NEW ENGLAND ARTISTS 
 
LIVING 
 
 New England Artists 
 
 BIOGRArillCAI. SKETCHES 
 
 RKl'KOm CTIONS OF 
 
 ORIGLNAL DRAWINGS AND PAINTINGS 
 
 BY E A C 1 1 A R r 1 S T 
 BY 
 
 FRANK T. ROBINSON 
 
 BOSTON MASS. 
 
 SAMUEL E. GASSING 
 1888 
 
Copyright, 
 By Samuel E. 
 
 iS8S, 
 
 Cassino. 
 
 electrotyped by 
 c. j. peters & son, boston. 
 
 Presswork dy Berwick & Smith, Boston. 
 
" It is not hard to see what places the master so far above the rest 
 of them who went before or after him, for it may be said of many that 
 they could draw to -perfection, of others that they were superb in point 
 of coloring, of a few men that their knowledge of chiaroscuro was great ; 
 of how many can it be said as well that they combined these acquire- 
 ments with the perceptions of a genuine artist, and the enthusiasms 
 of a noble and sincere man, and the sensitive nature of a poet ? Happy 
 Murillo ! " — William Howe Downes. 
 
 7 
 
NOTE. 
 
 An endeavor has been made by the writer of this work to stand 
 between the artist and public of to-day, and, in unison with the art 
 critics, interpret the language of the one to the other. 
 
 Parts may be thought exuberant ; but, if compared with daily trib- 
 utes to politicians and pugilists, they will be found compatible with 
 reason, and far more sincere. 
 
 In the selection of subjects the writer cannot appear as partial, for 
 some of his lifelong friends have been withheld for other volumes. 
 
 The prophecies and authority, if faulty, can be attributed to a love 
 for true effort, and the individual estimate of one who is prompted by 
 his instincts and years of intimacy with arts and artists. 
 
 If the work agitates in the least, it will ultimately benefit art, in 
 which event my labor will not be lost. 
 
 Frank T. Robinson. 
 
 i888. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 PAcn 
 
 Thomas Allen 13 
 
 Illustrations. 
 
 Cast 13 
 
 Portrait, by the artist 15 
 
 Market-Place, San Antonio . . . opp. 17 
 Holivar 20 
 
 J. AlTLETON liROWN 21 
 
 Illustrations. 
 
 Landscape 21 
 
 Portrait 23 
 
 Summer opp. 25 
 
 Study 28 
 
 I. H. Caliga 29 
 
 Illustrations. 
 
 Types 29 
 
 Portrait, by the artist 31 
 
 Little " Hob " opj). 31 
 
 Old Times 33 
 
 Dependant 36 
 
 W. U. Closson 37 
 
 Illustrations. 
 
 The River Bank 37 
 
 Portrait, by the artist 39 
 
 Mezzotint opp. 41 
 
 Reflection 43 
 
 J. FoxcROFT Cole 45 
 
 Illustrations. 
 
 Landscape and Cattle 45 
 
 Portrait 47 
 
 Under the Shadows opp. 49 
 
 Sheep study 51 
 
 L. D. Eldred 53 
 
 Illustrations. 
 
 Venice, Noon 53 
 
 Portrait, by the artist 55 
 
 Gibraltar. Etching opp. 56 
 
 Algiers • 57 
 
 PAC.H 
 
 J. J. Enneking 59 
 
 Illustrations. 
 
 Twilight 59 
 
 Portrait, by the artist 61 
 
 Hy the Pond opp. 63 
 
 Venerable Age 65 
 
 Edmund IL Garrett 67 
 
 Illustrations. 
 
 Ebb 67 
 
 Portrait, by the artist 69 
 
 Dutchland. Etching opp. 71 
 
 Good-Nature 73 
 
 Ignaz Marcel Gaugengigl .... 75 
 Illustrations. 
 
 Une Question Difficile 75 
 
 Portrait, by the artist 77 
 
 Un Patriote Elegant opP- 79 
 
 Bit of Wrought Iron 82 
 
 Abbott Graves 83 
 
 Illustrations. 
 
