El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-04-23
Women Win Art Awards
In Painting and Sculpture Some of
the Worlds Best Work Is
Done by Women.
-By Frederic J. Haskfn --
n AsHINGTON. D. G. April %

/ ture, women are raDidI1- col1fT,oI u -
| tle 'front.' Considering how exceed
Ih6Iy ulIIlcult II was half a century
$50 TOT women TO secure an advanced
instruction in art, their progress has
I been remarkable
Woman Completes Abbey's Work.
me most important art award ever
gwen 10 woman is that for tho com
pietion of the mural decorations Of rbe
/ enhsy wanna state capitol a Harris
DurS which is now in the hands Of
Mss violet Oakley of Philadelphia
Inc contract for the decoration ~
| the building first was given to sir
LuWln Abbey whose death prevented
the completion of his work After a
lengthy discussion the committee in
charge awarded to Miss GA L-Iev fEe
! contract which had been begun bv All
Dey, thus practically RECOGNIZING. bar
! as the leader in American mural sr+
I or the present. Her work consists of a
lIleze OF Is panels which reDresenraT
The Founding Of the STATE Of Snfr-
ltuaI Liberty" Miss Oakley is still a
young woman. but her work ALREADY
Is recognized both in her own country
and abroad.
In Dortraiture Miss Cecilia Be3ux
won reputation in the opinion If
many critics equal to if not superior
10 any living artist. She has a scheme
absolutely her own. sometimes oh
Jected to for its its slightly impress
slonistic tendency, but wonderful in ITS
strength and spirituality. Her eNhf-
DllOn IN the Paris salon. as far back
as 1896 captivated the critics of
france and won her the honor Of
associate membership in the Societe
rationale des Beaux-Arts She re-
celVed a gold medal at the Paris eX-
position Of 1900 and has had innum-
cradle honors heaped upon her by the
different art ORGANIZATIONS of her own
land Among her best known por-
traits are those of Richard Watson
slider and his daughters; of John Paul
ID Hfann
envy az Annapolis, and "A New Eng
land Woman owned by the PhiladcI-
phia academy OF fine arts. One Of her
most interesting portraits is that of
DIT John = Billings. the present head
OF New York public library The tesri-
mate IN which Miss Beaux' work IS
held in Europe is attested by the fact
that when II was decided to present
portrait OF Dr. Billings to the library
as a testimonial from the physicians
OF Europe who had benefited by his
work. she was the only artist men
TONED in connection with the commits
sion.
Excel In Painting Women and CbfIdren
4 number Of women are well known
Tor their skill in painting mothers and
children. This is one of the avenues
1irst taken up by Miss Mary Cassatt.
a PlICSDurE artist who has spent
most of her life abroad winning an
unusual number of hOnOrs. the most
noteworthy being that of "Chevalier of
the Legion Of Honor Of France"
Specimens Of her work are to be found
in most Of the leading art collections
in this country
Miss Elizabeth Nourse is another
American girl who delights in painting
women and children although many
Of her landscapes and still life efforts
are much admired. Miss NOurse is
one Of the few women whose work
has been recognized by the French
critics TO the extent Of being pur-
chased by the government. Her pic
ture, The Closed Shutters" was pur-
chased last year fer the Luxembourg
She received a silver medal at the
Paris exposition of 1900 and has nu-
merOus other medals and hOnora bic
awards both in her own country and
abroad.
Women are finding the field Of il
luStratiOn both remunerative and in
teresting. One Of the first women to
attract especial attention in this field
was Mrs. Alice Barber Stephens OF
Philadelphia. who received a gold
medal in London in 1902. Mrs Steph-
ems has mastered the art of wood en-
craving and thus is able to execute
her own designs Jessie Wilcox Smith
and Elizabeth Shipper Green are also
well known illustrators. They both
have been especially fortunate in por-
traying child life, although Miss Green
also IS interested in sculpture and en-
craving Miss Rose O'Neil is another
illustrator who has become widely
while Alice Beach Winters. in addi-
tiOn to children. does portraits and
figure work Of unusual strength and
character.
Miniature Painting Popular.
Miniature painting is a branch of
art popular with women artists and
the American women are credited with ]
having evolved a distinctive school of |
their own 1t differs from the minia- !
ture work Of Europe IN that the paint I
is laid on heavily, after the manner |
of larger oil paintings, whereas the /
French miniaturists allow the ivory to /
show through wherever possible. ap-
plying the color with great deIicacy. /
One Of the first American miniaturists |
to receive notice abroad was Isabel L. /
Smith who was the Onlya artist in 4
Parls granted a sitting by queen VIII |
helmina, OF Holland when the little /
Dutch queen came TO purchase her
wedding trOusseau. Mrs. Smith has eN- I
hibited frequently in the different /
European and American cities. her St /
Cecilia having ben a special favOrite
Her miniature of president Mckinley
was set in diamonds and worn BY Mrs
Mckinley until her death Martha
Baxter Irene Bishop. Ethel Blanchard !
COllver, Laura Fairchild Fuller as
well as Laura Combs Hills the vice
president of the American Society Of /
Miniature Painters are among the
other well known artists who now are I
deyoting most Of their time to minia-
ture work
Americas First Woman SCULPTOR.
The first American woman TO take !
uD the sculptOr's art had almost as
hard path to tread as the pioneer I
women in the other professions. Har- Z
riet G. HOsmer whose name always !
will stand foremost among the women |
artists Of the world, was refused ad-
mittance on account of her sex. to the |
Boston Medical school where she de-
sired to study anatomy. Later she
was admitted to the classes in the
medical college of St Louis Her
father took her to Rome in 1852 in
order that she might have the fullest
opportunity to develop the talent
which he was broad minded enough
to recognize She worked under the
direction Of the distinguished English
sculptor. John Gibson copying sew
aral classic pieces for the British
thereby first securing the
OF the world TO the artistic
genius of American women. Her work 7
s known in every part of the world
The next woman to distinguish her
self in American sculpture was Winnie /
Ream HoNle. who now is engaged upon I
4 statue of governor KirkwOOd CT
Iowa, which has been ordered by that ,
state to be placed in Statuary hall in | ,
the national capitol Mrs HoNfe's first |
work was the statue Of Lincoln which I
stands in the rotrrndo 81 the CaDffOT