The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-07-05
NEW HAVEN MORNING JOURNAL COURIER JULY

nation, but intended to stop at the first place that looked worthy of ar tistic interpretation.
 "Le us try this" said MT. Ranger, as the train pulled across the Old Lyme bridge. Ut looks like Bar bizon. the land of Millet. See the gnarled oaks, the low rolling country. This land has been farmed and culti vated by men, and then allowed to revert back into the arms of mother nature. It is only waiting to be painted"
 Two days later MT. Ranger wrote to New York for his wife, his chattels and his Persian eat, and by the end of the week was comfortably donli- ciled in the old Colonial house of Miss Florence Griswold, which has since become known far and wide as the "holy house." To this place the s.rtists came in twos and threes. HIany appeared in response to letters from MT. Ranger, who generously wrote to his fellow brushes that he had discovered a country in which to found great "tonal schooT-a land waiting to be immortalized by the American painter. This brought the painters in flocks. Studios sprung up over night and the banks of the Connecticut were peppered for miles with the mushroom-like sketching umbrellas.
 For four years MT. Ranger was the sundisputed king of the colony He | was hailed by the younger men as the big chief, and was the general direc- tor of the colony. There was at that 1 time a firm belief among a clique of l painters that MT. Ranger was mak ing new era in American art-that he was founding new school, and i that 1t behooved them to be in Lyme in order to be on the ground fiocr. During these four years there was a sort of unwritten law to the effect that brown-yellow pictures were the order of the day. "TonaT' was the adjective applied, or, rather, misap- piled. The impressionists were looked upon as has-beens. They had had their day, been tried, found wanting and were down and out. Impression ists and pupils were not considered part of the colony, in fact there was a dead line drawn and they were not supposed to pass the brick store, an old landmark two blocks south of the holy house." They were referred to by the tonal painters as ''blots."
 When the tonal school gave Its an- nual exhibition in the village, no greeny blue or purple pictures were allowed to mar the golden brown har- mony
 But that was years ago. Lyme has at least six students to every painter and the tonal school is past history, With the exception of few instances browny-yellow pictures did not sell and disagreeable New York critic rather broke up the colony by refer ring to the masters of the tonal school as makers of peanut brittle pictures.
 Now the exhibitions are thoroughly impressionistic. Ranger oaks are seen through Hassan eyes, and the Con- lnecticut River flows blue through can vases instead Of yellow.
 A number of the charter members of the original colony still hold sway at the holy house" and maintain its well earned distinction. The work done under the roof or within rife shot of this old colonial landmark has held together many famous exhi. bitions during the past few years Just so long as 1t Is presided over by Miss Griswold, who has made 1t { home in the highest sense of the word, for the men 1t harbors, who art laboring to produce the best that is in them, the holy house" will re- tain It's distinction. Without fric ton of discord, Miss Grlswold, witt the qualities of a good diplomat, has presided over houseful of men ant women, blessed or cursed (accordins to ones point of view) with the ar tistic temperament--with the eccen, tricities of genius. To such woman a halo is due,
 LILLIAN BAYNEs GRIFFIN