Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-02-10
A MASTERPIECE.

4 MASTERPIECE.
Montana is proud to number among
her citizens an artist whose place in the
galaxy of famous painters of the age is
assured, to indulge the belief that
his masterpiece will attract the atten-
ton of the world. Since the fateful day
| when General Custer and his brave men
! onslaught of the savage foe, Mr.. e. S.
| Paxson of this city has been studying
| the battlefield and it's environments,
and gathering data for the purpose of
placing that great historical event upon
canvas. Personally acquainted with
General Custer and his officers. as we'll
as with the leading Indian chiefs en-
gagged in the massacre, he has had an
initial advantage possessed by no other
artist.
From the indians he has gathered
every possible detail Of the contest, as
viewed from their standpoint, visiting
the field and having the positions of
the leading combatants on both sides
| pointed out as the battle reached it's
| climax. Though no white man escaped
to tell the tale. Mr.. Parsons intimate
acquaintance with the details of the
fated expedition, his personal knowledge
of the conditions that prevailed. his
familiarity with all the circumstances
which characterized the fall of Custer,
and the many years devoted to the gath
ering of facts, enables him to reproduce
the battle upon canvas with marvellous
men, and the arms and equipments
which they carried, nave been repro
duced from the originals, thus giving the
picture every element of truth as to de-
tail, and making it in it's entirety a pho
tograph in colors of the most celebrated
event in the history of Indian warfare.
As the result of a knowledge Of details
known to no other artist in. the world,
Mr.. Paxson has produced a picture
essentially different from those which
represent nothing but an unbridled i'm
agination. General Custer, for instance,
is represented with short instead of lone
+ hair, having had it cut at the beginning
! of the campaign, and no sabres figure
in the fight, as the only weapon of thai
character belonging to the division was
, safe AIT headquarters. Numerous other
q popular errors a been corrected by
MI. Paxson, whose fidelity to detail
stamps him as the true artist. Aside
e from the splendid artistic merits Of the
n painting, which will compare favorably
S with the best work of any modern ma.
nipulator Of the brush, it's accuracy o.
detail in every respect commends it t.
the world as a masterpiece in the rep
s ~resentation of the heroic in real life.
e The painting, which required nearl.
e five years of work for it's production
e after many previous years devoted t,
the attainment Of the necessary data, i
g six feet by ten in size, giving ample room
for the representation Of Clusters las
y StanO, Wlun the moving QerVlSueS on IN
ID plains encircling the brave martyrs to
lost cause. The picture adds to tn
l. charm of historical accuracy the recog
le nizable features of men prominent i
= Clusters command. and the life-like por
se trayal Of the noted Sioux chiefs who lie
of the carnival Of murder. The men ar
10 represented on h canvas where the
ic fought or fell in that brief but fearfr
1e he'll of battle, and the fascinated b<
Id holder drinks in the spirit of conques
Id and fain would rush to the aid Of tn
Sc imperilled troopers.
Id It is understood that the painting
to be placed on exhibition in promine1
cities of the east, and 1t is the hope {
every Montanian that It may find il
OF way into the art galleries of Paris ne,
US year-as the most graphic and truthf'
" picture of Indian warfare in the we'
that can ever be produced by the mast.
to hand Of a great artist.