Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1913-02-28

II
and really quite ito the
manner born. in spite of his
birth and his subsequent residence abroad for so
many years. created more than ripple In the
art world and showed again what strong and
representative of his era he was 1t may
be said truthfully of him that he was most
conspicuous figure in the latter part or the Sec
ond era OF the art of portraiture in America. as
Gilbert Stuart was of the first era.
Aside from the strong merits of the portraits
seen at the Art Institute their exhibition recalls
TO the writer story told him many years ago Dy
a boyish boon companion OF Mr.. Healy, the late
George Loring Brown, famous for his studies
OF atmosphere and poetical distance In landscape
and still marines as under the skies or
sunny italy. Mr. Healy. at the time OF which
speak was about twenty years of age, and Mr..
Brown a year younger. Mr. Heaiy had been
studying art in a somewhat desutory manner
about the only way in which art could be stud
led in the New England city at that early day,
and making preparations to go abroad to
enter upon his studies in an earnest way. He
had attracted the attention Of Mrs. Harrison
Gray Otis the year before that lady then being
the queen of society In Boston. He had gone to
her with a letter of Introduction, when she asked
che shy boy what she could do for him, and his
reply was, oh sit for me, Madame! | SO want
TO paint beautiful woman!" She did So and
the portrait made quite local reputation for the
boy. upon which he made arrangements to go
abroad
Mr. Brown, the constant companion of Mr..
Healy. WAS born in Boston, February 2, 1914. and
began to draw when eight years old His father
used to encourage the boy to make caricatures
OF people whom he did not like and got the boy
into many a scrape. II he drew the caricatures,
as he told me once he had trouble with the peo-
pie thus travested, and il he did not, his father
made 1t very uncomfortable for him. sending him
out ON the Back Bay in winter to cut holes in the
Zee, and fish for cells and other inhabitants of
mud and water among other things But the boy
survived 1t all, and finally went to the Franklin
school, where he won the silver medal, and at
twelve years of age was apprenticed to the IA
NOUS engrayer, Peter Farley where he learned
the art Of drawing. thoroughly, which stood him
ia such stead in hts later career.
While with Farley. who it may be remembered.
was the wood engraver who illustrated SO many
OF the school books OF century ago. the boy
experimental with colors, and when not at work
ct his engraving experimenting constantly
with colors with the result that he attracted the
attention of Isaac Rich, wealthy merchant of
that day. who day asked him banteringly
bow much he wanted to go to Europe
Zone hundred dollars!" he replied enthusiast
tcalIy displaying a wonderful ignorance of the
world
But Mr.. Rich advanced him the hundred dol
lars, and the boy began making preparations to
go.
1t was about this time that the two boys began
90 see the world opening its doors to them, and
in honor of this event, young Brown invested
dollar or two in beer and something eatable ION
4he side"-the beer portion of the menu being
considered as something almost criminal in Bos
ton in those days-and the boys made night of
1t in honor of their early departure for Europe,
and the taking up of their life work in earnest
The beer had a good deal of head" on it, and
1T gave a good deal of head to the boys, with
one result that the two future great artists soon
began to imagine themselves great already and
boasted of what they would do.
II will paint pictures of italian scenery" de-
ciared Brown, 'sand have my pictures in all the
castles OF Europe"
And T." said Healy, will paint the kings and
other notables of Europe, and have them in the
castles side by side with yours"
! did not know Mr. Healy personally but was
acquainted intimately with Mr. ESown for many
gears and have heard him many times tell how
he finally got away to Europe. He went down to
the wharves and inquired around until he found
O vessel that was ready to sail for Europe. He
did not stop to ask what part of Europe thinking
that once the other side of the water he would
nnd everything easy. A married sister gave him
d mattress, and he marched down State street to
Long Wharf with the mattress on his back, hav
lng. taken steerage passage. He found, after the
boat set SAIL that her destination was Antwerp,
almost as far from Italy as Boston itself. When
ne landed there he had twenty-five dollars left
But he had made a friend of the captain of the
wessel who lent him fifteen more and with this
amount he managed to get to London, where he
was befriended by Mr.. Cheney, the American
engraver and he began at oncekshis studies OF
italian landscape, living almost on the veSge of
starvation for nearly year, at the end Of which
time he sent q picture home to Mr.. Rich, who
sent him more money. and he continued his
studies.
A. an evidence af his conscientiousness in