The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-11-20

painstaking artist for the much prized work she wanted done.
 T went to see Miss smith, Mrs. Nun ger told me a few days ago, when she very graciously showed me the two beau- tiful portraits, one of which has just been hung in the drawing room of her ar tistic home, "and told her of the difficult task I had to offer her. Through my friend, MT. Amsden, whose talent as a 'restorer' of portraits is well known in the art world, because of his marvellous work done for the Metropolitan museum in New York. I gained much valuable ad- wee as to the. reproductions of the por- traits. For instance. the small portrait from which Miss Smith made the one of my father was done in oils on cypress shingle This Mir. Amsden restored; Il had been almost destroyed by varnish and paints. and Mir. Amsden's work was splendid. The portrait of my grand- mother from which Miss Smith made tine present portrait, was almost colorless it was a wonderful piece of work, but old and worn; it had never had a name sigred as it's painter, but from good au- thority my family believes that Benjamin West was the painter At any rate, so wonderful was MT. Amsden's work that when the portrait came home my mother declared that my grandmother's gown. her laces and her bonnet looked as if
  tirely new.
 At any rate the restored portraits were all that Miss Smith had as models Mrs. Munger said, "and we are very much pleased with the beautiful work shei has done; indeed. I don't believe that any finer piece of portraiture could pos sibly be found than the two portraits she has made. the one of my father and the other Of my grandmother.
 Miss Smith. by the way, was very pleased to meet Mr. Amsden," Mrs. Nun ger continued, land showed her appre- citation of the introduction I gave her to him in many ways. MT. Amsden Is to Birmingham this winter, and his visit will undoubtedly create sensation in the local art world, because of his talent and his distinguished reputation
 In the meantime, let me interpret as best I can the exquisite work Edna Smith has done for Mrs. Munger:
 The portrait of Mrs. Connor CMrs. Nun gers grandmother) hangs over the man tie in the Munger's drawing room. as l said before; in a large square gilt frame, selected by Mrs. Munger, Miss Smith and Mir. Amsden from one of the most ex- elusive art galleries in New York, the del- icate nuances Of light and color blend the background of the DOT trait has most engaging technique; the
  a repression which is at once beautiful and artistic; the quaint lace bonnet with it's friils and furbelows is clearly repro duced, framing the lovely gray-blue eyes and golden hair and expressive lips Of the subject. An old-fashioned tapestry shawl. transparent and diarhanous, re- veal the pattern of the old lace of the gown which envelopes the wearer grace fully, and as an exquisite touch the string of amber beads completes the cos tune of the lovely grand dame" of an- other day. !
 In exquisite harmony with this portrait $ the much smaller one of Mrs Munger's ather, who, by the way, might be taken for an actor, singer. artist, and told me of his aesthetic tastes, ,fro-Rf for many years, he lived abroad. ;t - yixy. enjoying the arts, and the I artist himself at heartl
 Miss Smith has revealed the personality 1 If the subject in her masterful work by l silently proclaining this aesthetic instinct | the auburn hair, rather long; the ! luaint low collar, with the little old ashioned butterfly tic; the plaited shirt | ront, the same dropping blue-gray eyes, 1 he pose of which is so strikingly like his | in the other portrait; all this IS effected in the skillful combinations of {; ,olors which Miss Smith has used so ! Ieftly
 This portrait is exquisitely framed; the i Hull gilt frame, narrow. refined, elegant 1 outlines a dull background; within the | our corners on the background are tiny i lusters of yellow flowers, dainty, beau- iful. An oval of the same dull gilt en- ircles the portrait, striking euphonious lote of exquisite color
 Birmingham is proud of Edna Smith | nd her excellent achievements, and no II r0rnniiynaUf ha naid 10 her il york than that her clientele is always atisfled-satisiied with the touch of artis- ry given in colors, satisfied In the human II ouch which produces the likeness