El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-04-08
MINIATURE PAINTING
HOW ARTIST ONCE SETTLED LOVERS QUARREL

I with Limitation of the size of minia-
lures.
The London Royal Academy of Min
iature Painters will admit to its ex-
hibitiOns any work of art done in min
| iature style on a piece of ivory, regard
less of the size. but on veIlum the size
is limited to seven by five inches. OF
course in pictures of this size the ar
fist is forced TO work with the aid of
magnifying glasses
Objects of Sentiment
Miniatures are objects of Sentiment
and as such. many interesting stories
are told by artists of their subjects and
some of the incidents in connection with
sittings.
One of the most amusing of these
is related by Allyn Williams, president
of the Royal Society of Miniature
Painters of London. who is now in
America There came to Mr.. Williams
London studio one day an attractive
young woman who. after showing con-
siderable embarrassment, drew from her
handbag a photograph of a man and
asked the artist if he would paint her a
miniature from it, Mr.. Williams said
that he would niue hprefer that the man
come for a sitting, but in confusion the
customer finally said that he had gone
on a journey and would not return for
accepted the commission.
The following day a young man came
into the studio and TO the artists sur
prise he recognized in him the subject
of the photograph brought by the girl
the day before. His establishment was
even greater, however, when the man
brought out a photograph OF the Wis
ftor of the day before and asked to
have q miniature made from it.
in he CT a6
but the man said that it would be i'm
possible as the young lady was dead
and that the miniature was to be q
memento- The artist was for a mo-
ment On-plussed. He was not sure
whether his customer of the day before
had really died, or whether the new Gus
toner was merely more skilful at Iy-
ing 1t was easy to settle this ques-
ton however. How long has the
young lady been dead2" asked Mr.. VIII
liams. ooh. nearly a year." answered
the stranger with solemnity-
Williams accepted the commission, in
the meantime studying the face of his
visitor so that he might be aided in
executing his earlier commission.
Settles Lovers Quarrel.
a few days later the young woman
called again, and the artist was able to
have a sitting, quite unknown to the
subject, while they both discussed the
progress being made on the mans
miniature At last both works of art
were finished and the artist realizing
that he was witnessing lovers quar-
rel, decided to try to bring the two to-
gether
He packed the miniature of the man
with the bin for the lady's. and sent IL
TO him, and then sent the painting of
the lady with her bill for the mans
picture TO her. Then he sat and waited
for results. The following morning
both customers came into the studio
paid their bills without a word of ex-
PLANTATION or inquiry. and marched out
together. Thus was the romantic
power OF the miniature demonstrated.
New Fad In Giniatures
Recently new fad in miniatures has
sprung up-that of painting eyes in
little" Mrs, George Gould recently ,
commissioned this same English artist.
Allyn Williams, to paint her eyes and
those of her little daughter, to be set
as medallions in cuff links for her
husband One eye of the daughter and
one of the wife are on EACH cuff but
ton, 1t is a novel idea and has been
]. Pierpont Morgan owns one of the
finest collections of miniatures in the
world A short time ago he commits
stoned a great English expert DR.. G. |
- u IudkG CdJdlOS OF |
tenn. OF this catalog only 90 copies |
were printed, and these were hand |
colored- They are among the hand |
soonest works of art ever issued. One
set, three volumes, was presented by |
Mr. Morgan TO the library of congress |
in Washington, another TO the Metro |
politan Museum in New York, and |
third 10 the British Museum
Miniatures are ordinarily signed by |
the artist on the front of the picture, |
but Richard Cosway, whose works are |
zealOusly sought out by all collectors |
is said to have signed only one of his |
paintings on the face, all the others /
being somewhat deliberately signed on \
the back COsways miniatures are US /
ually distinguishable by the ultra-ma- 1
rine or Antwerp blue which he used to \
such splendid advantage
High Priced Work
Miniature painters who have ACQUIRED
some degree of reputation charge from
$500 to $4,000 for executing an order
for a miniature portrait. From two
lays to three weeks time is required
for each portrait. So popular have
miniatures become .ssince their revival.
hat almost every city has one or more !
painters who depend for their Uyeli-
hood upon orders for portraits on ivory
In England even more than in
America, the miniature painter is re-
gaining the place which he occupied
before the Photographic camera for the
line being eclipsed his star
Tomorrow-Peculiar Patents.