The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-12-05
ART SPIRIT MYSTERY
CENTRES ON WOMAN
Mrs. Emma Field of Chicago
Draws Egyptian Figures
Through Hidden Forces.

Special Despatch 60 THE New YORK HERALD.
CHICAGO, Dec. 4.-Chicago has an art
spirit mystery that promises to dwarf
the sensation Mrs Curran created In
ST Louis by writing a novel at the die
tatlon of an alleged ghost named Pa
tience Worth. The mystery centres
about Mrs Emma Mabel Field.
For ten years Mrs. Field has, been
drawing strange. fantastic pictures Of
Egyptian figures symbols and scares.
She started the work when she was 80
and with no preparation, Ignorant of
both art and mythology. with no con-
ception Of craftsmanship and utterly
devoid OF any knowledge of Egyptian
decoration and symbolism. Mrs Field
says she began suddenly In 1910 to turn
out series Of fascinating pictures
She worked with a soft lead pencil
on sheets from two to four feet square.
The pencil. moving almost by itself in
her hand while she retained full con-
sciousness, she says, seemed to squirt
meaninglessly across the cardboard.
scratching and scribbiing away in
sweeping lines. The pictures that took
form. however, were detailed Egyptian
symbolisrns drawn with a touch and
sureness entirely foreign to modern
technique. according to artists who
have viewed them
In the ten years Mrs Field has COM
pleted hundreds of the dra wings. A
number of them are on exhibition to-
day In the studio of Ervine Metzl In the
Fine Arts Building
Museum curators and Egyptologtsts
who have studied them are quoted as
pronouncing the drawings perfect speci-
mems OF Egyptian art. containing
flavor, technique and symbolist'c detail
not to be found elsewhere in modern
painting. From the dress decorations
of the figures TO the architectural de-
tail of the scenes and the myriad SYM
boiical images known only to Egyptian
scholars the drawings are declared to
be true to the Rameses period.
Artists who have studied them also
declare they are obviously the work of
sculptor, and on learning that Mrs.
Field has never touched clay. reply
that clay is her true medium and that
the shading technique and conception OF
he drawings are those invariably used
w sculptors.
The pictures bear a resemblance TO
those of William B. Lake. II 10 said, and
exercise an eerie effect upon sensitive
Observers.
II don't know what ! am drawing,
Mrs. Field explained when questioned
about her work. ~ am conscious while
drawing OF wanting to do somethin;.
but don't know what, I have never
read anything about Egypt, and don;
know what the things mean that !
draw But do know they mean some
thing and that all the cures and
symbols an designs have story In
them.
prof. James of the University Of
Minnesota and others at the univer-
sty read the drawings easily and were
able to tell me tn story each one told.
/ have never studied drawing and cant
draw anything but these things. When
draw there Is no image in my mind of
the thing I'm going to do. Just an
impulse. I don't know what inspires
me. don't believe in spir'fro Ism
and although many people have told
me that the drawings are made by an
Egyptian ghost working through me
don't believe that.
Prof James told me II was case o.
my subconscious mind being more de-
veloped than my conscious mind. and
that in my subconscious mind was
heritage OF Egg ptian learning and
y,lent, dating perhaps from the time
nf Egypt itself. I feel strange toward
my work. and don't know just what to
say about 1t.
Eat the time OF the Times Building
explosion in Los Angeles. for instance.
was in Minneapolis. and on that night
heard curious sound and started TO
draw picture. This time the meaning
OF the picture was apparent TO me.