Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-01-09
a y exhibition of miniatures by
~ Laura coombs Hills of Boston

n y exhibition OF MINIATURES by
IN Laura Coombs Hills of Boston
SS will be opened tomorrow in the
Moore galleries, 729 18th street, with a
private view from 8 to 6 o'clock.
Miss Hills is unq~uestionab1y the lead
ing miniaturist of our day. and as a
painter of portraits she ranks with
Sargent and Cecilia Beaux,
Though the size OF a painting is by
20 means a measure OF merit, it is re-
markab1e that any one could attain
his distinction in the supposedly re-
stricted field of the m~iniaturist. The
fact is. however. that Miss Hills has
discovered new possibilities which have
widened the boundaries OF his field in
which She has worked. When she be-
gan painting miniatures she was un-
bound by traditions. and she found a
and sincere mode of expression and
one which has proved very engaging
and at the same time significant.
1t all came about very SIMPLY.
Twenty-Five years ago Miss Hills was
in London. and a young English girl.
seeing some of her work, asked her
why she did not paint miniatures. Her
ASpSF 'h> NV SHS
would like to. but 80 insistent was her
acquaintance that before returning
home she purchased several small
pieces of ivory with the purpos of ex-
perimenting. Back in her home in
Newburyport She went TO work, and
was Immediately delighted with the
new medium. Seven miniatures were
straightwey painted of as many young
girls for the purpose both of expert
mentation and exhibition. Full-iedged,
the miniaturist seems to have come
into existence. The exhibition was
most successful. arousing much inter-
est and favorable comment and pro-
curing for the painter no less than
twenty-five orders.
The style adopted then has been on
s~istently maintained and though no
doubt some progress has been made in
the years that have since passed. still
the art in his instance was by no
means a gradual evolution.
Before she began miniature painting
Miss Hills had done other kinds of art
work, such as the making of crayon
portraits. china painting. some illus
trating and a little commercial design
ing for photographers, no one of which
is considered a high road to success
and international o Each of
those was used by Miss Hills. however,
as a stepping stone to something bet
ter. an aid to proficiency. and her work
was done conscientiously and as we'll
as lay within her power. Thus, when
the right medium was found no time
was wasted, the hand was trained, the
eye ard mind alert.
Obviously all this would have meant
little had rot the artist possessed much
tslent-a real gift-but as il was she
was enabled with the least amour OF
wandering TO find her place and her
real medium.
Miss Hills way of painting miniatures
is not very different from hat en-
ploysd by all great portrait painters.
but it is broader and freer than that
used as a rule by miniaturists. 1t was
a little broader and more obvious at
first perhaps than il is now when her
art more through accomplished crafts
manship often conceals itself. Brush
strokes tina once would have been left
are now obIiterated. but with no loss
20 effect or in virility.
To begin with. Miss Hills is an ex-
celient craftsman, she draws well and
accurately: then, she has a fine and
exceptional color sense. and lastly. her
interest in her work is only equallsd
by her interest in her sttters Like
saint Gadosns, she is not one who idly
waits for an Inspiration. but works
constantly for the sheer love OF the
cork. painting from models when per-
chance there Is no order. to demand her