 Buds and Flowers 83 
 
 Portrait, by the artist 85 
 
 Pen-and-ink study opp. 87 
 
 True color 88 
 
 William F. Halsall ...... 89 
 
 Illustrations. 
 
 Leaving Port 89 
 
 Portrait 91 
 
 Marine opp. 93 
 
 Stiff Breeze 94 
 
 Louis K. Harlow 95 
 
 Illustrations. 
 
 Landscape 95 
 
 Portrait 97 
 
 Etching opp- 99 
 
12 
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 F. Childe Hassam loi 
 
 Illustrations. 
 
 Butts loi 
 
 Street Scene loi 
 
 Portrait, by the artist 103 
 
 The Busy Day. Pen and ink . opp. 105 
 
 The Housetop of Paris 106 
 
 Phcebe Pickering Jenks .... 107 
 Ilhistratiojis. 
 
 Ouj- Pets 107 
 
 Portrait, by the artist 109 
 
 From the original opp. 11 ( 
 
 Blossom 112 
 
 Henry Hudson Kitson 113 
 
 Illtistratio)is. 
 
 From a life bust 113 
 
 Portrait 11^ 
 
 " Music of the Sea " .... opp. 117 
 
 "Amour" 119 
 
 Walter F. Lansil 121 
 
 Illiistratiotis. 
 
 Venice 121 
 
 Portrait 123 
 
 Venice. Etching opp- 125 
 
 Scheldt 126 
 
 Scott Leighton 127 
 
 Ilhtstrations. 
 
 Neck-and-Neck 127 
 
 Portrait 129 
 
 Labor Day opp. 129 
 
 Prize Fowl 131 
 
 Frank T. Merrill 133 
 
 Illitstratiotts. 
 
 Types 133 
 
 Portrait, by the artist 135 
 
 A Fair Advocate opp. 135 
 
 Derbyshire Farmer 138 
 
 H. WiNTHROP Pierce 139 
 
 Ilbistrations. 
 
 The Wye 139 
 
 Portrait, by the artist 141 
 
 The Harvest Cross opp. 143 
 
 In the Chapel 144 
 
 Henry Sandham 145 
 
 // 1 ustrations. 
 
 By the Wayside 145 
 
 Portrait, by the artist 147 
 
 Canoing opp. 149 
 
 Toilers of the Shore 151 
 
 Frank Hill Smith 153 
 
 Ilhisirations,. 
 
 Symbols 153 
 
 Portrait, after medallion by Warner . 155 
 
 Over the Housetops .... opp. 157 
 
 Advent of Spring 1^9 
 
 D. J. Strain 161 
 
 Illustrations. 
 
 In the Shadow 161 
 
 Portrait, by the artist 162 
 
 At the Well opp. 163 
 
 Ideal Type 165 
 
 W. L. Taylor 167 
 
 Illustrations. 
 
 An old Castle by the Sea .... 167 
 
 Portrait, by the artist 169 
 
 The Forge opp. 171 
 
 Slip 172 
 
 Ross Turner 173 
 
 Illustrations. 
 
 Full Sail 173 
 
 Initial 173 
 
 Portrait 175 
 
 Japanese Bits 176 
 
 New England Shore .... opp. 177 
 
 High light 178 
 
 Frederick Porter Vinton .... 179 
 Illustrations. 
 
 In Spain 179 
 
 Portrait 181 
 
 Gen. Charles Devens. Etching, opp. 183 
 
 Spanish Maid 186 
 
 Marcus Waterman 187 
 
 Illustrations. 
 
 Study 187 
 
 Portrait, by W. L. Metcalf .... 189 
 
 Study 191 
 
 Banana Girl opp. 191 
 
 Maroof in the Desert 193 
 
 J. Harvey Young 195 
 
 Illustrations. 
 
 Ideal head 195 
 
 Portrait . ' 197 
 
 Portrait from original .... opp. 199 
 
 Ideal head 200 
 
THOMAS ALLEN, A. N. A., S. A. A. 
 
