The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-04-19

The Cash Value is at Least
$4,000.
SOME RARE PICTURES.
Purchase Made by Col. John
sons Friends.
Edward Wilder Carried Out the
Plan.

The art exhibit of the Topeka city IL
brary is to be enriched by $4,000 worth
OF paintings, statues, bronzes and brio
a-brae which will be known as the Col
A. S. Johnson memorial exhibit.
The exhibit will consist of the rare
pictures, statues, bronzes and costly
bric-a-brac collected during the past
"a years by Colonel and Mrs. A. s.
Johnson The plan of memorial ex1ib-
it is the idea of Mr.. Edward Wilder and
1t viii be largest addition to the art
department of the library that has been
made
Col. and Mrs. Johnson decided some
time ago to give up housekeeping on
account of the worry and care of so
large a house filled with SO many beau
tiful and costly things 1t is probable
that there is no residence in Topeka
that contains SO rare and costly an ar
ray of books, pictures and bric-a- brac
as the home OF the Johnsons at Fourth
and Topeka avenues On account OF
Mrs. Johnson's Ill health they decided
to give up housekeeping and to dispose
of the most of the house furnishings.
When Col. and Mrs. johnson decided
upon this move, Mr.. Edward Wilder a
once set on foot a plan to purchase the
art collection entire. Mr.. Wilder. with
many friends of Col. and Mrs. Johnson
and also friends of the library, at once
raised a fund of SO. goo and decided to
purchase the Johnson art collection in
tact and to donate it to the city library
as the Col A. S. johnson memorial
The memorial will be a fitting and
lasting monument to the life work OF
Colonel Johnson, who has been identi-
fed with the history OF Kansas since he
was born and before and since the state
was born. For y years he was con-
nected with the Santa F'e railroad. be
ginning with that company almost at
its inception There are few men in
Kansas who have followed the vicisssi-
tudes of the territory and later the
state as has Colonel Johnson. He Was
born at the Shawnee Indian mission III
WyandOtte county.
Col. and Mrs. Johnson made many
trips abroad and While on the conti-
nent at various times collected the rare
paintings that make up the collection.
Mrs. Johnson is an art connoisseur.
The collection is unequaled in the city.
While the price to be paid for the COLI
lection is $1,000 that does not represent
half the value. The purchase price
represents about half the original cost
abroad of the canvases, etc, but does
not include the costly frames, the ex-
pressage nor the importation duties.
To duplicate the collection would mean
no less than an expenditure of $4,000.
The collection consits of Il oil paint
ings, 5 watercolors, Is pictures in black
and white. artists proofs, first proofs
after lettering, remarque proofs; Is
etchings, all proofs; wood carvings,
statues, bronzes and - pieces of bric-a-
brac. valued at $500
The pictures are by well known ar
lists and the lapse of time has in
creased their value greatly. Perhaps
the most striking picture is the painting
in oil, The Horse Fair" by H. Delorne,
81 by 26 inches. The bare canvas cost
$3.50 in France The artist is noted for
his wonderful sunsets and snow scenes.
1.-THE Horse Fair was exhibited at the
Paris salons and proves the ability of
the artist in his especial line.
Autumn in New England" by Morvil-
Ter, is beautiful painting. The artist
came from France to America 40 years
ago and ranked among the best land
scape painters After the artists death
the Prince of Wales bought many of his
New England scenes.
Another painting in oil in the eollee-
ton IS Great Expectations. by Henry
Mcsler. The canvas is % by 20 inches
and the artists price in France was $3.50
Another valuable picture is THE Broken
Pitcher, by Greuze, permitted copy
from the original and framed like the
original in the Louvre. Another is
Beatrice Cenci," be REM, a copy from
the original in the Parbarein palace
bearing the Seal of Permission. by the
Prince Of the House. Two beautiful min.
iature copies are entitled 1.-The Sistine
Madonna" and THE Madonna della
Sedia." A charming little picture is
catherine Mermets. by Miss Tewks-
bury. Of Boston, who was so we'll known
in Topeka Miss TeWksbury's pictures
were exhibited at the Worlds fair.
Among the five water colors is "A Street
in Brittany, by Prichard. which is bril-
liant in its handling and its coloring. The
artist was American born and most sue
cessfuI Paris-bred painter.
Among the Is black and white pictures
are engravings of great value. In many
instances the plates have been destroyed
and copies can not be had at any cost
One of the rarest OF the black and whites
is a mezzotint from the original picture
painted by Turner in 1910 for Lord var
borough who permitted it to be engraved
for publication for the benefit of the Art
lists General Benevolent fund. The plate
was destroyed in the London fire A few
copies are now extant and the picture of
the Col. Johnson collection was bought
from the estate of a London collector It
is a picture. of a shipwreck.
There is first proof after lettering Of