Los Angeles herald., 1910-10-09
Art Notes
BY ELIZABETH wAGGoNER

Among the canvases submitted for
the coming exhibition Of paintings by
American artists, opening at the Chi
cago Art institute on October IS, are
three splendid canvases by William
Wendt-California landscapes-such as
have won distinction for the painter in
many collections Of the best our coun-
try has to offer in contemporaneous
art. Mr.. Wendt's work is even bet
ter known in Chicago than in this,
the land of his adoption, as many of
his important canvases are sent east
as soon as completed, as were the i'm
portant decorative panels recently
painted by Mr.. Wendt for the home
of William F. Tempel. In writing Of
! these panels, Lena MaCauley of the
Chicago Post says: ITO one looking
back on the. artists painting of Cali
fornia it seems possible to compare
these favorably with the splendid can
vases which have hung in the Art In
stitute exhibitions. The painting of the
panels has been executed with degree
of finish usually reserved for easel
pictures, and the color which is to
give them distinction as decorations is
so harmoniously distributed that the
impression of brilliant sunlight and an
out of doors airiness and atmosphere
is prevailing. Mr.. Wendt painted un-
der favorable conditions, which
brought forth striking interpretations
of California landscape. He had q
subject after his own heart and pa
tron whose enthusiasm was stimulat-
ing. The sublimity Of the lofty noun
tains and vast sweeps of country has
been tempered with an idealism kim
dred to the refinement of the paint
ings Of Alfred East. Heretofore a
ruggedness and savage loneliness were
qualities to be met In Mr.. Wendt's
p{Enk kf.,r 81
oaks on the hillsides or rocks on the
coast or sunbeaten sand dunes. but
by the subtle introduction of a few
figures and glimpses Of roofs the
spell is changed from the epic to lyric
beauty"
The Chicago Record Herald also
makes mention of these notable paint
ings in the art notes of Maude 1. G. Oil
yer, who says "It Is always q pleasure
to hear from former sons of Chicago in
regard to their achievements. Especial
ly gratifying Is 1t to learn of their in
stalling work here in the city. William
Wendt, who in recent years considers
himself more of a Californian than a
Chicago man. is painting a series of
mural panels depicting his beloved Pa
cific coast for the new residence of
William F. Tempel.
In the two examples already complet-
ed Mr.. Wendt has taken as serious a
viewpoint as in his easel pictures. To-
gether with the sense that they are in
nately sincere, one has the feeling in
them of refreshing lightness and gay
ETY.. The little woodland spriteS beneath
the trees bestow sympathetic note in
the landscape. The coloring, which is
restrained yet distinctive, the atmos-
phere and the admirable unity of COM
position continue to make these two
canvases exceptionally successful dec
orations. If the other two are as happy
in picture quality, the series will leave
little to be desired.
The classes at the Art Students
league will resume work on Monday
morning, after a two weeks enforced
vacation during the progress of i'm
provements which make this studio
one of the best equipped for it's pur-
pose of any to be found among the
art schools of this country or Europe.
The eminent portrait painter, Sey-
mour Thomas, has been a recent guest
in the city. returning last week to his
studio in New York.
Miss Jessie Washburn is sketching
at Laguna Beach, and reports the dis
covery OF many particularly paintable
bits Of land and sea.
The members of the Alumni society
Of the college of fine arts U. S. c..
enjoyed a reunion at the home of
Alma May Cook on Saturday after
noon, after a summer which many
members of the association had spent
in travel in various parts of the world.
The enthusiasm brought to the gath
ering by these returned wanderers re-
suited in the outlining of a series of
programs on art subjects as a feature
of the meetings for the coming year.
Upon turning over the guidance of the
association to the newly elected pres
ident, Miss Cook was presented by the
members of the alumni with a beau
tiful book in recognition of her splen-
did services in maintaining the or
ganization and fostering the college
spirit of her alma mater.
In the recent death of Winslow Ho-
mer America loses one Of her greatest
masters in art. The famous painter
died on September 20, at the age Of IA,
at the Scarborough studio where he
had lived the life Of recluse for sew
eral years. Living from childhood on
the New England coast, the name of
Winslow Homer will always. be asso-
ciated with his paintings of the sea.
such as the Fog Off the Banks"
High Seas" "Undertow'' and the Life
Line" practically all painted during
the last twenty-five years of his life.
His first notable successes, however,