 The love of life, and an earnest application of its energies 
 and forces, are the first noticeable traits in the character of 
 Thomas Allen. His great-grandfather, whose name he bears, 
 was born in Northampton, Mass., and was the first ordained 
 minister in Pittsfield, this state, commencing his ministry in 
 1764, and retaining his position until his death, in 181 1. He 
 was a zealous patriot of the Revolution, served in several cam- 
 paigns as chaplain, took active part in the battle of Bennington, 
 V^t., and on that account was known as "The Fighting Parson." 
 He was an ardent and able politician of the Jeffersonian 
 school, and his chief characteristics were liberality, wisdom of 
 purpose, determined will, and quiet but indomitable energy. 
 He married Elizabeth, daughter of Jonathan Lee, of Salisbury, 
 Conn., through whom his descendants claim among their ances- 
 tors the illustrious William Bradford, the Pilgrim governor of 
 the Plymouth Colony. He reared a large family, the male 
 portion of which became distinguished in their various profes- 
 sions. Jonathan, grandfather of the artist, was one of nine 
 sons, and became, after his legislative career, one of the most 
 noted farmers of the Berkshire Hills, and it may be that partly 
 from him the artist inherited his love for animals and out-of- 
 
 13 
 
THOMAS ALLEN. 
 
 door life. He was one of the founders and presidents of the 
 Berkshire Agricultural Society, and was among the first to 
 import merino sheep, visiting for that purpose the port of 
 Lisbon, where he found and purchased from the famous flocks 
 of the Count of Montaro, then first confiscated by the Spanish 
 Junta, and sent to Portugal for a market. 
 
 Allen's father, Thomas, whose life was begun in the up- 
 land farms of our state, was born August 29, 18 13, in Pitts- 
 field. After preparation at the Berkshire gymnasium, he 
 entered Union College, Schenectady, N. Y., graduated in 1832, 
 and the same year commenced the study of law at Albany, and 
 would have continued but for the approach of cholera, and 
 financial disaster in his family. It was at this time that his 
 father said to him, " I have given you an education ; here are 
 twenty-five dollars. It is all that I can do ; go and take care of 
 yourself." This, coupled with the zeal and energy of his nature, 
 was his entire stock in trade when he landed, a stranger, in New 
 York city. Starting as a contributor to the press and as a 
 student at law, he rose rapidly to prominence. At the age of 
 twenty-three, he went to Washington, D. C, and started the 
 Madisonian, a newspaper established to oppose the then pre- 
 vailing ideas on the currency. Its influence was largely instru- 
 mental in overshadowing Van Buren's administration. On the 
 election of Harrison and Tyler, the paper became the govern- 
 ment organ. Upon the death of Harrison, tiring of the confu- 
 sion which soon arose in politics, he relinquished the journalistic 
 enterprise in which he had had such marked success, and in the 
 spring of 1842 removed to St. Louis, where he settled, and 
 there inaugurated the great internal improvements of that state, 
 and became the first president of the Missouri Pacific Railroad 
 Company, and upon that road, in 1854, he placed the first loco- 
 motive that ever crossed the Mississippi River. Later he was 
 
THOMAS ALLEN. 
 
 15 
 
 instrumental in building railways in the South-west, and also in 
 developing the great mineral wealth of Missouri. In July, 
 1842, Mr. Allen married the only daughter of Wm. Russell, 
 Esq., of St. Louis, who was a civil engineer, and who, in the 
 practice of his profession, came to St. Louis from Virginia. 
 Among the children of this marriage, our subject, Thomas, was 
 born at St. Louis, October 19, 1849. ^ ^'^g industry and direct- 
 ness of purpose of the father have been engrafted into the son's 
 
 composition, and with these traits he has inherited the artistic 
 temperament of his mother, who possesses a fine aesthetic 
 instinct and a love for all that is beautiful. In 1869, young 
 Allen, after a protracted illness, which prevented his graduation 
 from the Washington University of St. Louis, accompanied Pro- 
 fessor Pattison of the university, who was an excellent draughts- 
 man, to Colorado. Allen had no idea of becoming a painter 
 when he set out to travel on foot through this wild country ; 
 his desire was simply to sketch from nature for memoranda of 
 
i6 
 
 THOMAS ALLEN. 
 
