The San Francisco call., 1903-12-27

THAT will be the tendency in DOR
trait painting in 1904 II has been the
tendency for a long time. HCre than
that. it has been the rule.
Perhaps said Mr.. Chase. rising
and looking. IL his earnestness, pre-
c:sely like the Sargent portrait. per
haps she will have a certain irdivld-
uality, or touch, which has been be-
queathed to her by the recent art
schools And this will be conspicuous.
Mrs. Clark, whom l painted some
years ago, and whose portrait 1 sX-
hibited. was one of the first and most
typical of American models. Her face
was distinctively American She vas
Gibsons first model. And was. thus.
the original of the ideal Gibson girl.
She was tall, serious, high bred, slen-
der.
Her face was American. No doubt
OF ii. And it was a type.
You can tell an American face at
once. 1t is different from any other
face. Though. for the life OF you, you
can't tell why it is so.
do you know your mothers hand
writing? Can you pick out the hand
writing of your dearest friends. at a
glance? And without being told? Ger
tainly you can. But howe You do
not know Neither does anybody else.
You cannot say, 1t is the up stroke.
nor the down stroke!' 1t is so be-
cause IL is so!
Thus with the American girl She
is American because she is so.
The girl Of 1904 will be different in
a way from any other girl. Her face
will show the American characteristics
which are those Of a sweet blending OF
other nations. All races meet mere
and produce a type as different from
the French type as one color is dif-
ferent from another. To a practiced
eye 1t is impossible to make mistake
THE girl OF 1904 will be distinguish
able as to her dress. And In this con-
nectIon it can be said that portrait
painting is greatly affecting the dress
ing Of women.
When a sitter comes to me I say to
her. I cannot paint you until 1 see
your gowns
"She displays them or describes
them. None will do. All will be outre
in short time. This gown has an ex-
aggerated waist; this one is too tight in
the skirt: this dress is trimmed with
something in the very height Of an ex-
treme style, and upon this. gown
CLEANS a novel decoration which will be
absolutely funny in five years time.
You must buy a gown I say to
her; none OF these will do at all
Then tell her what to buy. Some
times / tell her how much to pay for
It, She goes away and purchases the
gown. And in so doing she teaches
herself a lesson. This is the lesson of
true greatness in. dress. the purchas-
ing of a gown which will hold it's own,
no matter how the styles may change.
"A woman cannot look lovely in a
gown that Is extreme"
And the boy who was born in Frank
lin. Indiana, hfty-two years ago and
who came to town. like William
Shakespeare, with nothing except a
clever brain. one suit Of clothes and an
individuality. pointed toward a rich
painting in which the drapery set on
the woman to the most exquisite per-
lection
The girl of 1904 will. perhaps, be
able 10 dress better all the time. be-
cause she is studying and learning.
But 1t will take four artists to paint
her. 1 could paint the American girl
Of 1904 But the Italian girl OF 1904
must be painted by an Italian artist.
The French girl must be painted by
a French artist. The German girl by
a German artist.
'She will not be satisfactory to her
own people if one artist paint ALL There
Is a certain poise to a French woman
which it takes French artist to catch:
and a certain fresh originality to an
American girl which none but an
ApertcanuRFtistwean fully master"