New-York tribune., 1903-03-31
ON ART.
being letter from Alexander Coker. esq. Il
niece. Miss Cornelia Crpps)

being a letter from Alexander Coker. esq. TO his
niece Miss COrnelia CrippsD
My Dear CorneIia: 1 very glad you have
decided to go for pictorial art instead of music
There Is very little doubt you would acnieVe as
great a success in the other, but the work
you have chosen has one great advantage-it Is
noiSeleRs.
DO not think dear Cornelia. that I would for
one moment suggest that the noise IN your case
would be otherwise than delightful Still you
would lave to spend years in hard work before
you came to the beginnings OF music and there
would always be the chance that. having got so
far you would hnd after all that you had mistaken
your vocation. It is a significant fact that Tor
every fourteen million hundred and eighty
three thousand nine hundred and four young
women who learn the Diano-to take but one IN
strument of musical expression-only Two. decirhdl
three-hve become in the smallest degree entitled
m he considered musicians So there is bound 70
he an element of risk in adopting a musical career
as you will
There is another advantage the artist has over
the musician in addition to that 7 have already
mentioned Out OF every one hundred people there
will be perhaps seventy-five who can detect dls-
cord in sound. whereas not ten would discover q
dscord in color however glaring- You must not
imagine am suggesting that you would be hkely
n rro4ucs discords I'm color-I have not 50 easily
forgotten that beautiful arrangement IN orange ana
brown you wore the other nlght-out STILL II Is al
ways as well to be the safer side
You ask: Ought to 20 to Nature direct: NY
OF course not, It is truth nearly universally ac-
cepted among artists to-day that Nature Is essen
TALLY vulgar. and cannot do more than serve d.
neg on which to hang their artistic fancieS IL
would positively shock them 70 hear you tax OF
ronr to Nature Look at the work Of the modern
artists who are held in highest repute' ana you
will speedily discover that there is little enough OF
Nature IN their work
Perhaps the branch OF art most in vogue al
present is the decorative You take any natural
obiect-man tree bird. fish. whatever you like
and reduce all its diversites Of shape to one simple
form When you do this so wonderfully tn6'
no one can ever discover what you originally SET
out to draw or paint you will have become oec-
orative artIst-and your work will be very hisnly
esteemed. You will then be in great demand 10
design furniture. and II you carefully bear IN n1Ilo
that utility and beauty have nothing Whatever III
common your fame will increase by leaps ana
bounds Is il not an aIIuring prospect, Cornelia?
Then there is the irnpressionistic- This Is not
quite so much in fashion now as ii was a feW years
ago, but still has large following women
rarely are so successful as in impressionlstic
art owing TO their more temperate habits; but
you might succeed. II you wish to become an I'M
pressionist, you must first apprehend the great
verify that things look like what they rea4ly
are You must for instance, be firmly convinced
the foliage Of tree never, under any clrcum-
be true no other beliefs are necessary There are
tree in full leaf NAV be absolutely any color
Won ike except greenland a tree or whatever else
YOU are engaged upon may be just any shape you
like This naturally makes 1t much easier for the
student to become fmpressionist than any otner
kind OF artist So you see. CorneIa there i Is a
good deal to be said in favor OF impressions ism
But 7 had almost forgotten one point the I'M
pressionist gets most Of his effects by sugsestGGn
He will by painting purple horns and oiue
ear suggest cow. by a red streak across ms
canvas suggest anything between a ruI oreSS
parade Of the Foot Guards and a fire at sea-and II
would be your endeavor TO make suggestlon OF Ilis
sort do more and II you could. a1ter some
practice contrive to suggest d COW 0y one Lldl{Ln
red horn your success, would, unquestlonaoIy' oe
instantaneous and complete -
81 inclined to think my Gear tnaC ne la MP no
end of time for IL is hardly necessary TO learn 10
draw II YOU intend become an tmpresslOnlst-
Still il may be you are determined 70 go %
Nature and. after all. you may be wise II WOuid
he a novelty and that Is a great thing MoreoFer
il would gain for you the reputation OF oeng eccen
trc and that Is always a valuable asset WneI one
is engaged in artistic work The difficult thlIs
about II is that you would be obliged 10 Worh-aI-
most as hard II you took up music 50 90 not
. make a commencement, child without caFeIu4 re-
fecton- .,,. or- .,-.r,,
You know. ii any case. you may count Oh every
assistance that can be rendered by
Your affectiOnate Old uncle p,
ALEXANDER COkER-'
-CBlaCk and " hILe-