 his trip. His translations of the western scenery, being without 
 hght and shade, were hteral and exact; yet they gave one a 
 good impression of the country, and, no doubt, impressed him as 
 being poor indeed, insomuch that upon his return he sought to 
 perfect himself in drawing. It was through the encouragement 
 of his mother that he continued his art studies and went to 
 Diisseldorf in 1 871 to study the arts for which he had shown, 
 in a year's serious devotion, such an aptitude and love. Enter- 
 ing the Royal Academy in the spring of 1872, with a full deter- 
 mination to master every branch of the instructions, he went 
 through the various classes, and graduated in 1878, after which 
 he visited Paris, where he remained several years. 
 
 The result of his academical training was shown when, in 
 1876, he first exhibited his work at the National Academy of 
 Design, in New York. The picture then exhibited was entitled 
 " The Bridge at Lissingen," and won the approval of the artists 
 and critics from the start. Since that date he has been repre- 
 sented in the Salon of 1882 and 1887 ! first, by his large canvas 
 entitled " Market-Place, San Antonio," showing a sunset effect, 
 full of rich color, and the life of that busy hour ; second, by his 
 " On Guard," a splendid painting, depicting a majestic bull 
 standing in the left foreground, and cattle, some lying about in 
 the field daisies and others nibbling the grass ; — a graceful 
 composition, full of atmosphere, and well painted. 
 
 Allen returned to this country in the summer of 1882, and 
 in 1884 was made an associate of the National Academy of 
 New York, having already (1880) been made a member of the 
 Society of American Artists. His first important exhibition in 
 Boston was given in Williams & Everett's gallery, in the win- 
 ter of 1883, and I remember distinctly the inquiries among the 
 artists at that time, of "who is this Allen, and where did he 
 come from ? " so quiet and unexpected was his advent into the 
 
77/0 J /AS A/J.RN. 17 
 
 state, where his ancestors h;ul inatle their names well known and 
 their works respected. It was not Ion*;- alter this that his 
 presence became a welcome addition to the art circles of the 
 city ; and he soon became a member of the Paint and Cla\' Club, 
 the Art Club, and a patron of" the Art Museum. 
 
 In the autumn of 1882, he established his studio in IV-lham 
 Studios on Hoylston Street, where he remainetl until 18S4, 
 when he built his present studio, at i 2 Commonwealth Avenue. 
 
 Being a man of means and artistic discrimination, his sur- 
 roundings have always been of the most elegant ami instructive 
 nature ; and his special knowledge of ceramics, the history of 
 painting and decoration, and, indeed, of the fine arts in 
 general, has made his name well known as an intelligent and 
 able connoisseur in the arts and handiwork of all times. The 
 arts of the so-called pagans are as dear to him as those of the 
 alleged Christian peoples ; examples from China, Corea, and 
 Japan furnish him with no end of study ; their rare antique 
 and, in a few instances, modern ceramics are precious to the 
 eye of the antiquarian, and these gratify his aesthetic longings, 
 increase the beauty and value of his rich collections, and add to 
 his geniality and intelligence as an entertainer of good company. 
 
 In this general and essential introduction of the antecedents 
 and biography of Mr. Allen, we are ready to look into his art 
 and enjoy his interpretations of nature. 
 
 Mr. Allen is a close student of nature, and I have often heard 
 him eulogize his master in landscape painting. Professor Diicker, 
 of the Diisseldorf academy, and credit him for having imbued 
 his mind with the importance of a serious and close intimacy 
 with nature. The professor was a devoted student himself, and 
 whenever he detected errors in a student's work he would gently 
 suggest that he go and study the object or scene again, for he 
 would say: " I teach you only composition and the use of pig- 
 
i8 
 
 THOMAS ALLEN. 
 
