The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-08-14
he PAINTS CORN.
E. A. Montgomery Comes Back
to His Old Home.
He filings Defiance in Face of
Art World.
GOSPEL OF TRUE ART.
Says That Is What He Is Now
Preaching.
Discusses Critics and Assaults
on His Work.
GOSPEL OF TRUE ART

peka, the man VINO mas Ducked and
gagged Art and compelled it to work
for him as hired man. entered the
office of Secretary F. D. Coburn at
the state capitol, tossed his coat lightly
on the table, arranged a row of oil
paintings along the fling cases, and
began:
my dear sir, I am preaching the
gospel of True Art. Look not upon
the outward appearances; look upon
the soul, spirit, the inward purposes of
my life: I work for the elevation of
the artistic tone of the people. Be-
hold my paintings. the work of my
life. I come to you for inspiration;
from such as you I gather the assets
for my great work.
But I don't believe I want to buy
an oil painting said Mr.. Coburn.
"Ah, my dear sir, my excellent
friend, do not misunderstood me! I
beg of you, do not nisread mel I do
not come to sell you my pictures.
They are not for sale. No. approach
you with tinnidity, with all the reluc-
tance of poor wanderer and apostle
of great cause. Believe me, I am
the most difhdent OF menl 1 tremble
in the presence of others. I am pos
sessed with emotions of the utmost
reluctance and mental perturbation
whenever I speak,"
!
commented Mr.. Coburn dryly.
"Ah, you laugh? Well, we'll, have
your merry jest, care not. 1t amuses
you when / speak of my timidity.
This mask of effrontery is cultivated,
and assumed with difficulty. Look at
my work. glory in it. I am the
happiest man in the world in my own
way. Yet I am criticised, reviled, per-
secuted, the most abused of mortals.
Look back in the files of Harper s
| MAGAZINE and there n0nnnd a
genius, you will find one of the most
bitter, venomous and sarcastic COM
ments on my work ever written. I was
! ridiculed, my work was held up to
scorn, and my mission assailed. To
what end? Nothing. At first I would
have taken the editor of that publi-
cation blythe throat and crushed him
then SIT down and wrote him po-
lite letter, thanking him for his
words; quoted Dante and Shakes
ppeare, and said: Tt all brings to the
attention of the people this fact: that
L paint corn at my home.
E. A. Montgomery is a painter OF
/ corn He can sit down and dash off
a picture of corn which would be de-
voured by a Kansas steer with as
much relish as though it were the real
article.
Once when he was living in Topeka,
out near Washburn college, Mr.. Mont
gomery painted a reproduction of the
famous picture. Christ Before PLATE. y
Since then he has discovered that his
true realm is corn. He had a corn
picture at the Paris exposition, and ex-
hibited it in Topeka year ago. There
was some talk of buying it for the
public library, but Mr.. Montgomery
still has the picture. He fixes its value
way up in the thousands.
| little do I care for this world S
goods" said Mr.. Montgomery. 'It is
my work to spread the gospel of art,
But I do not say that 1 have no ambi-
tions. Some day I will be possessed of
! immense wealth; it is bound to come.
Then 1 shall build myself a home. It
shall be built out of historic fence
rails from all parts of the country, and
its cost shall be not less than half a
| million dollars. Even now 1 am col
lecting the fence rails. At various
points throughout the country I have
them deposited in safe keeping, and
/ when the time comes, l will collect
them, and begin the work. 1t shall be
a palace of American art. / believe in
American art: I combat the allegation
that there is no true art in the Mis-
sissippi valley. A Harvard university
professor wrote an article in which he
! said there was no art in the M1sSisslp-
4 ri valley. Chicago university, being a
a rival of Harvard, quickly took the
matter up. I was sent for. They said
to me, Write something and demoiish
this allegation I hesitated. Then
replied, Let me not think of it. You
have brilliant faculty of ESQ men
Why not send some of them for this
great task?' But the reply was, we
want you' And finally / consented to
go. Four thousand miles I Travelled
UP and down the Mississippi valley
getting material, examining art work
and preparing my reply. And when
the east will visit the Mississippi val
lev, they will find as great art works
as exist anywhere in the world Ant
this is the fact
1t was necessary only for MI Mont
gomery to give his verdict, and the in
cident was closed There was nothing
more for the east to say 1t wal
: crushed and humbled at one blow.
E. A. Montgomery looks some lik'
William Allen White, and like White
he is a genius. He carries tootf
: brush in one vest pocket and pain
brush in the other, as might be ex
pected of a genius. And of course tn
clothes Of genlgIftes; nrIfte;sn ARE Always 0u'S'o
Some of the Chicago artists hav'
tried to have fun with Montgomery be
cause he piles so much paint on nj
ears of corn.
ture or painting?" asked a famous Chi
cago sculptor not long ago.
"Yout are a sculptor, one of IN
greatest in the world. and you ought [
know" replied Montgomery.
ssThen should say it was sculpture
t replied the Chicago man. z..eo..
at makes not the slightest di1IersLSsS.
;. said Mr.. Montgomery in talking of thi
+ incident, whether my work is painting g
| Elementary sculpture. What am after
= | results. I am painting corn exacty as
t is. Every kernel of corn that I paint
: modelled after the actual kernel. Whe
e there is a protuberance on the real kern'
n 7 mt one on the painted kernel. That. i
{ nv opinion. is true art. Paint things e.
= | actly as they are. I can sit down on to
I of Mount Hood and paint as good a cor
e picture as can right here But this ha
t not been attained without great study an an
o years of practice / have never painted Dt
one picture that really satisfied me. Ths