The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-05-29

trayed on the softest of old ivory a
BACKGROUND says the New York Telegram;
in fGct. even typography has come in for
its share of glory in handing down to pos
terity the likenesses of handsome women.
but having done all this. society's 400 have
now turned aside to something new
And. paradoxical as 1t may sound this
something new is something DID, for
At is none other than tapestry portraiture;
not the garish oil-colored stuff which has
flooded the country for the last eight or
ten years. but the hand-dyed Gobelin
tapestry. such as was so popularity In
vogue during the seventeenth and
eighteenth centuries. when all the French
Queens and Kings favorites followed the
custom. covering the royal apartments and
others with these rare works of art.
1t is safe to say that the only woman
IN this country who has revived this style
of work is Miss Eta Elmer. OF the Bryant
studio building
Her work is known in Washington. where
It decorates the homes of prominent women
of the national capital. and in this city
where she has done the portraits of many
society women. An interesting thing in con-
nection with a big order done for the
million-dollar home of Mr. Walsh. of
Washington, is told about Miss Elmer's
work.
In the dining room of the Walsh home
were to be hung some rare old Gobelin
tapestries of priceless value. of which there
was a series illustrating a classical SUBJ
5ect- When ready TO be hung Ii was found
that there were two panels lacking. To
match them in the woven sort would be
manifestly impossible A popularity in the
coloring, which together with the difficulty
of securing other scenes of the same SUBJ
5ect. made such a task impossible.
Hearing of Miss Elmers work, she was
asked TO sumbit some designs. These were
accepted. and so ceverly was the original
coloring with all the old rich tones dupli-
is able to tell the difference. The tapes
tres hang now. a tribute TO Miss Elmer S
skill. in the home of the Washington mil
lionaire.
Her latest. and perhaps one of her most
successful portraits. is that of Mrs. Rem
brandt Peale. which is just completed. IL
represents the subject in a charming pose
gauzy. sweeping draperies and an inter-
esting background all of which is sur
rounded by what resembles an old Floren-
tine frame
When il is taken into consideration that
the work OF one portrait will take months
of serious application and that the medium
Is evanescent dye. which sinks i'm and
disappears almost soon as applied
and that mistakes cannot be rectified, as
in oil uor once applied the color remains
forever). IL can be seen that the art is
one requiring peculiar talent great appli-
cation and the utmost patience
That is reason" remarked Miss
Elmer to-day. that artists. generally
speaking, won't bother with this medium.
II takes too much time and patience"
What Miss Elmer is too modest TO say
about her own work a prominent artist
said for her. This sort of portraiture. .
said he. lis the highest form of art i'm that
one has TO be truly an artist in the be-
ginning TO absorb the personality of the
sitter. and besides. possess the rare gift to
put IL on the canvas correctly with the
first touch of the brush"