The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1916-09-29
ARTIST OUT
OF ASYLUM,
NOW HAPPY
Famous BlakelOck Is
Given New Studio
BY Friends
SEEMS TO REGAIN
HIS ART SENSE
Trip Thru Mountains
Inspires New Energy
In Painter

In the little one-room bungalow
studio down among the apple trees
Mt the foot OF the garden al Lyn-
wood lodge the private sanitarium
OF Or Andrew Linn Nelden. a, Eng,
lewood. y j., Ralph Albert Blake.
lock. for the last II years confined
in the Middletown State hospital for
the Insane, is happy Mrs Van
Rensselaer, Adams. the woman who
discovered that the famous Ameri.
can landscape painter WAS still ar.
iistically sane. founded the Blake.
lock fund Incorporated and res.
cued him on six months parole is.
sued by the state OF New York. fur
nishcd the studio with rare taste
In the quietest corner OF the es-
tate with tombardy poplars. Occl-
dental plane trees and fruit trees all
about the studio looks out across
the valley toward the western
heights ~ the Palisades The room
Is is by 26 feet, with a skylght eight
by ten. a concert grand piano, an
ample hammock easel. wicker fur
niture. and bic inclosed porch out.
side In this spot the artist. In his
siKtyninth year Is 20 De -uncon
scious OF supervision. hut closely
Dr Maurice G. Ashley. superin-
tendent OF the Mlddlctown hospital
who accom- painted the artist and Mrs
Adams from the institution when
she went TO Middletown 70 bring
him forth 20 practical freedom, says
that nlakelock rs artistically sane.
and tho he NAV never be- mentally
normal. ne is so near IL that he
will respond 10 greater freedom
safely and happily That h.~-aEt
sens" Is normal was shown when. in
the parlor car as IL swept down
,hru the Ramapo mountains and
along the edge OF the Ramapo river
from Middletown his face began 20
Hight mp A. the wonderful September
landscapes. the purple shades Of tho
SchwanEunk and Ramapo ranges
and the blotches OF yellow golden
rod scarlet cardinal flowers and the
deep greens of the laurel and can
dlebcrry clumps as seen from the
car windows
Wizened, gauut, with a face Ike
cameo Tho top Of his head reaching
not more than 20 tho shoulder OF
Dr. Ashley. m, artist. looked like -
very trau bi' 81 old IVORY carving.
but as the train swept farther and
farther from Middletown and the
rosy tinge ~ artistic excitement
crept into his face b. looked any
thing but an impotout old man who
had painted his last picture.
when get back with the old
artistic crowd and take up my worh
I'm earnest and begin going out 10
dinners with Harry Watrous, Thorn
as n. Clarke AMI the others, shall
put on weight, and the years viii
roll on my shoulders, he said hope
fully
Going by auto from Paterson TO
Englewood over beautiful roads
thru picturesque villages he was as
enthusiastic az a child. turning TO
watch the figure Of girl in canoe
among lily pads on the Passaic riv-
or and gong into raptures over the
slow turning OF the great water
wheel In an old mill at Arcola-
At the stately entrance OF Lyn-
wood lodge he stepped blithely out
OF the auto and ran up the steps TO
make courtly. old-fashioned bow
20 nurse who stood smiling Just
inside the screen door but. his eye
catching the glory OF the sun set
ting In cloud banks OF old rose I'm
the western sky. he stood trans.
fixed In the big room they had fur.
nlshed for him upstairs with the
money raised by artists and art low.
ere. he smiled. wet-eyed, when he
saw among copies Of Corots. item.
brandts and Millets the little win
ter Landscape that he had painted
on paper in the asylum, and which
proved 10 Harry Watrous that his
hand had not lost its artistic Gun.
ming
And then they enticed him down
under the apple and pear trees to
the corner OF the garden where n
little bungalow studio had been fur
nished for him. They did not tell
him that III was his until they had
drawn him into the room done In
olive green, cream and old ivory,
and he admired g. Then emotion
q,iite overcame him, and, going up
10 the piano. he sat down and be
gan playing Hungarian rhapsody
20 express his Joy and appreciation
II ended with a very sad and touch