The Washington herald., 1908-02-09

billions and. in addition, cause him 70
give the boy the sort Of education he
lOnged for
But though young Beckwith scorned a
business career, as a painter he IS very
shrewd on the business side; no one can
boast of having got the better of him
financially. Beckwith is also refreshing
In that he is one OF the few members OF
Americas advance guard in art who
believe that art students OF this country
should get their whole training here and
so abroad for only experience.
Beckwth can always be counted on TO
take part enthusiastically In any move
ment looking 10 the removal OF the tariff
!rOm works of ART This Is his great
hobby In Cleveland's second term he
did succeed in getting the tariff removed
and IL nearly broke his heart when the
Republicans. on their return 20 power
put on duty stil higher than the old
one
Like Chase, Beckwith has taught "a
legion of art students When he returned
from his studies abroad hc was short of
money and ne decided that the quickest
way 10 replenish his purse was 70 teach.
Not until late years has he devoted the
greater part of his time 10 portrait and
genre painting. Both he and Chase have
their studios in New York. and they and
Sargent are all close friends. Beckwith
has sat for Chase and Chase for Sargent.
Ia Fargo in the Vanguard.
John la Fargo. who took mp the study
of art as an accomplishment on the adj
vice OF his father and for several years
thereafter had no thought OF following
it seriously; EIhu Vedder, whose gigantic
mosaic of Minerva" has attracted the
attention Of thousands of visitors 10 the
Library OF Congress at Washington and
who has lived in Rome most of the time
since the civil war. Kenyon Cox WAC de-
teTmined 10 become au artist when bis
bOyish gaze fell ON some pictures brought
to Warren, Ohio, by "a travelling artist.
Winslow Homer. painter Of the rural and
now living the life of a recluse down iu
Malne-these are other famous wielders Of
the brush in America s. advance guard of
arr. By reason of his work in stained
glass, he having discovered a method OF
obtaining certain light effects that is
known abroad as "the American method. "
La Farges position In the vanguard is
unique
Among the scUlptors in our vanguard
NaANA' AEF tAA'- ttt' AaAiA'.s bl -AtiEstl
sculpture. J. q. A Ward. whose first
models were made in the soft mud Of
d creek bottom when hr was six years old
and who never saw "a bit OF statuary until
he was sixteen Daniel g French. whose
THE Minute Man OF Concord 90 I'm plaster
cast, decorates countless American man
tells; Frederick Macmonnies. creator of
the famous fountain az the Chicago
Worlds Fair and the Bacchauie which
caused Boston 20 have ninety-days
moral spasm, and Gutzon Borglum.
late conner, whose angels for the cathedral
OF 81. john the Divine in New York were
turned down by the ecclesiastical judges
because they We're ladies.
Karl Bitter's Picturesque Career.
But none Of his feIIow-scuIptors in the
vanguard has had more dramatic or
picturesque career that Kari Bitter.
Born in Vienna Bitter was drafted into
the Austrian army when lie was nineteen.
\ lieutenant so il-treated him that ne
deserted and fled To Germany, where he
worked for a short time for Kaffsack,
the sculptor. He took ship for this coun-
try when he learned that the Austrian
government was preparing to extradite
him. As soon as he landed here he took
out his first citizens papers and then
hunted out d job as q skilled workman
with d firm of architectural decorators
in New York City. He was twenty-five
when he started his New World career.
He had been here only a few months
when the competition for the design for
the famous S2000e bronze doors of Trinity
Church was announced. Bitter decided
TO enter the competition When this fact
became known among his fellow-work-
men they laughed to think that hc. a
workman. should aspire SO high. But the
laugh was on them when the announce
ment was made that Bitter had won the
prize Since that evcntful day he has
been one of Americas S foremost sculptors.
Seven years after Bitter had landed i'm
America there came TO him. practically
on bended knee, the lieutenant who had
so harshly treated him in the Austrian
army. He was starving; he could get
nothing 10 do; would the great Herr Bit
ter take him into his employ? And Bit
ter, the American citizen. took his old
taskmaster into his service as his man
servant
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