Evening journal., 1907-09-25

BY Julian Hawthorne in Parsons.
To know what his art means 10
painter. we must study what he has
painted: his pictures cannot be painted
over again in words In these papers
will be told what some OF our painters
have done and how and why they
came TO do it. so that the reader may
get some understanding thereof; but
nothing win be attempted IN the way
of substituting written words for form
and color on canvas-of expressing
with pen and ink what has been oil
ready expressed I'm another medium
Whoever knows the hest magazine
illustrations knows the work of How
ard Pyle. For more than five and
twenty years past he has been study
ing. working and teaching in his ma
tive town of Wilmington, Delaware r.
town Of pleasant streets and homelil>e
houses Around him mas grown up a
little colony Of young artists, coming
from the four quarters of the Union
to learn from Pyle how-not so much
TO paint as-to think pictures. For
according to Pyle. painting pictures is
easy; what is hard is to think them p
to catch and reproduce the signiiic-
ances which nature IS ever revealing
to eyes loving enough to discern them.
To compass It. one must keep out Of
his own way and forget schools and
formulas.
Pyle gives his pupils immense at
tention. though he viii accept not q
cent for doing it: and I'm addition to
meeting them individually in their own
studios or in his. he gives them a
weekly talk in the mass. commenting
on the work they bring for the pur-
pose. and occasionally launching out
into remarks on the principles Of art
in general. and its application 10 life
Others than artists come 10 hear these
talks. as well they may. there is prac-
teal sense and pure wisdom in them
He used to deliver weekly lectures IN
New York. but gave them up, as he
told me. becausing the promising men
were too busy to come and the Others
did not compensate him in what they
produced for what ne impaired L.
them. A leading feature of his in
structlon so far as I had a chance
to observe It. was TO warn his listeners
against taking for gospel what he oi
anv one else could tell them-to avoid
academic tricks and rules; to look al
nature through their own eyes and
brains. not through another mans
Persons too timid and too narrow 10
respond to such unfettering sugges-
tions cannot be successful pupils OF
Howard Pyle.
He is himself a type the unfetteredi
a stalwart, tall. simple American, un-
self-conscious as a boy; big-boned
big-skulled outstanding. wholesome.
devoid Of velvet coats and poses.
felt his powerful individuality, but
there was no taint Of Myself about
him: n spiritual fire forever afamt
without him has burnt all Of that oui
OF him. He thinks not Of himself
but Of his work, whereby the wors
gains and others think much Of him
| But wanted him to tell things abou
! himself; so, sitting in his big studio.
big. simple, genial place that it Is
built by himself and very like him
he tried to relate facts concerning hi.
career the humor. the pathos, lessoni
and meaning of 1t. 1t was a captivat
i
ing tale.
When he was a boy, he said, nj
father and mother wanted him TO 20
to college and follow uD the highe
observation-disclosures that may hav
been at that epoch. But from the TIM
he was able TO handle a pencil he wa
| pursued by the creative instinct. an,
I nothing would Co but that he mus
draw things. even though his drawing
failed to show any cleverness or talent
Impulse toward art he had and t
spare. but nothing TO give Il expires
sion with OF college ne would hav
nothing. and his parents finally CAV
It up. and allowed him to go to al
art school In Philadelphia. He imag
ined his problems were solved
To Philadelphia, resolute and re
ioicing. did he go. and there did h
plunge into study with a perslstenc
and ardor which to-day astonish him
self. Not only did he study drawin
but MISUNDERSTANDING II uD eNhaus
lively in lectures and otherwise: h
went into the science of perspectiv
with all It's rules and also gave assidu
GUS attention to history, costume, an
composition. During the noon hour:
while the others were AT lunch. he wa
busy making composition on big sheet
of paper tacked TO the wall, a hapdfu
of dried fruit and crackers in on