Evening star., 1925-10-22
THE NORTH WINDOW
By Leila MecLin.

dCdQe1llClaIlS, SIdnQlnS DelOIc liiS
landscape by this well known artist,
which hangs to the right of Abbott
Thayer's masterpiece in Gallery G In
the National Academy Of Designs
centennial exhibition, now on view
in the Corcoran Gallery of Art. Poor
fellow" he added, when he was
painting no one wanted his pictures
and now they bring thousands"
This brought forth an interesting
reminiscence. 1t seems that Blake
lock painted pictures whether the
world wanted them or not, and was
sure that they were good pictures.
but they did not sell, and his family
had to live. One Of his fellow acad-
emicians recognized their value ar.
tistically, and, having more Of this
worlds good than he, bought them
from him when there was real neces-
sity for from 500 to 5000 each. When
he could, hn sold them for what he
paid for them or less, rarely more.
At one time he had as many as Is
of Blakeiock's paintings in his studio,
when Blakelock himself arrived with
a roll of canvas under his arm. 1t
when did you do tkfs?" asked his
friend. Some time ago." was his
reply. Where have you had it?"
Put away-it's going to be worth
something some time" What are
you going to do with 1t now?" Sell
It," he said. II need the money. If
you don't want 1t, l am going to take
1t to Evans or Lambert and see If
they won't give me $50 for It."
Then followed an argument. No
matter what the necessity, 1t was a
crime, his friend told him, to sell a
painting like that for so little. It de-
preciated the value Of his work 1t
was not fair to those who had bought
his pictures. I'm tell you what I
will do" his adviser said, finally, 'I
will give you $500 for that picture"
"All right" said Blakelock; can you
give me S. now? If 50, 1 will leave
1t. and you can pay me the rest later"
The transaction was accomplished,
and the picture remained for several
years with the other l6; then 1t was
sold for exactly what had been paid
for it-$600. Not very long ago that
same picture sold for $4,000.
What a tragedy was Blakelocls's
life" some one exclaimed who heard
this story. ''Yes and no." replied his
friend and benefactor. II say yes. be-
cause its story in itself is sad. and no,
because the truth is that, despite his
hardships. he was almost always
happy. Whatever others might think.
he always was certain that he was a
great painter and loved his work. He
was not altogether, therefore, to be
pttied''
Referring again to the subject Of
Law criticism. the comment OF a visit
ing painter at the Arts Club on Sun
day afternoon was illuminating. He
was landscape painter and had paint
Ell picture Of river dashing over
rapids When finished he though it
one of his best and sent II to d we'll
known dealer in New York. In ac-
knowledging the safe arrival Of the
picture. the dealer wrote that he
doubted its STABILITY. because II had
no sky, "and the buying public al
ways likes skies" said the dealer.
Now that" the painter remarked.
"was a picture which could not have
sky-it was a picture of a river-and
50 I suppose it Will not sell"
Another painting by the same man
ing apple tree, standing in front Of
typical little white New England
farmhouse. Under the tree on the
fresh green grass was a bench on
which We're seated two women, lend
ing human interest. But the real
theme was the apple tree, and it was
beautifully rendered. This picture was
sent to a would-be purchaser in an
adjacent State, on approval, and was
promptly returned, not because it was
not we'll painted. not because 1t was
not lovely in color and full of pleasing
suggestion of Spring rejuvenation, but
because all Of the tree was not shown.
We'll. never mind" said the painter
amiably, II paint pictures because 1
like to, and IL they sell they SELL il
they don't. they don't, but am going
70 t{vc hot 10
in the way 1 Ike it-and there it is"
u x
The times are changing-they al
ways are. AS a rule the change
comes SO gradually that 1t is not
noted; now and then, however. we get
a Jolt. A little typewriter sheet, sent
out by one of the book publishing
houses to announce the publication OF
two artists biographies shortly TO
come from their press, conveyed the
startling information that two of the
leading general reader magazines,
Harper's and the Century, which. to
quote the notice. gave American IL
lustration a worldwide reputation
and themselves fame," have now
given up illustrations. This was a
shock, indeed. but it is true. When
one of the leading illustrators was
asked TO comment upon the change,
here is what he said
This is simply another incident in
the economic history of publications
another tragic incident in the history
of American illustration.
1T Is almost impossible to conceive
of Harper's, Scribner's and the Cen
tury Magazine appearing without pic
tures-what would Howard Pyle have
thought! Scribner's, Of course, does
still carry pictures. but chiefly photo
graphs. The trouble is simply. as l
have said. the economic upset of con-
ditions. Prices are so high, wages
so excessive, costs so eXorbitant. that
to pay the price necessary to a dis
tinguished artist to obtain an emf
nent picture, to pay for reproductions.
to pay the printers and engravers,
to pay for paper publicity, to pay
for anything, to pay for all things
that are necessary to produce a
sumptuous magazine such as we had
before the war, all would cause the
price of such a magazine to be at
least a dollar or more-far beyond
the pocket of most people. 1t is, in
other words, absolutely impossible to
sell a distinguished magazine today
in sufficient quantity to keep the pub
fishers solvent. 1t Is miserable
state of affairs, but / cannot but
nope 1t may prove only temporary.
Thank heaven, however" he added,
"the field of books is still open to
distinguished work, and it is to that
field that, at least for the present,
America must turn for the best of
illustration"
Curiously enough, many OF the Illus
traitors are now being employed to
illustrate advertisements, so that the
advertising pages of the magazines
chiefly set forth the pictorial fea-
lures. The advertisers can afford to
pay, and do pay, sometimes as high
as from $1,000 to $4,000 for a single