The Washington times., 1914-05-29
BY MRS. MARIETTA MINNIE.
GERODE ANDREWS.

Except as a home-rnaker, in which
field she has always led, woman's
work in ell human activities has
heretofore been secondary. II has
been by indirect influence. as a
source Of inspiration. as a strong
second. as the power behind the
throne, that she has done her part
in the making of history. She has
been the complement Of her male
companion; he in the limelight, she
in the background.
This is true In art, as in every
other vocation. The value OF her
services can hardly be estimated
Mani far-reaching acts OF states
manship have been due to woman 8
shrewd intuition, which outruns mas
culine logic. Many brilliant achieve
ments in science or letters are due
to feminine tact and to that extraor-
dinary maternal care shown by COM
monplace women for phenomenal
men. Much progress has been pro-
voked by the mere presence OF won1-
an and come reforms have been
accomplished through her instru-
mentality by the dear old wheedlfng
process.
Perhaps In poetry, music, and paint
ing her influence has been most
strongly felt, since the affections
and the romantic instincts are in
tegral parts Of these highly emotion
al arts. It seems trite to say so,
but a woman's sympathy often gets
a mans very best work out of him
Columbus needed Queen Isabella;
Dante. Petrprch, Michael Angelo,
Beethoven. Liszt Wagner, Brown
ing, Stevenson. and many others
have drawn their inspirations from
their loves.
Plays Important Part.
whese would George Romney have
been without the Inspiration OF Lady
Hamilton's fascinating personality,
a charm which moved profoundly q
far greater man than Romney; Ho-
ratio Nelson, hero and Christian
gentleman, who found, IN her quick
comprehension, an element alto
gether lacking in his courageous life.
The nation he served has recognized
this In spite of the sad regularity of
their friendship, for her portrait
painted by Romney hangs side by
side with Nelson's in the National
Lady Hamilton, born Emma Lyons,
noted for her beauty and her friend
ship with Lord Nelson"
1t is doubtful II any mans best work
is delivered to the world without some
womans help, and many a master
piece might be credited to the unac-
knowledged tenderness Of some OBJ
scure woman. So far woman's best
work has been done indirectly as
the sympathetic, silent partner of
the man.
On the eve of a readjustment of
this time-honored and, in many re-
spects, lovely relationship. II Is in
teresting to consider what woman's
actual achievements have been in
public and professional services. We
are invited to consider her work in
the field Of art
So Ear she has played a minor part.
Subject to continual interruption,
which Marion Hudson wisely says
means mental integration, and handi-
capped by inexperience and lack of
intellectual discipline which will con-
tinue as long as parents say, I'VE
would like, of course, to educate our
daughter. but we must spend the
money on our SON"
Woman has hardly made herself
felt in the great art world. Through
''the arches of the years only few
OF the sect are seen in Bold relief.
vitality OF Art Study.
When Paul Delaroche, early in the
last century. painted his great hemi-
cycle for the Paris Ecole des Beau
Arts, a color study of which Is in
the Walters Gallery. in Baltimore.
he placed no women in those glor-
ious ranks. 1t is, however, signifi-
cant that the allegorical figure of
Fame is portrayed as woman,
and also the architecture OF the
Greek, Gothic. Roman, and Rennais-
sance periods. are represented by
female figures; five female figures
in the center Of the decorations
standing for five ideals.
From the work of Vigee le Brun
and Angelica Kaufman, the world
had at that time too little perspec-
tive. should call these women
graceful and accomplished painters,
il not truly great. Rosa Bonheur,
fuli Of mower and originality. came
a generation or so later. Posterity
has recognized very few women