El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-11-21

Ne OF the most interesting ex-
hibits that it has been my good
~ fortune TO attend was the
private view OF Edwin H Blash-
fields mural painting, Westward Ho.
in New York city a Few years ago
This painting had been made 10 deco
rate the walls Of the state capitol OF
Iowa. and. before the painting was
shipped- Mr.. Blashfield had the gallery
in which it was made, opened for TWO
davs 10 his fellow artist friends and
the students Of the Art league, the
chase school, Cooper Union and the
Academy OF Design. The distinctive
feature Of this exhibit was not so lluch
me mural painting itself. splenold as
il was. but the display with II; OF tne
vast amount OF preliminary sketches,
showing the development OF the pant
er's idea and the great amount OF worh
and study by which he perfected tle
Ii is OF this preliminary work that
this article Will deal Mural painting
must be primarily decorative ma
is its chief function Therefore wnile
to be good it must be individuallstic
and impressionistic and freshly ana
spontaneously painted yet the artist
must in its conception devote a very
great amount OF thought TO the COM
nOE1rHOn-
figures in decorative balance, the
masses of darks and lights ana the
combination of harmonious colors, De
cause the mural painting 10 carry out
its essential function must PROVIDE
harmonious and pleasing decoration
within a given space Nhetner II JeilS
a story or not. il must be pleasing TO
the eve as masses Of color
Mural AIIegOry-
Now this mural OF Mr. BlaShfield
is an aIlegory and represents prairie
schooner OF the old Pixies Peak or
Bust kind. drawn by oxen starting our
on the trail for the unknown west. IA
the WAGON seat is the pioneer mother
with her young baby nesting in her
arms Beside the oxen walk the young
men of the party Ahead, the dangers
that the pioneers are facing are sug-
geSted by the barren sun blazed prairie
and the bleaching bones OF animals
along the trail ahead. The plenty OF
the land they are leaving, Is shown by
the high stalks OF corn behind the rear
Of the wagon and the reapers thaI are
bidding the pioneers God Speed \
very luminous cloud OF dust is realis-
ticaIly depicted, through which the
heat Of the sun vibrates IN a Won
derful way. This dust above the oxen
shapes itself into the allegorical figures
Of the spirits of hope and success
which are floating ahead Of the pio-
Eeers leading them on
Canvas 2ON4O Feet.
feet long by 20 feet high hanging
on an adjoining wall were any NUMBER
Of small sketches showing the various
developments Of the idea Of the pic
ture. the way Mr. Blasntieid hsd
changed the position Of the figures and
the placing of the bis masses OF light
and shade to make perfectly com
posed picture. After the main pan
Of the picture was attained. then NJ
BlashfieId devoted himself 20 the
figures There were many sketches
of each separate figure In the picture
First Mr.. Blashtield drew each IN
charcoal, in the nude, sketchlng each
figure from the human model 20 get
I the figure construction, so that they
would be solid Then he made second
series of these in the nude, but break
ing the principal masses OF drapery
over the limbs OF the figures Then
he drew in charcoal. the figures fully
draped as they were TO appear in the
picture and later he painted each
figure All this was preliminary study
directly from models and each sepa-
piece Of work by itself. but all the
more interesting when shown in the
same gallery with the finished mural
painting The whole represented the
hard work and study of many months
Short work in Painting.
The actual painting Of the mural
itself represented but "A comparatively
short time, because the painter had so
thoroughly mastered every problem
that the picture presented. he had 50
| thoroughly studied the construction of
his figures. their relations TO the other
figures in the composition and the tone
balances that from this preliminary
study. by the time he was ready 10 be-
sin the mural painting it was Simply
4 matter Of the time required for the
physical eXertiou OF setting down his
definitely conceived Idea on the canvas.
So thc Paint'ne was as freshly done