Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-10-21

~ by the knowledge that there are
today in the print division Of the
Library of Congress more than a thou
sand photographs of works by American
mural painters. These photographs were
secured through the operation of the
copyright law and are not supposed to
cover the entire field of production. They
are however, large and very good prints.
uniformly mounted on sheets of gray
cardboard, and admirably illustrate the
development of this branch of art in
America Among the first mural paint
ings executed for a public building in this
country were two, painted by William
Morris Hunt for the New York state
capitol at Albany. These, unfortunately,
have been destroyed, but photographs OF
the original sketches, notably that for the
Horses of Night" are to be found in the
Library's collection. Those paintings
were produced in about 1876, the same
year that Trinity Church, Boston. was
decorated by John La Fargo, with an able
corps of young assistants. and from then
mntil 1892, when mural painting was
given a great impetus by the upbuldlng
of the White cty-the Columbian exposi-
ton in Chicago-no great progress was
made except in ecclesiastical decoration.
The worlds fair paintings persisted with
the buildings, but they served their end.
manifesting the value of painting thus
associated with architectural design.
The Public Library in Boston was next
decorated. and in the Library of Congress
now may be seen beautiful photographs
Of the great series Edwin A. Abbey paint
ed illustrating the legend of the Holy
Grail as we'll as SargentS marvellous
paintings of the Law and the Prophets"
and the Redemption. These are very
different in character, but each in its way
is profoundly impressive. The Abbey
decorations, as may be readily seen. are
did color and strong line give them deco
rative effect. The Sargent works are
symbolical and borrow the traditions of
Byzantium and the east.
Next in order came the decoration of
the Library of Congress. and nothing
perhaps has done more to advance the
general interest in art than this. AS in
Chicago at the time of the worlds fair,
a little band of artists came together to
try their skill, but in this instance they
knew the work was to stand. The COM
pensation was exceedingly small but each
man had the interest of the work at heart,
and though some might be able, had
they the opportunity, to return and better
the r works, they did their best, and In
many instances no better has been done.
To be sure, there are defects, but as
whole the decoration of this building may
be declared a success. How many i'm
portant decorations there are and how
much work went into them one scarcely
realizes until confronted with the facts
face to face, turning over the photographs.
1t is SO easy to become blind TO that with
which one is familiar, to cease to see that
which one sees most often. There are the
decorations by John w. Alexander, pie
turing the evolution of the Book. Edward
Simmons beautiful Muses." Walter Nc
Ewen's splendid Greek Heroes" Henry
Oliver Walkers exquisite Lyric Poetry"
Carl Melcher's Government and
Peace" and War" as well as, with
others. Kenyon Cox's Arts and
Sciences In his recently published
book. THE Classic Point of View" Mr..
Cox confesses that at the time he paint
ed these decorations he was dominated by
the influence of Puvis de Chavannes.
and therefore aimed to secure "harmoni-
cation by paleness." but that if he had
these lunettes to paint again the result,
whether better or worse. would be some
thing very different from the ghosts of
paintings" he placed there. Perhaps all
may not be sorry that Mr.. Cox has not
got these lunettes to do over-certainly
they seem to accord with their environ
ment.
The decoration of the Library of Con-
gress has had an enormous influence on
the development of mural painting. The
decoration OF the Minnesota state capitol
is directly attributable to II, and following
this came the capitol at Boston and other
public buildings i'm all parts of the coun-
try.
Photographs are found in the Library
collection of all the mural paintings in
the Massachusetts statehouse, Otis
delivering his famous speech, by Robert
Reid; Edward Simmons Battle of Con-
cord Bridge and Return Of the Flags"
Henry Oliver Walkers John Elliott