The Iola register., 1900-04-06
The Water COlOrists.

adequate system OF teacnlng OF re-
ward. Many artists took apprentices
who ground their colors and learned
what they could in the primitive
way, and others carried on from time
to time small academies or schools
according to their various ideas, but
there was no National trend no com
mon atmosphere and incentive. Now
and then, however, societies We're
organized, and exhibitions promoted,
and finally George III at the end of
the Seventeenth century, established
the Royal Academy with its definite
line of instruction and it's various
emoluments for meritorious efforts.
Sir Joshua Reynolds wac the first
president, and two other artists OF
acknow lodged geniue, Richard Will
son and Thomas Galnsborough, be-
came active mem bers, Sir Joshua,
though he painted great number of
historic and subject pictures, Is re-
membe as "the prince of portrait
painters" Gains borough was equally
at home in portrait and landscape
work and Wilson found in his native
woods and fells and lovely water
ways his whole inspiration. The
two landscapists together rescued the
art of the time from superficial imi-
tation of the Dutch methods, and gave
it the best Italian influence, while the
two portrait painters taught in all
4. ~ nT
ture and what men should learn of
her.
Such influences could only result in
noble and distinctive attainment, and
under these conditions of larger end
more stable growth fresh movement
gave the English people very
special and effective school in the
exercise of water.color art. For,
while the use of water-colors in dis
temper and fresco had long ante
dated the practice in oils, the heavier
medium had displaced the lighter
one, and the recognition Of its dignity
and power had in it many OF the ele-
ments of originality.
All the nations had used water
colors in their missal work, and the
English miniature painters often en-
pOyed these Transparent pigments
but the origin of the new school was
found in the work of the topograph-
ers who drew their outlines in India
ink and gave their designs mono.
chrome :tinting after the fashion Of
the ancient Egyptians. And from
this beginning water'color pictures
passed by natural stages to an ex
quisite and dignified form of artistic
expression. The topOgraphers work
ed face to face with nature, anu 81
this branch of art has always had the
advantage of this essential basis
Moreover, as it's skilfull employment
is more delicate and more luminou;
than oil painting, it is especiall!
adapted to Eng glish .atmosi heric OF
fects as well as certain distinctly
ideals, and go the school has becom
the special English contribution T.
colored pictorial progress.
Many notable names appear uppl
the ro lis Of its artists, from Paul Sand
by, 1.-The father of water-colGr art" t.
Copley Fielding and Peter DeWin
and the leaders Of our own time. Blu
the greatest early influence wa
exercised by Thomas Girtin and tn
marvellous Turner who worked to
g,, of Mr. Lon a mi
the most beautiful rural scenery
Girtin revolutionized the first method
and introduced the practice of layinI
ina whole picture in the local color
OF the various parts, and while Turae
was continually striving for NOR
poetic and evanishipg effects of ligh
GIrtin excelled in depicting myster
Gus gloom and lofty grandeur. Bu
the perfect development of water-colc
art owes more to Turner than to Cir
in, for he had a greater delicacy an
finer quality added to simile
strength and power. His illustrt
tions for Rogers "Italyn and Poems
are most widely known, while Ia
"Liber Studiorum" made in rivalr
to Claudes Lorraine's "Liber VeTiti
tbs" contains i'm its seventy drawing
"almOst a complete epitOme of Tu
ner's art" as we'll as a wonderit
revelation of the possibilities of tn
water.color medium. He had dippe
his facile brushes into the landscar
poetry of the world and the picture
he made were toned to its highet
lights and deepest dyes.
But with all this great advancemer
there was no proper recognition of il
accomplishment on the part of tn