The San Francisco call., 1904-06-26
Sire and Son
viii Share
Honors.
Fine Works of
Masters to
Be Seen.

PARIS, June 26.-There soon Will
arrive IN New York, en- route for St
Louis and the exposition, q painter OF
the age OF Is with an established
European reputation already at the
back Of him. A strange boy. as may
be imagined; an anomaly in every
sense Of the word. with nothing OF the
characteristics OF his years, gifted with
s talent marvelously mature. His
name is Tada (Thaddeus) Styka-
The little prodigy's father is Jan
Styka. a painter. known the world over
as the illustrator Of Sienkiewicz's "Quo
Nadis." He is an Austrian subject,
born at Lemberg (Poland), and, left
an orphan at an early age, was soon
studying art and earning his living at
IL meanwhile IN Vienna and Rome.
He returned home in 1890 and there
painted his magnificent composition
Of "Polonia"-his motherland per-
sonified by a tortured woman, around
her the great ones among her children
protesting in the face Of heaven. This
excited such admiration that public
rADrA4 lAAD4A y q set Oh lOOl 10 puI-
chase it and it now hangs in the place
of honor in the Town Hall Of Styka's
native city Of Lemberg. Any repro
ductiOn OF the painting is forbidden in
Russia. A friend Of the artist at War
saw was discovered with a print of it
In his possession and is still in prison,
perhaps in Siberia, for this dire Of
fense.
Jan Styka next accepted a commits
sion from Paderewski to paint the
Crucifxion and spent the entire year
Of 1894 in the Holy Land. The result
was his "GoIgotha. the Place OF
skulls" which was first shown in
Paderewski's palace at Warsaw, but is
now on its way to st. Louis. He was
also the painter OF that huge pano-
rama Of ''Nero's Circus" which was
one Of the features Of the Paris Ex-
position OF 1900.
The work, however, which has estab-
lished his international reputation
must be held to be the pictures TO
Quo Vadis-" In a series OF fifteen
gigantic canvases he has portrayed
the principal scenes OF that famous
book with an accuracy, a detail and
an emotional effect that none but a
genius could attain 10.
SONS GENIUS BORN.
It was during the progress OF these
QUO Vadis' pictures that his son, lit
tie Tada, manifested his talent and fin
ished by convincing his father Of it,
sternest and most exacting critic Of
them all. NJ Styka has five sons. The
other four played with their toys or
g.
Tada, the eldest, remained in his
fathers studio, looking with wonder
ing, reflective eyes at the work going
on around him. Then he would pick
up a pencil lying near and without a
word begin to sketch the objects that
caught his notice. Still life, or parts
OF his fathers paintings. but prin-
cipally. first OF all, animals, commenc-
ing with the domestic cat lying sleep
ing upon a cushion.
The father at first paid no heed,
busy in his own work, and thinking
nothing OF these boyish fancies; but
his friends and visitors began to ques-
ton and to prophesy. For the boy
was trying now with palette and with
clsy-dogs, horses and other animals
still holding his preference as models.
Then he and his father came to Paris,
the rest Of the family remaining in
Poland. Jan Styka had grown used to
his sons companionship. grown used
10 his presence in his studio, and so
brought him with him.
In Paris the reproach was made to
Styka that the boys education was
being neglected. so the father, as he
thought in duty bound, as much
against his own viii as his sons. sent
him to the Jesuit Fathers in the Rue
de Vanguard. II is to be feared that
in science and mathematics Tada was
considered fnattentive, but he brought
back the gold medal for drawing.
Another development followed. One
day the hoy brought TO his father a
life-size canvas depicting his concep-
ton Of Slenus. the rubicund Baccha-
nalian, with the vine leaves in his hair.
II was impossible to dispute further.
The boy at II years Of age had de-
clared himself born painter.
Yet even then the father was not
quite sure. They were living in that
great block OF studios on the Place
Pigaile, which Puvis de Chavannes and
so many others have rendered iIlustrf-
Gus. Heller and Gerome were living
next door, and Stylza went to see them
and ask them TO judge the work The
reply was decisive The Jesuit fathers
saw Tada Styka no more. He came TO
live with his father-tTo comrades Gt
is his fathers own expression) work.
ing together in their art.
Tbenceforward they abided together.
fellow artists sharing one studio, but
certainly equals. II was with the Quo
Nadis" pictures that they inaugurated
their partnership. for the boy is re-
sponsible for no inconsiderable part OF
them. All the animals are his-the
lions and tigers in the arena, the swans
at ASrippa's feast, Lygia's greyhound