Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-03-30

Special Correspondence,
ONDON, March 20.--Russia may
claim to have produced two at
least of the worlds most daring
artists. No one Will have forgot
rem vass Ii Verestchagin the fearless
painter OF war who went down with
Makaroff's flagship at Port Arthur,
ana now there comes to Hight an aqual-
~ adventurous Russian artist who
tells a thrilling story in pictures and
graphic words.
In ntrast to Verestchsgin's work
In the heat OF battle. Alexander Boris
soft, the new celebrity. all but sacrf-
feed his life TO paint cold terror and
desolation of nature in lands of eternal
Ice. The results of his desperate VEN
lures are some 400 unique paintings.
which he now is exhibiting in London
and which he will take to America
next season.
This artist adventurer is of the
typical Russian type-broad shoulder
ed and heavily built, his face bearded
with fair hair, the high outstanding
cheskbones mistaken and the eyes set
back beneath strong, nasterfnl fore
head that betokens imagination and
intellect. He Is just Al years old.
persuaded Borlssoff to tell me his
story, and II the interest OF it can he
transferred 10 paper II ought TO make
good reading
In the village OF Gluboki Ruche--
which means a deep stream in the
government OF Vologda. at the eS-
IRENE end OF the Russian empire, this
artist was born in 1865. He was the
son of peasa mt parents, but. like many
another Russian genius. he has risen
from the depths TO the surface OF RUS
sian society, even to the personal pat
ronage OF the car himself.
SENT TO MONASTERY.
When barely is years old BorIssoff
fell Ill and his parents sent him I" the
SoIoyetsk monastery-accordin to the
peasant custom In northern Russia,
Here the boy was attracted by paint
inss of holy images and he set about
copying some OF them When one day
the Grand Duke Vladimir visited the
monastery he warmly praised the lads
work and late err showed his apprecia-
tion by gaining admission for him to
the Imperial Academy of Fine Arts
in 81. Petersburg.
'Thon," said Borlssoff, ''the idea
which had been so long shaping in my
brain took hold OF me- My forefath-
ers, [ know, used TO hunt bears Ia
spltxbergen, and as a hoy | had read
all about the arctic, ] longed to see
and paint the Arctic nights While stIli
a stndont--In IS96--nly ilnpatlence to
visit arctic regions led me 10 embark
ON a steamer for Thurman, which Is
Russian territory adjoining Norway.
Prom here L made my WAY further
noith with hunting party to N0vSa
Zemlya. an island directly north OF
Russia. I3y looking at a map you VIII
zoe that this island OF which one
nrobably hears little In your country.
is about as large as the British Isles
nut together. Observing the map
closely II appears mat NovSa zerniga
ls not exactly an Island after all. but
two islands separated by narrow
neck OF water called the Matotohkin
shar. The southern half of this "dou-
ble isIand' In inhabited mainly by
hrnters who come over from Russia.
Tine northern portion IL practically
pnlnhabited and seldom visited except
Inv The most Yenturesolne hunters
ARMED with a few canyases. paints
and brushes aud with much too
emull supply Of provisions. ! set out
in company with two samosodes 70
nenetrstte this region OF eternal Ice
ana snow, TO sketch and paint tho
Arctic scenes whirh explorers had
vaguely described ~ wonderfully
beautiful.