The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-02-28
MISS LoNGFELLoW's LECTURE.
The Life and Character of AIbreeht
Duerer Well Portrayed.

".Albrecht Duerer'' was the theme OK
an Illustrated lecture which was given
by Miss Ellen T. Longfellow. niece Of
the poet of that name. before members
and guests of the League of American
Pen Women, at the Washington Club last
night.
The speaker was introduced by ars.
Morgan, a member of the board of tiirec-
tors of the league. who said the theme
was eminently appropriate on account Of
the anniversary of the painters birth
day Miss Longfeliow in the course
of her lecture said that in the fifteenth
Aibrecht Duerer. that quaint old town
of toll and tratfIc, of art and song. was
one of the busiest and most stirring cities
in Europe.
Speaking of Duerer'S life, Miss Long
fellow said:
''Wolgemuth was Duerer's master. and
was one of the first artists who especially
drew pictures for engravings. The
trace of the gruesome in them. for in
stance, The Dance of Death. Ii Is
quite Impossible in some of Duerer's
paintings to trace exactly what he meant
tion acted as a check in the development
of German art Duerer WAS intended by
his father for the goldsmith's art. but
Duerers genius lay in the direction Of
a painter During his earlier years.
when he was an apprentice. he COM
planned frequently of the harsh treat
ment ne received at the hands of his
colleagues Hazing was quite as much
In vogue then as it Is now. He made a
sketch of himself wheQ he was thirteen
years of age, and the portrait of his
father painted by him a year later is in
the Uffizi galleries. in Florence.
In the course of his wanderings through
Germany and Italy he made many land
scape sketches which were not then con-
nd arf n < . "a
are still preserved in the Germanic MI
scum at Nuremberg Duerer's intims cy
with the gay Birkheimsr caused him
The greater part of Duerers works cut
side of portraits were religious W rlSs.
He never severed his connection with the
Catholic Church and was too st ong a
to lose his individuality in pa mt
ing In his Italian training Duerer's ar
" worhs are characterized by tn ir
crow ding of details. He was accused in
Italy of not being an artist on account of
his ignorance of the ancient art but his
pictures Were bought wherever they were
found. When in Venice he ga most at
tentiOn to the study of the human figure,
and in Bologna lie learned the secret art
of perspective. puerer had particularly
beautiful hands, and was very fond of
fine clothes.
He learned dancing in Venice but gave
it up in despair. On one occasion, having
an order for a picture and not
having finished II within the limit he Of
fered to refund the advanced money rstth-
er than be driven to finish the work After
the picture was done it turned out to be
one of the finest productions of the paint
er and he gg"ranteed that it would keep
fresh for 500 years. In later years Duerer
wrote and published works on art. The
religious troubles in his times caused him
great uneasinsss of mind. He died at the
age of fiftyseVen, and as an artist ranks
among the first of all ages ana countries.
THE officers of the League Of American
Pen Women are: President Mrs. Alethe
nNy HRr rail- Nr4
Iuliette NJ. Babbitt: Corresponding Sec
rotary. Mrs. Emma V. Triepei. Record
ing Secretary. Mrs. Evelyn Clark Nor
gan: Treasurer. Miss Elizabeth A. Hyde.
Auditor. Miss Mary b. Statham: Libra
rian. Miss Anna T. Patten; Board OF Df-
Marian LongfeIlow O'Doao-
zhue. Mrs. Lillian Rozell Messenger.
Mrs. Winnie Ream HoXie. PatroneSseS.
Nesdames Fairbanks. Foraker. Doll.ver.
Turner. Martin. MeISenna. ID. J. Hill.
Perry s. Heath. A. L. Barber. Dora Har-
vey Munyon. Mary A. Denison, NJ ).
Burke Charlotte Fiske Bates. Annie E
hoyle, and Carolina L. Ransom.