Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1922-10-11
And some ENTERTAIN
ANGELS UNAWARES'

The Censor editor was forcibly re-
minded of the above quotation few
days ago, when he was agreeably sur
prised to learn that the city of Viroqua
has been harboring probably the mas
ter scenic painter of the world for sew
eral days, yet only a mere handful of
our people are aware of the fact The
artist is H. c. Chevalier of Omaha,
who is spending his vacation in this
section, and keeping in practice the
while by painting some scenery for
Manager Brown and also for other
theatres in this section. The Censor
editor stood in awed admiration before
the beautiful mountain and lake scene
which forms the centerpiece for the
grand curtain which now hangs in the
Bell theatre in Sparta. Chevalier
painted this curtain in six hours, and
it surely reflects the highest art. We
naturally wished to learn more of the
artist who could produce work of this
character, and so have enjoyed several
delightful visits with the eminent
painter He is a modest, unpreten-
tious man, but by dint of much quiz
zing we were able to draw many in
teresting facts from him. He looks to
closely acquainted and associated with
such famous men as Col. lngersoll,
Gen. Lew Wallace, James Whitcomb
Riley, and other noted men of that per-
iod. Chevalier's parents wished him
to go through the usual educational
mill, but at the age of twelve he ran
away to enter an art studio. For
half century he has followed the seen
ic art and is today the equal if not the
superior of any scenic painter of the
world. While travelling in Europe, he
painted canvas 24x36 feet in size in
the incredible time of one hour and
twenty minutes while five hundred of
the famous painters of Europe looked
on and gasped in amazement. The
master painter of France told him af-
terward that it would have taken him
three weeks to do the job. Best of all
is the fact that Chevalier is American
born and raised. During the late war
he contributed $31 900 to the Red
Cross, touring the country and put
ting on his wonderful home talent pro-
auctions at practically cost for the
benefit of the boys over there.
Mr.. Chevilier is president of the
Star Scenic Studio of Omaha and is
the man who painted and installed the
stage settings and scenery in the new
Temple Theatre for Manager Brown.
He is also the artist who painted the
curtains and settings some II years
ago for Mr.. Brown when the theatre
was located in the Brown building.
Mr.. Chevlier is an artist of wide ex-
perienee having voluntarily served an
apprenticeship of six years in the best
studios of Chicago and afterwards
spending three years among the stud
los of Europe. While abroad he paint
ed exhibition scenes in every Capitol
of the old country except Great Brit
ain, where in Liverpool he designed
and painted the first Cycleramic paint
ing, reproduction of Dore's illustra-
tions of Dante's Inferno. This Cy-
clOrama was the forerunner of the
famous American war creations. Mr..
Chevalier afterwards made the fam
Gus Battle of Gettysburg in Chicago
and the Battle of Shilo in Washing
ton.
Among the big plays which he fur
nished with scenery and staged are
the American production of Parcifel,
The Spanish Armada, the Witch of
Endor, Quo Vadis, the Garden of Al
lah and Ben Hur. He spent over a
year on the first production of Ben
Hur, doing the work at Charlottesville,
Indiana, under the personal supervis-
ion of its gifted author, Gen. Lew Wal
lace. He also supervised the entire
production of King Solomon which was
produced t Eldorado on Brookly
Heights, 5000 people and 200 horses
being used in its production.
Mr.. Chevalier has also written and
produced several wonderful plays of
his own, among them being the Witch
of Endor, The Light Eternal, The SEN
ator, The Empress of Ogg, The Silver
Queen and the Princess of Poe. This
later play is Musical comedy which
is played by from so to 400 amateurs
under professional directors n d
abounds in catchy songs, all kinds of
dances, beautiful costumes, magnifi-
cent scenery and mysterious mechan-
ical and stage effects and it is possible
that it may be seen in Viroqua at some
early date.
Mr.. Chevalier is spending most of
his vacation here and in this vicinity
taking in our wonderful scenery.
NnDMAI NOTICE