The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-07-15

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Next Sunday morning the people of
Grace cathedral will have their first
opportunity to see the completed deco
rations in the chance1 of that church.
On Wednesday morning, E. Martin
Henning OF Chicago, who has the
work in charge, told the writer that
everything was to be completed and
the scaffolding to be removed within
two days from that time.
The central feature of these beauti-
full decorations is Mr.. HenningS paint
fills the clear story wall spaces of
three sides of the apse- Ordinarily
the apsidal walls of a Gothic church
contain windows. Because the tech
meal "east end" of Grace cathedral is
actually the south end of the church,
the fierce hot light of the Kansas
summer sun would consequently
stream into the chancel of the church
from morning to night had windows
been placed in the usual place, these
windows were purposely omitted.
The blank spaces thus left, form ad-
mirable places for a scheme of deco
ration like the one worked out.
Apparently. the scene depicted rep
resents Christ's entrance into GLORY"
In the central panel is the single fig
ure of the "Redeemer," with out
stretched hands. supported by mass
of clouds. Unfortunately the face
has been hidden by the scaffold every
time the writer has gone to look at
the work, but the pose and the proper
lions of the figure appear to have the
requisite grace and majesty appro-
PIRATE to the king OF Glory APP
preaching in triumph, THE Everlast-
ing Gates and at the same time there
is the simplicity of the teacher and
friend of mankind, as he babe fare
we'll to his earthly companions and
disciples.
Mr.. Henning's Christ suggests in
! some ways the Christ in Raphaers
TRANSPORTATION But the artist as
serts that it and all other figures in
his painting are absolutely original
and that all were painted from posed
living models.
In-each of the side panels are six
adoring angels, five of them kneeling
and one standing. The colors in the
robes of the figures are exquisite. The
dominating color is a rich rosy red
which appears in several shades.
There are also beautiful transparent
greens and puppies.
The BACKGROUND of the picture to-
gether with the entire walls and the
ceiling of the chancel, is painted a
clear sky blue, to represent the limit
less heavens. The gold in the halos
above the angels heads and the white
of the implanted stone pillars, win
dow frames and mouldings all serve
to break the somewhat monotonous
expanse Of blue.
1t is impossible to judge of the
general effect of the work with the
scaffold still in place, but as matters
stand, it would seem that a few
touches of gold leaf around the soffits
of the arches, as a border to some of
the blue panels, would be a grateful
enrichment
The Dudensing Galleries of As For
ty-Fifth street, New York, representa-
tives in America of the noted French
landscape painter, Victor Charretofi.
have in contemplation the sending Of
an exhibition of Charreton's paintings
thru the middle west, some time this
fall. If they carry out their idea, it
is to be hoped that Topeka may ar
range to get IN on the itinerary.
According to the American Maya
zine of Art there is much activity
along the line of mural painting in
the United States az the present TIME.
During the month of June Carl
Melchers and Frank Brangwin were
both given commissions to do mural
paintings in the new Missouri state
capitol at jefferson City.
Mrs. H. Van Buren, Magonigle has
received a commission for muraIs III
the great Liberty Memorial designed
by her husband, which is to be erected
in Kansas City, Missouri, at a cost OF
many millions of dollars.
Edwin H. Blashfield, one of the
worlds great masters of mural paint
ing, has just completed four mural
paintings of enormous size, for the
Detroit public library, also four large
spandrels to be executed in mosaic
for the dome of st. Matthews church,
Washington, D. c.
Ezra Winter and Barry Faulkner
have just completed mural paintings
representing Music, for the Eastman
theater at Rochester, New York.
Apparently there. is less interest in
mural painting in Europe at the pres
ent time. especially in England, than
there is in the United States. An as
ISOLATION was lately. formed in Eng
land to promote in that particular
branch of painting.
Virginia City, Minnesota, a town of
$4,000 population purposes to erect a
city hall and recreation building to
cost 100000. 1t is arranging with
st. Paul, Minneapolis, Duluth and
other large towns for travelling art
exhibitions, it possesses a symphony
orchestra and an excellent municipal
auditorium.
What about Topeka. capital of kan
sas and city of $4,000 Inhabitants.
What kind of public buildings has it?
How about our city hall for beauty
city library building? Where is our
much discussed municipal art gallery?
In the twenty-eight months last
past, according to a British authority.
Americans have invested $20,00O,0O0
in British art treasures. In the year
1920 alone, $1O,10s,231 was expended
by American buyers. and sales to our
countrymen during the first five
months of this year are said to have
exceeded in value those for the en-
tire year just mentioned!
Owing to the high taxes imposed
by the British government on prop
erty in general and works of art in
particular, paintings, statuary and
books of world renown, the treasured
possessions of aristocratic English
families for generations, are finding
their way to the auction block in a
constantly increasing stream. Amer
leans seem to be the only people with