The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-11-16
LECTURE ONGREATERMEAN|NG0F 0CCULT |SM|
Wide Interest in the Occult but Vague Ideas Prevalent
as to Its Real Significance Brilliant Pictures
by Grardin on Exhibition
than any of it's parts. In it's essence
it is all embracing as the universe.

it is all embracing as the universe.
Mr.. Frank Girardin, one of the best
known of the Richmond artists, who
has been in California for two years
and a half, has returned to this city
for residence and has on display in
the windows of the Starr Piano COM
pany on Main street. four striking can
vases, three of which are Western
scenes.
To those who have never visited the
Southwest. and who have not seen its
brilliant color effects, these pictures
may seem garish. But as Mr.. Girardin
says
II did not come near the reality. No
artist has or can"
Mr.. Girardin has made wonderful adj
vance in his art during his absence.
Always a vigorous colorist, with an ap-
probation of it's contrasts rather than
it's finer nuances, he readily adapted
his brush to the grandiose and sharp
ly accentuated landscape Of California
and the Southwest.
Especially is this seen in his two pic
lures painted in Arizona, Grand Can
yon,' and ''Hopie Point"
In the latter Mr.. Girardin has
achieved triumph in its way. The
subject-a detail of the Grand Canyon
is painted with an appreciation Of its
grandeur and Of it's extraordinary color
and yet preserves the latter's harmon
les and balance of values.
In perspective it is fascinating, the
blue hills in the distance marking the
horizon sharply-these hills, or noun
tains, by the way, illustrating the
translucent quality of the atmosphere
which outlines objects at tremendous
distances. the former having been ov-
err seventy miles from the spot from
which Mr.. Girardin painted them-al-
though between them and the fore
ground is mist effect caused by fall
Of rain.
The beauty of the picture lies, how
ever, in it's pictorial quality and its
preservation of values, before referred
to, and in it's exquisite sky.
In contrast is the large canvas, The
Valley of the Whitewater composed
by Mr.. Girardin from a sketch, and
which is a noticeable composition, be-
ing made up, practically, OF two pic
tures-that is there are two perfected
pictures within the one-but painted
with a clear, cool and yet vigorous use
of the medium, the clearness of the
Western atmosphere having crept into
the Indiana landscape and resulted in
an illusion of unreality. The pictorial
quality is accentuated, in fact, by this
peculiarly of handling but it gives
an impression Of the local landscape
raised to point of atmospheric clari-
ty imaginative rather than real.
On the other hand is the large pic
ture of the Grand Canyon in Arizona
as much of it as could be thrown
into one composition-whOse bizarre
color and rugged contours do not lend
themselves to pictorial effect, bat
whose translation to canvas is essay
ed by every artist who goes to that
country A strange and striking pic
ture is this Of that picturesque confor-
nation of nature-and one which is
uOI dIuoIldUlo u COIlliltIlI OI tuc Udolo
of the accepted artistic canons, but
which is a truthful transcript of
landscape in contortions-if it might
so be put.
Above all else, however, is the Won
derful and dazzling scale of color,
which. as Mr.. Girardin succinctly says,
cannot be interpreted by brush and
pigment. 1t is the wonder of all lay
men and the despair OF artists.
Perhaps the most appealing of the
group of Mr.. Girardin's pictures is the
small canvas, 'Sespee Valley" in Cal
ifornia, whose subdued harmonies are
in marked contrast to those of it's
neighboring environ. 1t is a satisfy
ing composition, dominated by tree
in the middle distance. and it's har-
mony OF light and shadow give it a
magnetic quality not possessed by the
others of the group.
MIR. Girardin, while in the West,
painted four canvasses for the Santa
Fee railroad, which, with those by 9th
err artists, will be exhibited in this
country and in Europe.