River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1917-03-01

composition and so conceived IN form.
in color and in lighting as to claim the
attention centrally. so that the other
extravagant details became but a set
ting for it. was another figure.
Upon slender ivory pedestal crouch
ed a golden dragon. and before the
| pedestal was placed a huge Chinese
vase of the indeterminate pink seen in
| The heart Of Il rose and so skillfully
cOlored as to suggest an internal III
minouSneSs. The vase was loaded with
II mass of exotic poppies. a riotous
! splash of color While beside this vase
and slightly in front of the pedestal
stood the figure presumably intended
to represent the Lady of the Poppies,
| who gave title TO the picture.
| The figure was that of an eastern
| girl. slight and supple and possessing
| deviIish and forbidding grace Her
| short hair formed black smudge upon
| the canvas and cast dense shadow
upon her face. The composition was
| infinitely daring, for out of this shad-
ow shone the great black eyes. their
diablerie most cunninGly inSinuated
while with IL brilliant exclusion of de-
tail-by means of two strokes Of the
brush stepped in brightest vermilion
and one seemingly haphaZard splash of
dead white--an evil and abandoned
smile was made to greet the spectator
To the waist the figure was a study
in satin nudity. whence from jew
eled girdle light draperies swept down
ward, covering the feet and swinging.
shiInmering curve out into the fore
ground Of the canvas, the curve being
cut off in its apOgee by the gold frame.
Above her head this girl of demonia-
cal beauty held a bunch Of peoples
seemingly torn from the vase. this with
her LETT hand With her right she
pointed tauntingly at her beholder.
In comparison with the effected FIJI
turism of the other pictures in the stu.
do Our Lady of the Poppies" beyond
question WAS a great painting. From
a point where the entire composition
might be taken in by the eye the I'M
canny scene glowed with highly col
ored detail, but exclude the scheme of
the composition and focus the eye upon
any item-the golden dragon, the seat
ed Chinaman, the ebony door, the silk
shaded lamp-it had no detail what
ever; one beheld meaningless mass
Of colors individually no one section
Of the canvas had life had meaning,
bat rs a whole it gowed, it lived. it
was genius Above all. it was IN
canny.
This Denise Ryland fully realized.
but critics had grown SO used to treat
ing the work Of Olaf van Noord as a
joke that Our Lady of the Poppics'
in all probability would never be judg
ed seriously.
What does it mean. Mr. van
Noord?" asked Helen Cumberly. Ieav
ing the group of worshipers standing
hushed i'll rapture before the canvas
and approaching the painter is
there some occult significance in the
title?"
1T is priestess." replied the artist
in his dreamy fashion.
"A prieStesS?"
"A priestess of the temple"
Helen Cumberly glanced again at the
astonishing picture.
DO you mean." she began, that
here is living originate"
Olaf van NoOrd bowed absently and
eft her side to greet one who at that
moment entered the studio Some
Thing magnetic in the personality of
he newcomer drew all eyes from the
canvas to the figure on the threshold.
The artist was removing garish tiger
skin furs from the shoulders of the
girl. for the new arrival was girl.
Eurasian girl
She wore a tiger skin motor coat
cap Of the same. The coat removed.
she stood revealed in a clinging gown
OF silk, and her feet were shod in little
amber colored slippers with green
buckles. The bodice of her dress
opened in a surprising V. displaying
the satin texture of her neck and
shoulders and enhancing the barbaric
character of her appearance. Her jet
black hair was confined by no band or
comb but protruded Bishareen-like
around the shapely head. Without
doubt this was the Lady of the Pop
pies, the original of the picture.
Dear friends" said Olaf van Noord,
taking the girls hand and walking into
the studio. permit me to present my