Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1901-12-14
Verestchagiu the Great
Artist of the Wars
Written for the Bulletin. !


A dispatch dated Chicago. December
5, 1901, has 1t that Vasili Verestchagin
Is to undertake a painting Roosevelt
at San Juan HILL" This is capital. 1t
will fix the President as the hero-leader
OF the land fighting of the Spanish
American war. It will invest him with
genuine fame as soldier. 1t will fix
the war in history as one Of the great
wars OF all time.
NJ. Verestchagn Is the chief of mill.
tary painters Of the nineteenth and
twentieth centuries. All and sundry
who take any interest in art are hyp-
Noticed by his productions because they
are real. And then the artist is such
a man among men. This transcendent
genius is soldier, painter and author.
His home Is In Moscow. His largest
studio is at Paris. He has been adopt
ed as Londoner. He is considered a
distinguished guest in every capital OF
Europe and now that he becomes ac-
quainted in the United States, he will
have staunch friends there.
A bit more about the man. He is
almost 50 years Of age, Is strong and
handsome. He has been painting more
than forty years. The lad was sent ia
the naval academy. graduated first in
class OF sixty. With his diploma OF
graduation he received the silver
medal Of the Academy OF Fine Arts.
To enter upon art he disobeyed and dis.
appointed his parents. His first stay In
Paris was for three years under &c.
rome. Then he went with Russian
army detailed to Central Asia to discip-
line maurauding Turcomans. He
fought. He was In a camp Of 500 be-
sieged by 10000 savages. The bar
barians rushed the place but the small
force was saved by the arrival OF help
| in great strength. Verestchagin serv-
ed actively in the Russo-Turkish war.
He loved fighting and was little lesa
than great as soldier. He went on to
Constantinople. He explored India
extreme northern India. He, with his
wife, scaled the highest peak but one
In the Himalayas. He spent two years
in the Holy Land. He spent years In
study OF Napoleon. He was intimate
with Moltke, with the father OF the
present Emperor Of Germany and II
the close friend Of the Emperor o.
Austria. He once incurred the mos
violent displeasure OF the Catholic
church. He produced so many paint
ings that he was once charged will
| hn ~ ha Inna h.,n nj n
ers. This was by the Munich Societ.
OF Arts. He was honorably acquitted
II was learned that he arose at 6 eacl
morning and worked sixteen hours ant
above each day.
Every "Verestchagin" is celebrates
and he has painted well into the hun
dreds. As has been said he stand
alone as the military artist. But h
has made a series of fifteen Napoleoni
DEMONSTRATING the one OF the i'm
where, for whole day he sits, think
ing. thinking, but never speaking
word to the expectant marshals VIII
await his orders"
The Holy Catholic church made bat
tie upon Verestchagin for his "Resur
rection," representing the Savio
STOPPING In emerging from the toni
Vitriol was thrown on this picture an
its author promptly destroyed 1t alto
gether. Verestchagln was compelled I
destroy canvas showing Russian so
diers In retreat, another Of wounde
Russian soldier forgotten" and alon
and with birds Of prey lowering owe
him. another OF Russian soldier
smoking their pipes while sitting abou
the bodies of dead comrades. Moltk
visited the Berlin exhibition OF Verest
chagln, but put the ban upon the plaC
for German soldiers. q.
Verestchagin's Execution of II
Nihilists who Murdered the lai
Gear" Is one OF his foremost efiort
The foreground is the black crow
Snow is falling. There are fe
mounted officers. One side OF the no
low square about the killing structul
is dim. Visible: Four bodies hangin
from short horizontal timbers fast