Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1906-03-24
IMAM ARTISTS STUDIO.


For rs wears the sign. ~. d. Chalfant.
artist has hung in the doorway Of the
Almond Building. This and tho big
studio will disappear with the demolition
of the building, soon TO be begun. Mr.
Chaliant Is now preparing 10 have his
goods and chattels removed. with the re-
suit that tables chairs, sofas, canvascs,
draperies and other 'propertes" are
heaped about and the room in confusion.
This is in cOntndistinction TO the artistic
arrangement which formerly prevailed,
and which Mr.. Challant has photographed
in several views.
Among the furnishings are some pieces
Of "old stuff" that would cause a con-
noisseur to become brilliantly green. The
choicest piece Of the collection is q goose
neck sofa, as our grandiathers would have
called It, now designated a davenport.
The carving is rarely beautiful and its
lines most simple and graceful. This sofa,
which is doubtless the finest in this section,
was bought in Chester county by Mr..
Chalfant while on his wedding tour.
There are a sofa and divans of good de-
sign, a window chair and side chairs and
candle stands, all of American make.
From the other side the artist brought a
Louis XVI table and two chairs, fine
examples OF that period. A prayer chair,
also haihng from France, is rather an un-
usual piece of furniture hereabOuts. IL
rs really a low stool with a back high
enough for the arms TO rest on the cushion
which tops it. The back is of ebony
beautifully carved with a cross in the
centre On the wall hangs a Swiss clock,
with a pretty enameled face. The weight
having been lost fire tongs are substi-
tuted in its place. Then there are in
Vulnerable prints, draperies, long-barrelled
pistols, brasses, pewter and other para
phernalia which always help to litter an
artists workshop. Mr. Chalfant made
his easel, which is perfect in its convenience
and adaptability to his work
Mr.. Chalfant's will have a studio in his
new home at Twentieth street and Boule-
ward, until the completion OF the studio
which he viii begin to build this summer
on Twentieth street near his home.
Mr.. Chaliants Is a genius with thee a.
pacity for infinite pains His work Is Of
that class, which shows fawless technique
and absolute realism. and of which Mes
sonier was the prince In modern art
/ there is no school of that sort, and Mr..
Chalfant stands almost alone Although
always impelled to paint things as they
really are, Mr.. Chalfant nevertheless ad-
mires art that is more impressionistic and
imaginative than his
For about four years his time has been
occupied with portrait painting. Only
recently he did one OF William NJ Candy
for the Savings Fund, and a portrait Of
Samuel Bancroft, Jr., and his grandson,
Samuel Bancroft Bird AT present he is
working on a portrait of Miss Mary DUPONT
and he has just finished a portrait group
Of thirteen ofiicefs of the First Division
Of Sheridan s Cavalry Corps. He received
the commission for this from Rudolph
Ellis, president of the Fidelity Trust Co.
Of Philadelphia. The painting of the
group required almost a year 8 work, SC
perfectly and carefully executed is the
detail. Studies have been commenced
for canvas of a more imaginative nature
IL will show two blacksmiths at work in
the old Perry blacksmith shop on Fifth
street.
The first Chaliant picture to at
tract attention was a still-life subject
exhibited at the Academy Of the Fine Arts
and bought by John II. Converse, ther
president Of the institution. The picture
was entirely on It's own merits. as the
artist had never attended any art school.
OF had any influence at the academy. Mr.
Chalfant says that he studied art alonl
the Brandywine. His years Of instruction
number two spent at the Julian in Paris
He remained abroad about two and hal
years, and counts among his most delight
full experiences a walking trip, which h,
and some other artists took through
Switzerland and italy as far south a
| Rome.
Mr.. Chalfant is a native Of PhiIadel
phia, but Wilmington can claim him, Al
he has lived here for 25 years The famou
dollar bill picture, which showed m6r'
than anything else his marvellous skill
was bought by II. Wood Sullivan o
Brooklyn, and since has been placed il
an art institute in that citv.