 ments. Nature is your master for color and inspiration." I feel 
 that the precepts of this master are forever in the mind of Mr. 
 Allen. His works show it ; they also show how closely he 
 observes every pebble, weed, bush, or tree, the moving clouds; 
 — the anatomy of the earth, all these units he is familiar with, 
 and he studies all in their relations one with another, and is 
 thus prepared to paint the whole with natural grandeur and 
 breadth. His discernment of the under life of the fields, where 
 the insects hum their simple strains and fill the upper air with 
 their tinkling melody, is always evident. He sees and carefully 
 notes the docility and tender color of animals, their movements, 
 companionable groupings, and quiet contentedness in pasture 
 life ; calves are a source of delight for his palette, they are so 
 rich and brilliant in their freshness and varied tints and hues. 
 He notes the wind as it sweeps over the grass tops and daisies, 
 and sees, in his imagination, as they bend to the breeze, 
 the elf-like groups as they scamper merrily away in their race 
 with the cloud shadows, until they are lost to sight away off in 
 the ether of the hills on the horizon. He sees sunlight and 
 cloud light ; feels the sweet and agreeable shade of the woods, 
 where the cattle lie so peacefully. For him there is art interest 
 everywhere. He finds it among the Texans,'as in "The Cock 
 Fight," where a group of quaintly and richly clad natives are 
 gathered about the contestants ; the delicate light and shade and 
 strong colors appeal to his eyes. There is interest for him at 
 the sea-shore, where the busy water ebbs and flows, and traces 
 its wonderful lace-work in glistening bubbles and shining sands. 
 All these are the works and manners of creation ; and he paints 
 as he sees, and his art is of the eyes and heart. I do not feel 
 that he sees too much — no man can ; he was taught in a school 
 that knows no tricks in method or art. He is first analytic ; 
 investigates for facts, and, these once mastered, he becomes 
 
THOMAS ALLEN. 
 
 19 
 
 synthetic, and couples breadth with detail. Hamerton says, it 
 is " a rare combination in one artist." Actual relations in form 
 and color, units made deliolitful b)- influence and interesting 
 compositions, comprise some ot the strong features in Allen's 
 works. 
 
 I call to mind the purity of his color in his several efforts 
 at water-color painting; there are no stains on his paper, no 
 fussy stumbling and feeling about for results ; he works directly 
 and sureK' for incitlent, antl not with a hope for accidental 
 effects. His studies can be counted by the hundred, and his 
 favorite sketching grounds have been in the vicinity of the old 
 homestead at Pittsfield, among the trees and hills at Petersham, 
 in the streets of that warm and decorative old city, San Antonio, 
 and in the Channel Islands. He has visited Holland, and 
 devoted much time to the study of the Dutch masters ; for in 
 their work he feels that they too were fond of every phase of 
 life, and that they were serious men. 
 
 If I were asked by a serious person to briefly state what 
 kind of an artist and painter Allen was, I would reply much 
 in this vein : " He is well equipped with an immense amount 
 of study and preparation in art, is an intense and earnest stu- 
 dent, a spirited draughtsman, interesting in his facilities and 
 power in keeping things together on his canvas ; paints with 
 a stimulating freshness, as if his young days had been happy 
 ones ; is remarkably even and refined in sentiment and color ; 
 sees the comic side of animal and human life, as well as the 
 serious, and is thoroughly in love with his profession." As a 
 man, he is domestically inclined ; studious, unostentatious, a 
 delightful conversationalist, straightforward in his knowledge 
 and convictions, and is well balanced all round. His surround- 
 ings are princely ; he has made them so, and knows well how 
 to enjoy the best the world can provide. 
 
20 
 
 THOMAS ALLEN. 
 
 His pictures sell very readily on their merit, and among the 
 best known are the following : — 
 
 " Maplehurst at Noon," owned by Mr. T. B. Clarke, New 
 York, painted in 1879; "Toilers of the Plains," owned by the 
 Berkshire Athenaeum, also painted in 1879; " Market- Place, 
 San Antonio," owned by a resident of Worcester, Mass. ; 
 " Evening on Market-Place, San Antonio," owned by Mr. New- 
 ton, Holyoke, Mass.; "St. Ann's Port, Island of Jersey," "A 
 Berkshire Idyl," owned by Mr. J. L. Graves, Boston, Mass. ; 
 " Maplehurst Herd " and "Upland Pasture," owned by Mr. J. 
 Montgomery Sears, Boston ; " Guernsey Water Lane," owned 
 by Mr. Arthur Little, Boston ; " A Woodland Glade," owned 
 by Professor Horsford, Cambridge, Mass. ; " Les Marais," owned 
 by Mr. E. B. Haskell, Auburndale ; " Calm Evening, Gulf of 
 Mexico," owned by Professor Whitney, Cambridge ; " Moonlight 
 Landscape," exhibited in American Art Association, 1887, 
 wherein one feels, as the title indicates, that 
 
 ' Over all the hill-tops 
 Is rest." 
 
