The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-09-02


Artists are always democrats. OF course,
/ do not refer to their politics, for do not
know the party to which a single one OF
my artist associates belongs. Artists, being
impractical people. are altruists and kick
ers. 1t is difficult for them to overlook
the faults of party politics and impossible
for them to grow enthusiastic over the
magnificent platitudes OF the hastings.
They know this is great countryside
greatest-and that there never was pro-
portionally 90 much peace, happiness, solid
comfort. and individual independence in the
world as there is today.
To this fact they pin their faith that
everything is all right. Diminishing the
matter there with that satisfying thought
the artist turns his attention to the more
congenial business of chasing rainbows and
painting pictures.
Inc landscapist is the most democratic
OF artists. for with him Natures first
message is humility, and that reaches out
to belief in the brotherhood of man.
This engenders an intense sympathy for
MS hyother who is brother to the Ok"
He is, nevertheless, not so blind as to
imagine that in the present state of
society people who work at the pillow, and
have few thoughts above it, can be
dragged into the studio or drawing room
even If ther wanted to be- That atmos-
them as for us. Howells relates Emer-
sons experience with hired girl. Elmer
sons sense Of equality led him to think
it his duty to have her eat with the
family. THE Emersons could stand it
but the girl couldn't!'
1t is a great thing to be able 10 fit
into any company. This power of adapta-
ton is a characteristic of NEST artists
have known artists who dined with
kings and queens and in the cab.us of
mountaineers and were not only at home
but made fast friends in both places. So
1t happens that an artists true democ-
racy enables him to know people as they
really are
receive warm welcome from the
nabobs of Cornwall. and there is a pretty
smart set here for town made up of
people living on their farms the year round
and depending upon them for support. They
are fine lot Of people, possibly trife too
sure that blood, tradition, and broad
meadows are more than industry, personal
integrity, and altrusm, qualities which
the philosophic and impractical artist be-
lieyes. as firmly es DR. Jon son or Ruskin
did, are the only things entirely worthy.
Thus 1t is that the plain day laborers here
and those lower caste farmers whom the
upper caste regard patronizingly, welcome
the artist and call him by his first name
They do this in brotherly fashion and
enquire warmly after his welfare. They
tell of their ups and downs, and how the
pinch of competition in this milk produc-
ing country grows ferecr year after year.
till they wonder how long # will be before
the bottom falls out. They know they
have sympathetic listener. have heard
the same tale of woe in the cotton belt OF
Georgia and Alabama. II IS the inevita
Bile fate OF the small farmer who sticks to
one crop. have no solution TO offer-un-
practical artists are not expected to have
any. That is the province of agricultural
expert and political economist, and they
are a jealous lot.
To return from these rambling midsummer
In the country studio to some
art thoughts on the painters develop
ment in the simple matter OF seeing nature
truly. which a return to the Cornwall Hills
always impresses upon me, want to speak
wings are strong enough for artistic flight
he starts for the open secret-that vision
of things as they are, not as they SEEM
1t is an open secret to the elect, but how
slowly the scales fall from ones eyes and
reveal the real beauty of nature, Thirty
years ago. when / was digging over Harry
Fenns picturesque America and trying to
initiate with pencil and brush his delicate
and truthful drawings. which the Appietons
were then publishing in their weekly jour
nal. | thought / knew. and rhe only thing
that remained was to learn how and go
to nature. Alas. the evolution of most
students into full-fedged artists is very
slow.
There has come into vogue since be-
gan many valuable short cuts to artistic
knowledge and it does seem as though the
present day student should have little
trouble getting at the open secret In
those early days trees and things in pic
ture had to be portraits-particularly in
landscape art. and that portraiture was
confined to petty mimicry of form and de-
tail which counted the sense OF individual
LEAKAGE of more consequence than the vital
character and personality OF a particular
kind Of tree.
That point of view was false and made
uuate. and 1t is encouraging to know that
the public also. which does not make art
a study. is beginning to see in larger,
truer way. 1t is no longer the thing to
speak OF 1.-THE broad school, as a fad and
hold up the leaf painters as the really
serious painters.
Another early error with regard to
trees was a determination to detach them
from each other-always difficult task
and it was a criticism upon landscape
photography that the trees could not be
brought out Often two or three trees
would melt together in the print to such
a degree that the observer was unable to
more than guess TO which trees certain
branches belonged. The machine was
truer than anyone realized then, and the
marvellous accuracy of the camera is more
apparent often in incomplete negat yes
than it is in perfect ones which contain
all the details.
The beauty OF a landscape, as a painter
sees II, is in the impression one first gets
After Impressions. which come with care
full observation of the scene, are not
likely to be SO satisfying as the first
glance. Study surely brings enjoyment,
but Il is always with first impression in
mind. Were one to overlook that in the
Of some tree, rock, bit OF
water, sky, or other detail. 1t were better
II he had turned away and painted what
he saw in that one inspiring glance, and
though the result might be weak, 1t would
bear the fuller evidence of the painters
perception of the open secret" than if
he had been truer to the detail of his
picture.
Some King. so the story goes, rebuked
the painter and condemned the picture of
a banquet scene because the Kings goblet
was more brilliant and conspicuous than
the King himself. The application is OBJ
vous. Landscape art has grown so rap
idly that TO one who has noted the strides
made in recent wears Il seems that future