Evening star., 1925-01-22
The North Window
BY LEILA MECHLIN.


sented to New York University and
permanently placed in the Gould
Memorial Library in memory of this
eminent American painter. 1t was
the work of Albin Polasek, a one
time fellowship holder in sculpture
at the American Academy in Rome,
and the gift OF Mr. Chase's pupils
The occurrence Is brought to mind at
this time by the issuance of a little
pamphlet reporting the memorial ex-
ercises attending the unveiling and
giving an excellent Photographic re-
production of the bust. The presen-
tation address was made by w.
Francklyn Paris, who was followed
by Charles w. Hawthorne and Irving
r. Wiles, all three former pupils of
the master. What they said was of
interest not merely as referring to
Mr.. Chase but as applicable TO other
great painters artists. So true, In
fact, is 1t and SO worth remember
ing that IT may we'll be quoted.
Mr.. Paris spoke of Chase not as
an artist but rather as a teacher
and as man, and he borrowed the
terms that Carlyle used in speaking
Of Mirabeau when he said "The world
loves its original men and can In no
wise forget them Chase" Mr.
Paris claimed, was an original man.
not in the same sense as Mirabeau,
who made as many enemies by his
originality as ne made friends, but
in the sense that he made friends by
process that usually produces en-
emies-the process Of saying what
you think regardless Of the contrary
opinion OF the person you address or
who addresses you" Nothing" he
said, was true for Chase because the
verdict Of the mob had decreed It.
He had to convince himself by per-
sonal observation and study before
he accepted any theory, no matter
now widely held. Even in contradic-
tion, however, he had A way with him
that disarmed, a gentleness. a sin
cerity, an evident desire not to
wound, that melted all opposition
and made resentment impossible"
Recounting some Of the honors that
came to William VI. Chase as an artist,
honors which have been accorded to few,
Mr.. Paris continued that great as was
William NJ. Chase as a painter, he was
greater as a teacher and greatest as an
original man" This is an interesting
thought-who are the great Original"
men? Surely none will deny whistler's
originality, nor Monet's. nor Velasquez's
nor Rembrandts, nor the two outstand-
ing artlsts-our own American, George
Bellows, and the Russian. Leon Bakst,
who both passed from the world very
lately. seemingly too soon.
The world is clamoring today for orig
inality-originality in design and eX-
preston. We are chided for following
in the footsteps of our forefathers; the
finger Of scorn is pointed at US because
we copy the works Of the past So few
seem yet to understand that originality
Is something which is born, not made
We cannot have original art unless we
have original men and women. 1t would
be folly to suppose that any one of the
original men of art OF whom mention
has been made deliberately set out to be
different from his fellow men, his fell
low artists. The fact was that 1t was
impossible in every instance to be the
same; the vision, the personality, every
thing was different and the difference
held a lure. Sometimes originality car
ries with il a penalty. The original
artist is not always on the instant un-
derstood, and often he has to battle his
way for this reason, to recognition; he
has to turn the tide of vision out Of old
ruts into new directions.
y n
AS rule this opposition affects the
artist-the painter, the sculptor-less
than II does the writer or the leader
in other fields, because he gets such
y
along lifes way, whether II be smooth
or rough. William NJ. Chase used to
say of himself, '1 happen to be a
member of the most magnificent pro-
fessIon that the world knows" and
his friends testify that he lived up to
this conception of what a painter is
by the most lofty and the most rigid
observance of every professional prir-
cipIe., HE loved his work and took
j. \
valiant soldier enlisted in defense of
the cause OF beauty and of art" He was
a happy painter. OF him as an artist,
Charles W. Hawthorne said: He was
a born painter, he loved It; painting
was almost a monomania with him.
He delighted in the doings of things
with oil paint. Representing the visi-
BILE world was a Joy to him and his
love was so strong and his belief so
sure that they have found their way
into his work" Abiding 70 this
characteristic, Mr.. Hawthorne con-
tinued: The sum Of human expert
ences have given birth to certain
folk sayings, proverbs, which express
some human aspiration or truth. One
OF the most beautiful Of these is the
one that pleads for doing good or be-
ing fine and genuine without any Idea
of reward. This has many express
sions. The poets do good by stealth
and blush to find it fame is very
beautiful, but I like better" said Mr..
Hawthorne, its biblical forebear:
Seek ye first the Kingdom of Heaven
and its righteousness and all things
will be added unto you" How
truly" he exclaimed, might one ap-
ply this to the life Of a painter. His
whole existence is seeking, Is trying
to apply the truth tomorrow that he
has learned today, and after a life
time of this seeking, this trying, this
artistic integrity, he is crowned by a
vision and an expression of beauty
denied to other men," What an ex-
cellent definition of an artist; what a
perfect explanation OF that typical
joyousness Of disposition so many
artists possess!
= y X
George Bellows, whose death on
January s, at tho age of ~, came as
a great shock to many In the world
Of art, was not only an Original
man." as Carlyle defines 1t, but
seemingly possessed of the typical
winning personality, the instructive
Joyousness OF the artist. In an appre-
citation Of his life and work in a
recent issue of the Art News, Frank
Crowninshield, the son OF the late
Frederick Crownfnshield, for many
years one of our leading American
artists, said: His two chief char
acteristics were, should say, blunt
and outspoken honesty and a sort of
emanation or radiation of happiness
He seemed always to be having a
good time. Life was more than an
adventure 60 him; it bordered on the
realms of romance. In everything
that he did, in his life with Mrs.
Bellows, in his passionate addiction
to sport, in his absorption in lithog-
raphy, in playing with children, in
carpentering and machinery. in hang
Ing a show OF the New Society Of
Artists in dining with his friends-I