The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1904-02-10

The most interesting visitor to Japan
in 1903 recently left it and admitted
that he was leaving in a hurry-forced
to cut short his visit by some months,
saws Eliza r. Scidmore, the Tokyo cor
respondent of the Chicago Tribune.
Vassil Veresclagin, the Russian paint
er, came by the Iranssiberian road last
summer. unheralded and without Os-
tentation, and went Immediately to
work sketching in the courts of the
Nikko temples With the usual hospi-
tality to visitors of such calling and
quality, the japanese officials showed
every usual attention to the distin-
guished painter, and because of his ma
tionality yet more was done for him.
Noblesse obige.
Vereschagin was made the guest OF
the emperor, a house was given him
close beside the Iyeyasu temple, and
the household department attached an
official to him during his stay to at
tend his movements and provide Tor
him in every way.
l. uG iOIb ubOOb OIEL-Cu Ap ga NAiN
treasures, all the inner and most sa-
cred rooms, brought forth costumes
and paraphernalia of festival times
and had acolytes and servitors pose for
him. and there never was such sym
pathy and mutual admiration as eN
listed between Vereschagin and the
priestly community at Nilko for the
bo That
charming, cOurtly and courteous man
of the world, the polished boulevardier
and big bearded cosmopolitan, appealed
to them strongly, disarmed them so
completely by his friendliness, his
amiability, his appreciation and, above
all, by his professional genius, that the
name Of Russian was held in different
esteem in Nikko.
Vereschagin remained in NikkO for
a month, making a whole series OF
small sketches-small for Vereschagin
as we know his canvasses in great eX-
hibitiOns-and taking voluminous notes
in small sketchbOoks and In pencil
memoranda He allowed no one to
see his canvas sketches and studies nor
10 ONtIlOOh uIll W llliG III w VI hCN' N'
cry morning at daylight he went to
the temple courts and worked with
swift intentness until the hour for adj
hitting visitors, when he dropped the
palette and brushes and became q Wis
itor, too, roaming with notebook and
guidebook in hand or studying out
some next viewpoint.
4 - yVhpr I-iSitnpS had left
the temples, he set to work again and
made the most of fading daylight, sun
set glow and early moonlight. Now we
may look for great series of paint
ings worthiIy declaring the splendOr
and picturesqueness Of the TOkugawa
shrines pendants for his great series
of paintings of Indian temples and
central Asian mosques, paintings SO
widely scattered now that one can only
see a considerable number of them to-
gether in the Tretiakoff's gallery at
Moscow.
Vereschagin was most interested in
the ancient art Of Japan-the architec-
ture, the coIOring, the landscape set
ting and the splendid interiors of Nikko
temples and palaces appealed to him,
and the old pictures and statues. the
fine metal work captivated him entire
ly.
In Kioto he worked as industriously
as at Nikko, but Japanese conservatism
and reverence for the sanctity of the
imperial person could not be sufficient
iy overcome to permit him to paint the
interior of the old palace there. That
palace and the MILO castle. where the
shoguns lived, he declared the most
splendid interiors he had seen, and he
made every argument to obtain leave
to sketch the gold walled rooms, with
their flower paneled ceilings.
Other rooms there are in Kioto near
1y like to those Of the palace, and those
he was free to work from, but the
home, the living rooms of many sacred
emperors, could not be profaned.
VeTeschagin put no limit to his
praises of the Japanese people, but
there can be no doubt that his intend
ed stay was cut short by the hostile at
titude of his country. And the Japa-
nese must have been greatly relieved,
too, when he got away safely without
any indignity being offered or harm
done by some crazy patriot
Vereschagin avoided Tokyo and the