J. APPLKTOX RROWN. 
 
 Ik ever there were an artist who could paint as Goldsmith 
 wrote. Brown is that artist, and who that knows cannot feel 
 these lines in his pictures ! — 
 
 "Where smiling spring its earliest visit paid, 
 And parting summer's ling'ring blooms delayed; 
 Dear, lovely bowers of innocence and ease, 
 Seats of my youth, where every sport could please ; 
 How often have I loitered o'er thy green, 
 Where humble happiness endeared each scene ; 
 How often have I paused on every charm, 
 The sheltered cot, the cultivated farm. 
 The never failing brook, the busy mill, 
 The decent church that tops the neighboring hill." 
 
 As Goldsmith was a lover of nature and its reminiscent 
 charms, so Brown with the same ardor depicts his poetic 
 imaginations in most fascinating colors. Brown's whole life has 
 been a very happy one. From the day of his birth, at West 
 Newbur)% in 1844, to the present, he has lived in a delightful 
 realm of artistic pleasures. His father saw the child's inclination 
 and fostered it, so also did his mother- and, when but a mere 
 
 21 
 
22 
 
 J. APPLETON BROWN. 
 
 boy, they encouraged him to study the beauties of nature that 
 surrounded their home, and they were plentiful enough. He 
 could gaze from his windows down on to the slope that reached 
 the banks of the Merrimac, and could feel the charms of the 
 lights that spread over the snowy hills or green fields of the 
 upland country ; these views were constantly before his eyes 
 and impressed his mind with the wonders of creation. His 
 first great joy was when his father purchased a box of paints 
 for him, and he began to interpret for himself the landscapes 
 and skies of his native heath. His parents were doubtless 
 as pleased as himself at the result of his first applications of 
 color ; and they encouraged the boy from that time, and were 
 amply rewarded for their endeavors, in later years. Brown 
 never tires of expressing his reverence for the efforts of his 
 father and mother, and his gratitude is unbounded. He gradu- 
 ated from the High School at Newburyport, and in his summer 
 vacations painted out-of-doors, and though he studied a year 
 with A. T. Bricher he was too conscious of his wrong methods 
 to be at all seriously affected by them. 
 
 Brown came to Boston in 1865, and, in conjunction with 
 B. C. Porter, opened his first studio, in Studio Building. 
 These two beginners worked in the same studio together for 
 a year, or until the latter part of 1866, when Brown went to 
 Paris and began to draw in the Louvre, and afterwards, in 
 the winter of 1867, went into the studio of Lambinet. He 
 returned to Studio Building in 1868, and setded down to 
 acquire proficiency, and work out the problems that had 
 impressed his mind while abroad. His early work shows the 
 influence of Lambinet's color and composition; but after three 
 or four years of study in our own country, among the beautiful 
 scenes in the vicinity of the upper Merrimac, he became dis- 
 tinctively original, and left all traces of the French or any 
 
/ APPI.HTOX PROUW. 
 
