Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1910-09-12
FEW CAN SEE
ACTUAL COLOR
In All Objects in Nature Says
Ernest BIumenschein
the Artist
DISCUSSES MUSEUM PICTURES
Noted Portrait Painter Warmly
Praises MIR. Lotave's
Work.


able to appreciate the existence of
actual color in all objects in nature
but there are millions and millions of
people who think they are capable of
such appreciation, and their criticisms
of the work of real artists are enough
to drive wielders of the brush to wish
to commit homicide. Color perception
is entirely matter of cultivation and
persons beyond a certain age, even
beyond middle age, are just as un-
likely ever to get their cultivation as
they would be to acquire fine tech
nique in playing a piano. The power
to distinguish color should be develop
ed In early childhood SO that like
speaking or reading, it would seem
perfectly natural
Thus spoke Ernest l.. Blumenschein,
of New York Cit" a noted portrait
painted, who spent six years in Paris
studying art and who was in Santa Fe
Saturday as the guest of Clinton ].
Crandall
Mr. Blumenschein has been spend
ing several weeks at Taos expressing
his appreciation CT color, artistically
using the brush with Indians as SUBJ
jects. He has gone to the Duke City
where he will paint portrait of res
ident of that city and later he will go
back to Taos.
Possessing an athletic frame, keen
eyes which show a power of percep.
tion of more things than color, and his
face beaming with the enthusiasm OF
man does good work and takes de-
light therein, Mr.. Blumenschein pre-
sents striking appearance. He has
travelled widely and in company with
great writer's, whose thoughts he has
| illumined with very clever sketches
| for such noted magazines as Scrib-
ners, Harpers and others. Mr.. Blum
enschein, the artist, has observed
| just as his literary companions have
observed and his views on what the
average man knows about art are
therefore all the more interesting.
"You do not think then tnat it is an
easy thing to criticize work of art
intelligentIy-to see the relation OF
light and shade-to distinguish be-
tween shade and shadow-to grasp
the analysis and decomposition OF
light-to really appreciate the var
iations of color?" was asked.
Color blindness"
mo, do not think that one person
in ten is so cultivated as 10 appre-
ciate color. Mind, I do rot mean to as
sert that ninety per cent of humans
are color blind, as that term is cor
rectly used This inability to preceive
i certain colors should not be confused
with color blindness, which is dis
ease or freak of nature. And by the
way, disease which can rarely be
cured. What | refer to is simply
color ignorance which can be over
come by study no doubt, as any other
lack of perception can, just as atten-
tion Is given to it. But do not be-
lieve that men past middle age, al
though very clever, can acquire this
perception.
Now as a result of this color ig-
norance we find people all over the
country displaying their ignorance
criticising colors in paintings, colors
which they do not see in real life"
you mean that man with good
eyes can tell, for instance, the differ
ence between bright green and bright
blue but might be totally innocent of
any difference between a DIuish green
or a greenish blue?" was asked
That's it. And there is another
thing to remember and that is in
painting nature, the colors are con-
stantly changing before the artists
eyes. Why, he may see ten colors in
the mountains in an hour OF two.
Hence it would be folly to say to an
artist you have not painted the color
OF the mountains as now see it. :"
| Scouts Potential" Theory.
do you think every man, woman
and child, is actually or potentially an
art critic?" was asked.
Here Mr.. Blumenschein looked as
though he were about to use short
and ugly word but he simply said in
reply: Il would like to shoot the man
who could advance such theory. 1t
is too absurd to discuss"
what do you think of the colors of
New Mexico's skies and landscapes?"
was asked.
"They are the artists delight, his
heaven. Such wonderful violets, such
deep, rich green's, such colors as are
rarely seen are his to enjoy in New
Mexico Surely there should be many
an artist colony in this new state, re-
sulting in work that will make others
from far away see this land Of won
der"
Praises Palace Paintings.
Discussing the paintings in the Rito
de los Frijoles room and Puye room
in the Old Palace the New York art
| ist said:
First of all, they are admirably
suited to their adobe surroundings.
|, They bring out the character and at
mosphere of New Mexican scenery. |
spent some time viewing these pic