The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-03-19
GEO. STONES PICTURES.
The Public Is Given a Glimpse of His
New Productions.

Although Topeka is by no means an
art center. the town boasts ownership
of an artist, whose work is not only
recognized at home, but in the places
where it is alleged that art is recognized
without even Introduction George
NJ Stone is not good advertiser. but it
appears. judging from the fact that he
has painted many portraits for eastern
persons, and thereby attracted atten-
ton to himself in the art centers, that
he paints in Topeka from choice, and
not from necessity. His scene and land
scape studies of the past have attracted
much attention, and sold readily, but
Mr.. Stone has outdone himself this
winter, developing nearly fifty sketches
all of remarkable quality. These pieces
are now on exhibition at Mr. Stones
studio, on the fourth floor of the Craw-
ford building.
An art critic said several wears ago of
Mr.. Stones work: This man has found
the tone Should he paint a dead
horse, crows would light on his roof"
Life" is feature of Mr. Stones
technique. In painting a Holland morn
ing, he gets the misty distance and the
clear, sharp-cut foreground. In paint
ing a Kansas scene. he gets the Kansas
color. and the local study instantly at
tracts a visitor at the studio. There is
no mistaking it, and, therefore. the
critic who has never seen Holland or
France feels reasonably sure that the
same close imitation of nature has been
observed by the artist in preserving
these foreign atmospheres.
A majority of the recent paintings
are from subjects acquired in Holland
and the north of France, in the vicinity
of Sedan, and although all the pictures
are Of remarkable quality. half dozen
of the Holland scenes deserve special
mention: "On the Way to Delft a
canal scene not far from The Hague
Going to Market" Our Daily Bread, :"
Windmill at The Hague" Milk Maid
of Volendam" and "Footbridge at
Ryswylz.'' 1t is easy to see, after view
ing these pictures why artists go 10
of the people seems to fit the quaint
landscape and canal scenes. Ponder
GUS windmills the sheet-iron Kan
sas prairie kind, but antique grist
grinders with slow sails, appear at fire.
quent intervals along the principal ar
tificial waterways for which the coun-
| try is famous. Even the boats are
staunch and ponderous. like the people
and the architecture. Over all is a
| sense of harmony in color. In past GEN.
| turies when Dutch masters led in art,
| it was because of this, no doubt. At any
rate, the artists of the world have fire.
| quently invaded the land of the mas
tiers, and absorbed therefrom the finish
1
| ing touch.
In the north of France, near Sedan,
Mr.. Stone secured some excellent ma
| terial. The old Bourgogne gate, the
| entrance to the ancient walled city of
| Mouzon, which has stood, with little re-
pair, since the Roman invasion, was
| evidently intended by it's builders to be
| a delight of artists of future ages, and
| the little town within was built for the
| same laudable purpose. Mr.. Stone
painted the gateway, likewise a scene
on the quiet village street within. His
ability to reproduce stones and ancient
woodwork on canvas is something won
| derful, giving to the picture an atmos-
| phere of age and stability combined,
which could never be reproduced in
photograph. -
The efforts to describe Mr.. Stones
collection by any one but an artist are
futile, but it does not require a finish
ed artist to recognize a good picture.
| To see Mr.. Stones exhibit is to apprec-
late his work