 23 
 
 other niL'thod out ol his works. In 1S74. Brown took as a 
 companion tor Hfe Miss Ajj^ncs Hartlctt. This was an important 
 step, for. as Hamcrton sa\s in substanci-. if an artist shoiikl 
 marr)-. his wife must be one who thorouj^hly inidcrstands the 
 arts, or she must be a bhnci worshipper. I he world knows that 
 his choice was one of the former nature, her pictures beinj^ 
 hijrhly prized for their |)oetic sweetness and purity of color. In 
 the fall of 1874, Brown and his artist wife went to Paris, and 
 
 thence, in the spring, studied and painted at Ville d'Avray, 
 where Corot lived, and under whose trees he had his studio for 
 years. He also painted at Calvados, and a picture finished here, 
 entitled, " Le Bord de la Mer, a Dives," was liung and sold from 
 the line of the; Salon of 1875. He also had another work in 
 the same Salon, " L'Ete," which was sold. This event was the 
 third joy of his life, and, when one considers that the jury of 
 1875 was comjxjsed of such artists as Vollon, Diaz, Daubigny, 
 
24 
 
 /. APPLE TON BROWN. 
 
 and others of the Barbizon school, he had a right to feel proud 
 of his chosen profession and of his achievements. 
 
 Brown returned to Boston in June, 1875, and soon became 
 intimate with Hunt and Cole, and he readily accords to them a 
 more than kindly word for the interest they took in his progress. 
 With Hunt, Brown made many trips into the country and to the 
 Isles of Shoals, and they shared together at various seasons the 
 lessons which nature had stored up for them. Brown, in con- 
 junction with his wife, has since 1879 made annual exhibitions 
 of their work in Doll & Richards' gallery ; and it may be safely 
 said that these displays have become one of the chief events of 
 the art season of Boston, and the art patrons of our city, as well 
 as the artists, have always indorsed these exhibits in a most sub- 
 stantial and intelligent manner. In 1886, at the suggestion of 
 Frank Millet, Brown set up his easel for a while in the poetic 
 colony of Broadway, in Worcestershire, Eng. Here he worked 
 with such congenial spirits about him as Abbey, Parsons, Goss, 
 and the like ; but he found material better suited to his brush 
 in Bidford, Warwickshire. . After a year of serious work he 
 returned to his studio on Beacon Street. 
 
 Much might be said by way of incident regarding Brown's 
 career, of his trips into the country near his old home, of his 
 studies made of the old masters, of his interesting personal 
 characteristics, of the sensation caused by his first exhibit of 
 pastels, which embraced many exquisitely rendered scenes, 
 interior and out-of-doors, which he made while in Bidford ; of 
 his illustrations for Lucy Larcom's book, " Landscape in Ameri- 
 can Poetry," published by the Appletons in 1879; of his social 
 relations with our best families, etc. ; — but a book alone could 
 completely exhaust the record of his life, and the future biogra- 
 pher will find sufficient and excellent material to compile such a 
 work from. There is much to say of Brown's art, of how it 
 
J. AP PL ETON BROWN. 25 
 
 appeals to every eye and heart, aiul the rctst of our study will 
 be in this direction. 
 
 His art relates to nature in the sense onl)' that he compre- 
 hends it. not that he paints it as it is. lie distini^uishcs the 
 wide maru^in between art and eyesiij^ht, between tin? real and 
 artificial ; he takes an observation of sunli<(ht in nature to find 
 his bearinj^s, and then sets his thouHits and colors at work at 
 any time, to reproduce his memoranda and add his own artistic 
 conceptions. Vou will alwa\'s find in his pictures well shapetl 
 clouds, rarely clear skies, and. at wide intcr\als of late )-ears, a 
 storm or brooding w^eather. This matter of clouds is all ri<jht 
 from an artistic standpoint, or any point ; but he uses clouds, 
 not onh' for their form, but in particular for their liorht, their 
 reflections or secondar)- effects. This is one reason wh)', I 
 imagine, one can feel the unity of his landscapes with the air, 
 the life and light in and over them. 
 
 I have seen a picture of his where a figure lay reclining on a 
 hillside, beneath the shadow of a tree. The daylight was 
 slowly fading from the sky, and the tints of the sunglow were 
 just disappearing over the range of hills. It seemed to me that 
 the sun had been shining there all day, that the birds and 
 insects had enjoyed the sweet hours as they came and went, and 
 that this was a happy ending of a glorious day in summer. 
 There was yet enough daylight to easily distinguish the tree 
 branches and note their varied character, and the figure, though 
 a small part of the painting, was significant and seemed absorbed 
 in the poetry of the closing day. The picture was inspired by 
 the following lines by Keats, which occur in his " Ode to the 
 Nigrhtincrale " : — 
 
 " Forlorn ! the very word is like a bell 
 
 To toll me back from thee to my sole self ! 
 
