The San Francisco call., 1909-03-21
Art Notes
By Lucy B. Jerome

yesterday, when Prof William
Armes of Berkeley gave a most inter-
esting talk on the life and works of
Hokusai, one Of the greatest of Japan
ese artists. No worker lin art has at
tracted such universal attention as
this artist. Van Dyke. the art critic.
in his book on the four great artists of
the world names Hokusai as one of
them. He was painter and designer
of colored prints. and some of the fin
est of these have gone into the art col
lections of both Europe and America,
though today they are both rare and
costly.
The late Todd Ford of Pasadena pos
sessed one of the Hokusai prints known
as The Cock and the Hen surinomo.
wtfch he purchased from the great
COLLECTOR, Bing of Paris. for the modest
sum of $1,000.
There was a time in San Francisco
when most of the Japanese dealers
carried these prints, which couldA then
be procured for small sum, but today
there are few left and they are ex-
tremely high priced.
The art of the Japanese prints is
claimed to have had most potent in
fuence on the works of whistler and
as Whistler has been the guiding
genius of most of the artists of this
generation the art of the japanese
print may be said in a measure to have
revolutionized the art of Europe
In Dickman's studio are seen two
most interesting pictures-one in
stage of half completion. while the
other is barely begun. The larger can
vas IS marine scene and is called
Before the Storm" depicting stretch
Of sea lashed by the wind into gath
ering fury; low clouds on the horizon
and in the central foreground fish
ing smack with two burly figures haul
ing at the sail ropes. The work will
be a duplicate of the picture owned
by the Bohemian club before the fire,
and is intended to replace it.
hickman tells good story of the
time when he was painting the origi-
nal One day two ladies walked into
his studio unannounced and observing
the artist busily at work said. eve
came to see Mr.. Judson. but he isn't
there. SO we thought we'd come and
see what you are doing"
The artist answered as poIitely.as
he could that just then ne was wasting
time. but this gentle hint passed un-
noticed and they proceeded to wander
about the studio asking a number of
questions which were responded to
with what anability the irritated
painter could muster, until one of the
twain, pausing before the marine can
vas, with its dashing waves, dark
masses on cloud and indications of
tempest. pointed finger at the canvas
and demanded, What is. that?"
Dickman, unable to suppress the tart
reply, responded with urbanity. "That.
madam, is merely beautiful spring
morning in the Yosemite" This pene-
trated their wits and they did not
wait to say au revoir
Dickman is busy just now with plans
for the proper toning and coIoring of
schoolrooms and is working in unison
with Newton Tharp for the bettering
OF school conditions from an artistic
standpoint. 1t is not to be denied that
many children have suffered from a
consciousness of glaring atrocities of
color combinations without knowing
the reason why; and the scheme now
under way is to replace these crude
tones with restful and harmonious
shades in the quieter colorings.
Several schoolhouses. have been fin
ished under the joint supervision of
the architect and the artist, and the
results are entirely successful and most
beneficial to the children who have to
remain in these rooms five or six hours
every day.