Evening star., 1923-10-28

picture. Rock of Ages" is
almost as well known, for it has made
a stronger appeal to the popular heart
than any other picture of modern
times
Few people have ever seen anything
but cheap copies of this wondrous
painting that has held mankind in it's
grip. Even fewer are those who know
the name of it's originator. Rev. Jo-
hannes Adam Simon Oertel, long
resident of America and a soldier In
her service. though born in little
town near Nuremberg, Bavaria, No
vember 3. 1923. 1t Is doubtful IT,
America, far behind Europe in its ap-
probation of religious art. realizes
that in the Nations Capital, in the
Church of the Incarnation, 18th and
N streets northwest, there is an elab-
crate reredos composed of large paint
ings and exquisite wood carvings, a
masterpiece of this artist, at one time
president of the Society Of Washing
ton Artists.
Not only for its artistic merit has
this work attracted the attention of
thousands of persons. but it has been
pieces of handiwork in the country,
because it is entirely the work of one
man, who was it's carpenter. designer,
painter and carver.
From the age of twenty-five, when
Mr.. Oertel came to America, until his
death in his eighty-seventh year, he
devoted his time to religious paint
ingS. He realized, though, as a young
man, the life of poverty It would
mean. as almost no patrons could be
found who would buy art based on
this theme. He, however, through
years of adversely. self-sacrifice and
extreme privation, clung to his prin-
ciple that no art was worthy to be
made the life work Of an artist un-
less it was teaching art and not
merely the making of something
beautiful.
Robbed even of his royalties on the
work of his own brain and hand be-
cause many publishers who printed
copies of Rock of Ages" failed to
give him any money at all for this
privilege, he even then took satis-
faction in the thought that the more
copies there were made of the picture
the more sermons would be preached,
perhaps, after his own voice should
be silenced. And so 1t is today.
Strange as it may seem. two chrome
editions of the Rock of Ages" had
been sold in France, where the de-
mand could not be supplied rapidly
enough. before one copy was offered
for sale in America. where the pic
ture was actually painted. The ex-
PLANTATION given Is that royalties were
paid only on copies sold in the United
States.
w reproduced in this country the
demand was enormous. Hun
dreds of thousands of prints were
sold. not only by the authorized pub
fishers. but by the many other print
ers who made copies by every known
process.
In spite of the fact that the pic
ture was copyrighted. those who
wished to commercialize it found a
technical flaw in what the artist
thought was his legal protection. AS
Mr.. Oertel had considered himself a
New Yorker because Of his long resi-
dence there, he secured copyright
in that state, though his home at the
time was in Rhode Island. The law
of that day, Of which he had no
knowledge, required that the copy
right be taken out in the state where
the artist resided or in the general
office In Washington, D. c. Publish
IA in nfl
this error on Mr.. Oertel's part. re-
produced thousands of the pictures.
They were SO common as to be used
as premiums on merchandise. stamp
ed on leaflets of various kinds, and
even put on advertising matter. Yet
the name OF the artist was rarely
ever found on them.
After waging single-handed legal
Tight, in which not even his publish
ers shared any expense, through two
lawsuits in New York, where Judge
Cardoza decided in the artists favor,
and a third lawsuit in Chicago. where
the decision was against him. Mr..
oertol had the disappointment of
hearing his copyright declared void.
So 1t was that Rock Of Ages" be-
came public property.
1t is interesting to know that the
first sketch Of this subject was made
in pencil in an album. Later on a
small painting was made, which was
presented to a friend. Afterward it
was put on canvas, 26x49 inches. and
sold the second day Of exhibition at
Shaus' in New York to Augustus
Storrs Of Brooklyn, about 1868. In
1895 Mr.. OerteI made another large
copy for his son, DR.. T. E. Oertel Of
Augusta, Ga, and three years later
made a very large painting of the
subject for exhibition purposes, but
unluckily the exhibitor and canvas
vanished in Chicago and no trace was
found Of the painting.
Mr.. Oerters failure to receive his
reward for Rock of Ages" did not
prevent him from continuing to make
paintings on subjects Of Christian
art. Frequently he was compelled by
dire necessity to paint animal pic
lures and portraits, for which there
was ready sale and In which work he
won distinction. Art critics have
classed his anin,2i pictures with those
of Landseer and Rosa Bonheur.
In his despair he declared that IL
peoplet wanted to turn their parlors
into stables he must paint ponies and
sheep In the daytime. but he added.
"I shall preach my sermons with
brush or crayon at night to keep my
soul alive"