The San Francisco call., 1910-12-02
STARVATION
REWARDOF
ARTIST
Sister. of San franciscan Re-
fuses to Abandon Quest for
Il. Public Recognition !.
MOLDY CRUST OF BREAD
is ONLY FOOD IN STUDIO
Scorns to Become 'Dauber" and
Live on Payment for COm-
@merciaI. Work
.F0UND. SITTING BEFORE
PICTURE OF HERSELF
[sesa.aL Dispal.eh i. d. The Call

DHILADEI,BIIIA, Dec. - Miss
Ella Finley. .arzartisf:and sculptor
4 Of more. than LOCAL. fame, and. a
sister Of Mrs. JaSeph;F. .CdTagiaro Of
San Francisco. died today in the Mer-
man hospital Of starFation5> after. giv5
ing 80 .years:o her life 10 emulate the
example Whistler and force public
recognition more. than the public in
its selhshness was willing. 10 lavish,
Her last work. and 1T lasted for
weeks, was 10. pose before .. mirror in
her studio and paint a Wdter:acQlor of
herself, forcing the :snlile. on. her once
pretty features; that her friends might
remember her as She was.
Death Saddest in City .
The death Of Miss Finley is one of
the saddest that ever occurred in this
city Occupying a handsome studio
at 1913 Chestnut street; surrounded by
every luxury from friends 10 furniture,
hut without food. she Eabored for years
painting and moulding. inanimate clay.
into real works of art.
Twice during the last 80 years Miss
FINLEY has neared the goal of her am
Bition. This was years -ases when she
elhiblted several small pieces, both
paintings and sculpture at the local
aoadenv Of hne arts Her erorts were
praised. were sold and brought good
prices.
Then she aspired. 10 higher things re-
fusing absolutely TO become a dauioer
and as result she died. the only. eat
able tgng in her studio being a mouldy
crust of bread.
Starvation in Studio
The artist friends OF Miss Finley did
rot b-eoonie aware Of her condition until
.5ast SUNDAY when DR.. u. sChalHs faust
went ~ the studio to pay her a friendly
visit He found her sitting before the
0nfsGed painting Of herself.
IL also noticed her pallor and in
s.sted-Hpou making a professional eX-
aufration. Within three hours she had
baen sent 10 the German hospital. There
Her case was diagnosed at @peritonitis
brought on by starvation An opera
tfon was deemed necessary TO save her
life. but she was unable to rally in her
eakened condition, and died this
morning.
Miss Finley was the daughter Of
James Finley. a painter She. began the
study Of art at the academy of fine
she continued until 1898, studying
sculpture most of the time bat event
uanv was forced to give up her STUDIES
owing 10 the cost of instruction and Of
materials. It was then she took up
painting. but she was best known as
sculptor. Most Of her best. figures
being in miniature
Worked for Recognition
Until her brother. who was an Ari-
zona state senator and a wealthy mine
owner. died in 1888. life was compara-
lively easy for Miss Finley Her
brother regularly sent her q nonthly
remittance for 500. and with this she
was enabled TO follow her art.
For the last five years close friends
of Miss Finley have been endesvoring
70 get her TO give UP her art" but her
answer insriably was:
MY work viii be recognized some
time. / am working along much the
same lines as Whistler. He wasted 20
years before recognition came as was
due him. may wait longer but event
lsIly it win come"
one Of her woman artist friends en-
deavored to persuade her to enter the
commercial illustrating field. She be-
came Indignant when Informed that she
could make much money with which to
enable her to continue her higher
studies She answered the friendly
advance with:
7 would rather starve to death than
do the trash you are doing"