The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1909-05-05


With the advent of Benjamin West
we like to date the beginning of Penn
sylvania's art. West, born at Spring
field, Pennsylvania, manufactured his
first paint brush from his cats fur and
learned to mix paint from Cherokee In
dians. After painting portraits in Phil
adelphia and studying in Italy, he set
tied permanently in England where he
became founder and second president
of the Royal Academy of Art, London;
the court painter of King George III
also the master of many pupils who be-
came famous. His first Pennsylvania
pupil, Matthew Pratt, preserved this
master in his picture, "The American
School," Another Pennsylvania pupil
was Rembrandt Peale, celebrated for
his portrait of Washington, purchased
by Congress in 1923, of which Chief
Justice Marshall said "More Washing
ington, himself, than any portrait I
have ever seen." The works of West
number about three thousand, largely
historical subjects, the most famous of
which is ''The Death OF General Wolfe"
At this time, the artists robed their
characters in conventional Greek or
Roman costumes for dignity, regardless
of time or country, but West disregarded
this custom by painting Wolfe in his
actual apparel. Sir Joshua Reynolds
said of this painting, 81 foresee that this
picture will not only become one of the
most popular but will occasion a revo-
luton in art" Since Vests time his
torical pictures have been painted true
to their times in every detail.
In more modern times we are proud
to claim such a parsonage as Edwin
Austin Abbey. Abbey, born and edu
Gated in Philadelphia, took his first po-
stion with Harper & Brothers, where
such men as Howard Pyle, Pennsylva-
MAS great illustrator, and Joseph Pennel,
her great etcher, shaped his talent. Re-
ceiving commission to illustrate the
Herrick poems, Abbey went to England
for tirst-hand knowledge became fasci
mated with that country, and made it his
home. When chosen as one of three to
decorate the Boston Public Library, he
selected for his theme 'The Quest for
the Holy Grail" The merit of this
series brought him such marked honor
that King Edward asked him to paint
his coronation scene. Thus two Penn
sylvanians were signally honored by
England's Kings above English artists.
Pennsylvania next commissioned him to
execute the mural decorations for her
new capitol. Such familiar Pennsylva-
nian illustrators assisted him as Jessie
Wilcox Smith, whose series of ''Mother' s
Love" is well known to everyone Eliz-
abeth Greene and Alice Barber Stephens,
whose illustrations occur almost without
interruption in Harper's Magazine.
One would suppose the clang of in
dustrial Pittsburg would develop a siren
uous type of artist, but John White
Alexander is poetical in grace and feel
ing. There hangs in Luxembourg Mu-
scum, in Paris, his picture of very
beautiful woman arranging ribbon in
her hair, entitled "Green Bow" Its
coloring and manner of painting differ
from every other picture in that gallery
of wonderful productions. His flowing
lines in the Portrait of Miss B" and
MRS. Wheaton, distinguish him as a
portrait painter. We consider it high
honor to be recognized by ones own
people, and Alexander attained this
when asked to decorate Carnegie Insti-
tute. He chose for his theme "The
Drowning of Labor" or the allegorical
picture of the Pittsburg men working at
their furnaces, forges and mines, which
have made their city great. BY this his
fame as mural painter was we'll estab-
lished, but even more so by his six ia
nous panels in the Library of Congress,
portraying the. Evolution of the Book, +"
Unlike any other State, Pennsylvania
numbers among her artists negro,
Henry o. Tanner. Born and educated
in her domains, he now resides in Paris.
His pictures, characteristic of deep re-
ligious feeling, are usually of oriental
scenes, and his fame rests in the strength
with which he portrays the human face,
His wonderful Resurrection of Laza.
rus" was purchased by the French Gov
ernment for the Luxembourg Museum
Besides many skilled men in the pro-
fession, we have numerous feminine
geniuses, such as Miss Emily Sartain
whom our government sent to Paris in
1900 as their official delegate to the In
ternational Congress on Instruction ir
Drawing, and whose work in mezzo.
tint engraving, etching and portrait
painting is unassailable.
The artist now coming before the
world is Miss Mary Cassat, who recently
held successful exhibition in Paris, and
expects to hold another shortly, in Bos,
ton. She portrays human flesh surpris,
ingly well. Lastly, Miss Cecilia Beaux,
one of the worlds foremost women ar