The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-11-07
Among the Books
mThc plgresslon. OF ".


Ely Elihu Vedder. Houghton, Mlfiln
&: Company, of Boston. IS net.
The pleasant intimacy and cot1tden-
tail tone of an autobiography written
by great American painter. will BIZ
indicated in the following extrac.
from the introduction of the book, In
which Mr.. vedder says:
II have beea asked SO often by my
friends this question. Why don't you
write all these thingsY that I have
finally concluded to satisfy that which
on their part is only good old fash
Toned curiosity, by an exhibition on my
part OF good old-fashioned vanity; and
so, not to keep them waiting. | VIII
say at once that I have always do.
plored my lack Of Boswell, my ex.
perience being that full many spark
of wit Is struck to flash unseen, and
waste It's brllliance on the family air.
edIy called the family's attention tn
Is negligence in this respect. But
suppose the Boswell. had I a Boswell.
should slowly absorb me. as good old
DR. Johnson was absorbed by the org.
nal Boswell? or suppose I should be
like the block OF marble in Michel
angeles sonnet, The more the marble
wastes. the more the statue grows.
and the statue should turn out to be
eLiie w me UloI Il.
Is clear, be your own Boswell, so that
II anything is to be absorbed it viii
remain on the premises
''At one time thought 1t would be
not only honest, but advisable. to warn
the reader OF what he was not to cx
pect. such as. when travelling. extracts
from Murray. or. on mentioning n
great man. an account of his period,
or estimates OF the comparative merit
of dead and living artists; but / found
that the plan was iinpracticable. Ii is
too much on the order OF What you
don't know would fill large volume
and gave 1t UP"
A delightful phase of Mr.. Fedder's
book is that which touches upon his
association with such famous people
as walt whitman. Charlotte Cushman.
Ole Bull. Artemus ward. Bayard Tay-
lor. w. n. Rinehart, John In Fargo.
walter Savage Lander and others. He
describes a visit paid by him and the
artist William Hunt, to Ralp', Waldo
Emerson, at Concord. Mass, In which
ne speaks OF Emerson as being all that
was most sweet and gracious. though
both friends felt aggrieved over a
criticism made BY Emerson In regard
to American artists going to Europe.
Mature being the same on the banks
of the Kennebec as on the banks OF
the Tiber."
Mr. vedder's book is designated by
him as 'Digressions" But though i:
embodies many of his experiences az
traveller. with trenchant observations
on people and things the autob!ogra-
ply is primarily that Of painter. In
II there are many of what ne calls
his "prattlings on art and numerous
accounts OF his experiences in the
Partisan art schools and his tribula-
lions with models. OF his painting land
scapes surrounded by a grlnn.ne
crowd and hearing their unnatter!ne
comments, or perchance attended by q
solitary boy with bad cold in Hill
head, munching an apple and OF hi.
transferring his allegiance from one
style" TO another. 1t will give the
average reader a truer glimpse OF {
painters difficulties and methods. anc
at the same time appeal to other art.
lists through its veracity and insight.
Like ths average number OF grea
artists. Elinu vcdder underwent year!
OF poverty and self-denial before com
ing into his present estate. In refer
ring 10 the trials OF has art SUDDEN
days In Paris. he writes:
.If the Bohemian ! belonged to II
Paris had heen divided into classes.
think could have been returned q.
a member for Upper Bohemia. No
that / was proud or rieh-on the con
trary. I was poor: but had washer
woman and ] paid he, bills. Their.
were those who did not pay Their bills
but they all meant to--except one. HI
II was who on leaving Paris for home
Haid, as the cars moved from the sta
ton: BY Jove. I've forgotten on,
thing! I've forgotten to get trustee
for package of cigars. However
he turned over new leaf on reaching
home. gave UP art, and mas become
very successful business man."
ASde from the literary charm OF
Eiihu vsddeT's 1.-THE Digressions OF W
the book is masterpiece OF the print
er's art. 1t IL lavishly illustrated from
: hundreds OF reproductions OF Mrs. We'd
6ers paintings and sketches, used boil
as fun page illustrations and as text.
cuts in such a way as not only to EN-
bellish. but actually to illustrate the
text. There are four full page cuts ir
color: but tho majority are carefully
reproduced and printed with the tex
upon the tex paper in such way as
to blend with remarkable harmony
with the text Itself Another interest
Ing feature of the book are the poetic
Ealf-titles. written and embellished by
the author himself, which precede thu
chapters. In addition to this, Mr.. We'd
der has made for this book. as for his
very successful illustrated edition o,
the "Rubaiyat" OF Omar Khayyam, de
signs for the cover, for the end papers
hcadpieces md tail-pieces. so it Is. ir
short, the complete expression of one
of the most interesting personalities
of the time.
In approaching the importance Of
Elihu vedder's 1.-THE Digressions Of W
1T is we'll 10 remember that he stands
~, Il, of A nj INT avg
He is an aca-icmician of forty-fvcyears
standing In the National Academy o:
Design. a member Of the Society o.
American Artists and of the American
Society of Mural Decorators. Five o.
the decorative panels in the Washing.
ton Congressional Library and the
mosaic Minerva there are his work.
"NIemories and Impressions OF Helena
Modjesla."
An autobiography. The Macmillan
Company, of New York 81.