These are sketch motives
that are but simple thread on which one
strings whole store of memories, and not
the individual impressions of which
speak. These should always be worked
up in color at the earliest possible mo-
ment
Ttcf to hat liant 1or dC t,tn
should work directly from nature Is a |
question about which there is much Diff |
ference of opinion. Some of the best !
artists favor one course and equally able |
men advise the other. Picknell, whose |
great "Concarnean Road in the Corcoran
Gallery-a noted work and one which |
brought well deserved renown to the
painter when 1t was first shown in the
Paris Salon-advocated putting every
brush mark on the canvas in the presence
Of the scene. That practically amounted
10 his making "a study on large scale |
j. Francis Murphy. on the other hand,
makes studies, which, in an artistic |
sense, means sitting down before |
tree or any objective thing aud painting
1t as simply real as it is possible to |
make the scene or thing.
Mr.. Murphy does not exhibit his sketches |,
almost always imaginative landscapes. are |
shown to the public. The studies are the |
PROSE and very necessary training. but the |
pictures Mr.. Murphy paints and exhibits |
iro poems. They express emotions expe- |
fenced in the presence of nature and re-
zeal the artists enjoyment in some partic-
liar effect Of light. color. atmosphere or |
ono which impressed him somewhere in |
lis intercourse with nature. That partic-
.ffao Arsn
list is very skillful in providing har-
nonious orchestra to accompany his star.
The ordinary observer might perhaps have
overlooked the star II he had seen the
fleet with Mr.. Murphy. but he will never
verlook the star part in one of this ar
lists canvases. for il that particular part
ails to attract him he will only see a
,hostly smudge OF paint, vague. indefinite
bjects. and pass the picture by as some
hing that remains to be finished.
There has been much said about holding
he mirror UP to nature. but it seems
lever to have occurred to anyone that i,
vas just as important to have artistic
insight and intelligence to see the deeper
beauty in the mirror as it is to have the
ame insight in looking at nature. No;
t,ifies may be delightful-they often are
and many an artist has complained that
he public persisted in buying their
tudes and would have none of their
,ictures, but studies, nevertheless, are
Tot art in the highest sense unless the
ainter puts something of his personality
ntO them. Some studies are Photographic
nd suggest only the mimetic skill Of the
,ainter, while others beam with the
ivine quality which makes study
hing OF beauty and enduring.
From the easily c0mprehended study.
he evolution goes to the highest forms
( Imaginative art. where the public often
efuse to follow. Art is truth, and
igher truth than the average mind per-
elves That the laymans eyes do not
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