New-York tribune., 1918-05-11
Patriotic Painters

painters.
Nothing could be more unfair than any
such inference. Whatever American paint
ers may be, they are not unpatriotic. AL
most Immediately after the declaration of
war a society of artists, stimulated by the
researches of Abbott II. Thayer in protcc-
tive coloraton, was formed for the promo
tion of interest in camouhage.
The executive committee received hun
dreds of letters from artists in all parts of
the country offering service. Pupils of art
schools in different states of the union
began to drill; ground offered for
camouhage camps; until the military au
thorities said, eve thank you for your
zeal, but it is in excess of what we are as
yet able to formulate as a programme for
your activities" In August the govern
mcnt did formulate a programme and
established military camouAage. In the
past month letter received by me from
the distinguished painter, Barry FaHlkner,
in first camouhage unit on the firing
line commences: 81 have a half hour of
leisure and daylight for writing before the
usual evening rumpus begins
Artistic Have Enlisted
Hundreds of artists among the en-
listed men abroad. Lieutenant Sherry Fry
and II. D. Thrasher, both sculptors are IN
the same unit, and Robert Aitken, also a
distinguished sculptor, has captains COM
mission. There are two hundred and fifty
names of artists upon the National Arts
Club Artists War Emergency Fund list, al
though this list as yet only covers few
Of the states of the Union in which sub
committees have been formed for the Art
lists War Emergency Fund.
Last spring at least forty artists, archl-
tects, sculptors and painters, men of dis
tinction, busy men. gave weeks of their
daylight hours under the leadership of
Cass Gilbert, to decorating the city three
separate times, for the visits of the French,
the Franco British, the Italian, and the
Japanese war commissioners.
Quite lately more than hundred very
large landscapes have been painted as
range-fndng targets. Mcssrs. H. Bolton
Jones, Francis C. Jones. Will S. Robinson,
Miss E. Mabel Clarke, Mrs. Fl. V. B. Ma
gonigle were among the leaders in this
movement. SO many have followed the
lead that hundreds of these range-fnders
will be furnished. The Academy of Design
is busy with them, and the Salmagundi
Club alone has painted more than forty,
Mr.. Chauncey F. Ryder being particularly
active The Federation of Arts of New
York and the Sculpture Society under Mr..
Herbert Adams's initiation, made at an
early moment census of artists for
work The Association of Alumni Of the
American Academy in Rome is fathering a
most useful scheme for keeping artist SOL
diers supplied with letters that shall give
them home news to what is going on
along their own professional lines. The
staff and pupils of the School of Rome it.
self are busy for Italy, in the hospitals and
canteens of the peninsula. The Society of
Mural Painters is preparing for the deco
ration of canteens and soldiers and sailors
clubs here and abroad. Lieutenant Henry
W. Reuterdahl is painting hard on naval
posters, while Messrs Mackey, Toch, Bit
finger, Jerome Brush, with many others.
have done naval camouhage on land and
sea- AS for the men working for the Div-
sion of Pictorial Publicity under that
model chairman, c. d. Gibson, at once so
forceful and so moderate, they have volun-
tarily contributed more than five hundred
posters and daily accelerating their
pace. Under the recommendation of the
division eight artists, among whom is
Ernest Pcixotto, have been commissioned
as captains and sent abroad to study and
work at the front or near it.
No Cleavage Where Patriotism Is
All artists are welcome at the weekly
Q7riday) Dutch treat dinner at Keen's
Chop House.
Any who go there will find not lack of
patriotism but an interest at white heat
They will soon acknowledge that the nomi-
nal cleavage between illustrators and
painters has no actualty where patriotism
is in question. They will see at table
dozens of illustrators, and, to cite at hazaro
few among many other artists, they will
find the painters Vok, the Jonescs, Curran.
Mora, Jonas Lie, and the sculptors Bari.
lett and MacMonnics. They will see that
if Pennell, the illustrator. makes posters
so does Daniel Chester French, the sculp-
tor, and that Herbert Adams, who, as presi-
dent of the Academy of Design, represents
all branches of art, is constant visitor and
worker. The note of discord so eagerly
listened for by some who arc curious of
sensation sounds, even in peace time, much
less loudly than is supposed In war time
it does not sound at all, it is non-existent,
all are in accord, all are pulling together.
The exhibition at the Arts Club of Pa
triotic Pictures was postponed for reasons
having nothing to do with patriotism. The
time allowed to contributors was too short
Figure pictures of Importance are very ex-
penslve of thought, money, and, above all,
time-time for elaboration, for experiment.
and for changes. To paint picture for a
special exhibition is to many artists, at all
times. one of the most uncomfortable of
situations.
Imagination often refuses to make date
and must be waited upon, yet in spite of
the shortness of the time there was a re-
sponse. Men whose names are guarantee
of good work sent canvases- -Hassam, Weir.
Volk, Cooper, Hawthorne, Tack, Butler,
Ritschel, Chapman (whose fine, helmeted
soldiers in the trenches the public will like
to see), were contributors There can be
no possible reflection on any senders. for
there was no regular choice made no de-
finite vote of acceptance The jury hopes
to have many of the works on the walls of
the Arts Club next winter but it felt that
as response to great call great i'm
preston from large number of adequate
contributions should be made
Hence the postponement, but is not the
above enumeration of the activities of the