Evening journal., 1912-03-01
WOULD SAVE
PYLE PICTURES
Friends Of Dead Artist Want
His Collection to Stay
Here
TO SHOW PAINTINGS
In CITY THIS MONTH

Howard Pyles original paintings, to
be held in the Assembly Room of the
DUPONT Building, on March 13 and IA,
VIII give the people OF Wilmington
rare opportunity to see the works of
their world-famOus townsman. To
those who have known Howard Pyle's
pictures only from the printed page,
the wealth of coloring, delicacy of de-
TAIL and living, breathing quality Of
the originals will be a revelation. The
exhibition will be free, and will be
open from o'clock in the afternoon
continuing through the evening OH
both days. The chief purpose in held
ing this exhibit is to awaken interest
in the work of the great artist, that
sufficient fund may be obtained
from private subscriptions to pur-
chase this collection of Mr.. Pyle's
paintings and present them to the
city of Wilmington.
Many offers for Mr.. Pyles paintings
have been received from other places.
but friends Of Mr. Pyle say it would
be pity for Wilmington to let other
cities have these paintings of her fam
Gus artist.
Wilmington has been already criti-
cized for permitting the Boston Public
Library to take away from her
famous collection Of Pyle colonial il
Illustrations.
That his paintings should be kept
together in one main collection was
desire frequently expressed by Mr..
Pyle i'm his life time His friends hope
that Wilmington will not allow them
TO be scattered in the hands Of indi-
vidual purchasers.
The plan proposed by number Of
artists Of turning Howard Pyle's
studio into a permanent museum for
exhibiting his pictures, is not found
10 be practical. since the studio
building is not fre-prOOf. and the
valuable contents might be destroyed.
A wing in a new public library build
ing-possibly the suggested Carnegie
Library-which will be an art gallery
for the Pyle collection is plan that
seems most desirable.
Subscriptions TO the fund for pur-
chasing the collection are earnestly
requested, and may be sent to tho
treasurer. George p Bissell.
Tho committee arranging for the
exhibit are Mrs. Charles Copeland,
Frank b. SchoonOver and Stanley NJ.
Arthurs.
The printers art did less Justice 10
Howard Pyle S paintings than to those
iOf many Of his contemporaries, for
unlike most illustrators, Mr.. Pyle re-
fused TO pay moro than a moderate
attention 10 the question. How will
it nrint?" This attitude i'm demanding
that the printer should come up TO
him instead Of his descending TO the
limitations Of printing has been one Of
the greatest factors in developing
picture reproduction from the crude
processes prevalent quarter of a
century ago, TO the high achievements
of today.
One Of the most beautiful series Of
pictures i'm the coming exhibit. "The
Search OF the Soul for Truth" was
given up i'm despair i'm its original
form, by Harpers, as beyond the
power of the printer
Howard Pyle was averse to sending
his pictures TO art exhibitions, and
for the most part when the originals
We're returned to him from the pub
fishers. stored them up in his studio
and homo, purposing to keep them
together i'm a permanent collection.
The original painting for this years
DUPONT calendar. which was painted
hy Mr.. Pyle in Italy, will be of gem
cral interest.
There are a number Of pirate pic
lures. the type of swashbuckler in
vented by Howard Pyle being now the
standard adopted by most illustrators
Mr.. Pyle originated the accepted type
Cor number of characters. such as
the costuming of Robin Hood and his
la fhn n1 r,ffa
lures a period which as descendant
Of an old Delaware family appealed
strongly TO the artist. there is unri-
rallied historical accuracy and charm.
In speaking of interesting features
of the exhibit, ii will be timely TO
refer TO Frank =. SchOOnOver's state
ment TO the pupils of Friends School
rs to what they should see in How
ard Pyle's pictures. Mr.. SchOonOver
spoke of Mr.. Pyle's power of showing
texture, to make leather look like
leather, steel like steel, flesh like
flesh, which gave reality to his pic
lures other pictures, said Mr. SchOon-
over show Mr. Pyle's ability to make
a scene that happened 900 years ago,
which he never saw, as real as II il
were something they actually saw. He
said Mr.. Pyle could treasure up the
memory of a torn button-hole and at
some time use it to make a certain
character life-like.
Mr.. Schoonover said that those wh)
wondered sometimes why Mr.. Pyle
had not put in a prettier girl in a
picture. should remember that the
artist was disregarding mere pretti-
ness to teach some deeper lesson of
life He said that although Howard
Pyle used models and costumes, he
was not dependent upon them. For in
stance, denim curtain acted as model
for brocaded velvet hangings, while he
used the same model for every pos
sible type of man.
Mr.. SchoonOver also called attention
TO the fact that Mr.. Pyle did not spoil
story for a reader by picturing its
climax, but rather chose some Incl
dent that was a story in itself
Mr.. Pyle's treatment of a gruesome
subject is interestingly shown in this
months HaIper's, where he has in the
frontispiece, murdered man. Mr.
Pyle docs not repel the observer with
n brutal showing of the crushed-in
head. but the arm over the face. with
a slight trickle of red underneath