The Butte inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1901-1912, 1901-08-12
WILL STUDY INDIAN PAINTING
Philadelphia Artist Will Spend His
Vacation Frying Into Indian Gus
+nsnc of 0rnam entation

Artist c. J. Earle, whose drawings
appear from time to time in the period
| icals of the east, came to Butte today
and departed over the Great Northern
for Great Falls. He is in the west for
| the purpose of studying Indian figures
| and learning something of the habits
of the tribesmen in regard to painting
their faces. He will spend a month
among the Flathead Indians before
returning to his home in Philadelphia.
He regards the study of Indian orna-
mentation as an inviting field for ar
lists and will spend mis- vacation per-
fecting himself in the knowledge of a
subject of which he is already we'll in
formed.
people in general have been content
to look upon the Indians adornment
of his head with eagle feathers and his
face with paint as marks Of personal
decoration inspired by vanity and a
savage taste, different only in degree
from what is sometimes witnessed
among highly civilized peoples" said
Mr.. Earle. But the fact is that, in
preference to the latter custom, for in
stance, every paint mark on an Indians
face has a sort of heraldic meaning,
implying not only the honors won by
LAC OAdNC IA pCASOAAs OOI representing
also the claims of his family and race
shown among more cultured communi-
ties by coats of arms, orders and deco
rations is depicted by the Indian on his
face by means of pigments.
scientists are now engaged, among
other novel investigations concerning
the North American Indian. in COM
piling a record of the armorial, or
rather facial. bearings of certain cele-
hrated chiefs, and it is said to be fas-
chatting work. One renowned warrior
for instance, will have his lip painted
copper red. This is found to indicate
that his tribe was once in possession Of
huge mines of copper. Another in
dlvidual will have his forehead adorned
with a painting of a certain fish, thus
implying that he or his people are re-
nowned for prowess in catching fish.
The same distinguished person some
times wears a disk Of pearl in addition
to his paint mask. This, by it's SHIN
mering radiance and its form, implies
that he is descended from the moon, in
the sense that the goddess of night is
one of his ancestors.
1.-THE fact that the Indian has no con-
ception of perspective seriously handi-
caps the success of his efforts at pic
torial art. Indeed, the Indian Inner
merely aims to show the most charac-
teristic portion of the object he at
tempts to depict unless he be man Of
great attainment, in which case he
divides or dissects the subject of his
picture and represents the whole by its
parts, the latter being arranged en-
tirely irrespective of the natural
sequence.
1.-THE features of the Indian are some
times incorporated into the representa-
ton Of the animal which forms his
heraldic bearing. Should the beaver,
for example. be the object to be depict
ed, 1t is not attempted to design the
whole form of the animal. but only its
distinctive and typical parts. as. for in
stance. its peculiar tail, which Is paint
ed in criss-cross lines extending from
the chin to the nose. as though standing
upright. The chin itself does service
as the beavers body. -
''The arbitrary methods Of the Indian
artist render It difficult II not impos-
sible for any but IN expert to interpret