Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-11-19
aalisesllaneous Rsadias.
VISION PICTURES.
Story of Artist Who Painted "The
Rock Of Ages"


The world often takes its favorites
on trust. One not great picture, un-
der art canons, has travelled around
and to the ends Of the earth and not
one in a million of those who know
1.-THE Rock Of Ages" best would know
the artists name If spoken or writ
ten, Earnest and mild, this old man
lives and works in the past. What
ever their merits or demerits-upon
neither of which this article need
touch-his large canvases have q
curious interest.
Johannes Adam Simon oertel was
born at Furth, near Nurnburg, in Ba-
varia, in 1921. His early education
was at Nurnburg and Munich and
from Michael Enging and Muller he
received his first training as an en-
graver and etcher. Even that early
he developed religious enthusiasm,
and his preceptor, Wilhoe, advised
him to leave mechanical for creative
art. In 1884 he came to America, de-
termined to enter the church and to
concentrate his life to picturing its
mission, says the New York Post.
Young Oertel began his studies for
the Protestant Episcopal ministry
under the Rev. John P. Hubbard. then
rector and teacher at Westerly. r. L.
The pastor was the elder brother of
Gardiner Greene Hubbard, whose
practical nature later saved the tele-
phone usufruct to his gifted son-in-
law, Alexander Graham Bell. 1t was
at Westerly that Oertel designed the
picture that has probably a wider
circulation" than any by an Ameri-
can artist. There he drew the origi-
nal Of tho "Rock Of Ages" in the al
bum of a parishioner. The crude at
tempt to realize Simply to Thy Cross
Cling" much interested Dr.. Hub
bard and his wife, and they urged its
reproduction. This the young theol-
ogian undertook at once, attempting
a replica Of Mrs. Hubbard's figure and
coloring in the now familiar figure
safe amid the roaring waves. DR..
Oertel took no thought of any mater
ial value in the sketch, but his pHe-
ceptor's wife sent 1t to London, where
1t was Autographed and Immediately
caught a popular fancy Of the day.
Ere long repetitions came from the
shops Of many engravers, first abroad,
but soon on this side Of the ocean.
It's designer received for the original
only a nominal sum, even If he was
actually paid for that. But the fervor
Of the conception-apart from any
artistic worth-sent added editions Of
the print even to remote frontier, pro-
vincial settlements. Slight changes,
to evade the law If invoked, ran these
piracies into the million.
While at Westerly the enthusiast
began many other pictures. only a
few of which even approached COM
pletion there. This is especially true
Of his Redemption" Of which he
tells that one morning in chapel his
thoughts were distracted from prayer
by some inner ferment His mind
would not fix itself upon the service.
Gradually the distraction fed and he
prayed fervently in utter absorption.
Suddenly he relates, he was constrain-
ed to fix his eyes upon the bare walls
of the chapel. There glowed a great
picture. Perfect in form and beyond
criticism in color he beheld six figures
of his later Redemption" Straight
from church to studio he went, and
on rough paper made his first cartoon
Of the vision painting that possessed
him. But in his peculiar fashion he
did no more than this at the time.
The cartoon hung untouched until it
was falling to pieces from age. Then
only he made a sketch from 1t in col
or, but years again passed before he
began painting the picture.
Redemption" is the key of four
"The Dispensatjon Of the Law" "The
Triumph of Faith" The first Is the
ambitious attempt to incarnate a
souls salvation. The rigure on the
large canvas being the Saviour, the
Evil One (under His heeD. Death,
the Serpent, Corpse and the Soul Of
a female voluptuary. Drawing and
treatment alike emphasize the defeat
Of lie forces of evil; but the details
are more emotional and medieval
than artistic, and description would
interest only the curious critic. The
still larger canvases of the two Dis
pensations" attempt the grouping Tin
either painting) of all who are men,
toned in the Bible as preceding the
coming Of Christ, from Adam and Eve
to the dawn Of the manger; and on
the other, the dethroned Godhead.
surrounded by all who have in any
manner aided in dissemination Of the
Word. The fourth Of the series rep
resents Christ and the Apostles mount
ed on white steeds and careering
through space over the writhing and
PROSTATE forms Of Antichrist, Sin and
all the embodied forces Of opposition.
Other and kindred canvases cover
the walls Of the Walsh memorial gall
lery at Sewanee, to which the artist
gave most Of his output; but continu-
Gus trend of thought brings them all
into one group. Among them are in
dividual canvases, as "The Holy
Grail" the Sacrifice of Noah"
Christ and Barabbas," and THE
Shadow of a Great Rock" This last
Is a tremendous spread of canvas,
showing an exhausted Arab in the
desert, prone in the shade of a tow
ering rock (of imaginary strata) in
the foreground. The distance is arid
plain, dubiously painted. This is said
by judges to be the best of his artistic
results; though, like all the others, its
main value lies in conception, not in
handling or texture. This intent is to
realize the thought Of Isaiah, xxxii, 2,
And a man shall be as an hiding
place from. the wind and a covert
from the tempest; as rivers Of water
in a dry place, as the shadow of a
great rock a weary land"