 Adieu ! the fancy cannot cheat so well 
 
 As she is famed to do, deceiving elf. 
 
26 
 
 /. APPLETON BROWN. 
 
 Adieu ! adieu ! thy plaintive anthem fades 
 
 Past the near meadows, over the still stream, 
 
 Up the hillside ; and now 'tis buried deep 
 
 In the next vallej' glades : 
 
 Was it a vision, or a waking dream ? 
 
 Fled is that music : — do I wake or sleep? " 
 
 His compositions, which means here the lines and forms, are 
 always gentle and mound-like, not obtuse. You will never find 
 sharp, scrag-gy edges or lofty, material heights in his pictures ; 
 if he would emphasize an object, he makes his drawing and 
 color balance, so that the emphasis is not objectionable or appar- 
 ent. Brown is an effective painter, that is, he paints for effect, 
 not of the exaggerating, strong, contrasting sort, but in the 
 modified form ; by the subtle gradation of light, never reversing 
 from dark to light, but keeping everything light, hence his lumi- 
 nosity of shadows. His landscapes, houses, trees, cattle, and 
 the clouds will melt, never break ; they are full of tender color 
 and might be- modelled out of different densities of air rather 
 than the moje solid materials. This lightness of color and 
 agreeable finish gives Brown a distinctive style from any other 
 artist in Boston. You note his technique some, but he keeps 
 his feelings and poetic thoughts to the front ; you cannot escape 
 them in his pastels even, for in these he is more technical than 
 in his oils. Brown's strong hold in art is his ability to arrange 
 his colors and forms with beauty of results rather than mere 
 truth or measured facts. His pictures never tumble to pieces ; 
 they are evenly painted and well knit together, if the expression 
 may be allowed. Does not this unity of color and form, always 
 evident in his work, prove that Brown is a natural artist and 
 painter ? He is consistent with himself and gives nature a good 
 showing, a recommendation which you wish you could enjoy ; 
 for his pictures are drawn from pleasant places, and his sun 
 
J. APPLETON BROWX 
 
 27 
 
 rarely ceases to shine. This view of nature as it shoiiKl he is 
 a charming one. and never will lead us into temptation, except 
 possibly to dream and sigh for the Hlysian fields, where we ma)- 
 never ai^ain know auLjht of commerce. 
 
 Brown rc-freshes the memor\- more than the eje, alheil his 
 color is good enough and is an important factor in his e.\pres- 
 sion ; but he makes you think of the happ)' places that you 
 have seen, and the happy events that have occurred in your 
 summer days, he enlightens you concerning his experience 
 and sets you into a hopeful mood. This is a glorious province 
 of art, and it is welcome in this part of the world. I think 
 Brown paints as he feels, and that he feels poetically and 
 sincerely. A man may paint as he thinks, and paint like 
 Gerome or X'ibert. The soul is feeling, and the thought all 
 intellect ; the one is poetical, the other material ; yet, after all, 
 who am I that I shall say of Gerome or Vibert, when they 
 draw the figure. God's image, so wonderfully, that they have 
 no poetrj' in them ? Art is long indeed. 
 
 Most ever)- true artist-painter is charmed with all phases 
 of nature, and we often discover in a memorial exhibition of an 
 artist's works many paintings which widely differ in subject 
 from what he is well known to have painted all his life. 
 Usually, w^henever he steps aside from his specialty, his effort 
 seems to be lacking in force and beauty of composition. He 
 loses always when he is dependent upon mere impressions, 
 and, like an old tradesman who is inclined by choice and 
 training to a trade, he is rarely a success in any other. The 
 artist, no less than the man of commerce, should stick to his 
 specialty. Any departure from it, though it may be interesting, 
 adds nothing to his fame. 
 
 Does not Brown show more thouo-jit than soul in the 
 tumult and ^■i()lence of his w-aves painted at the Isl(;s of 
 
28 
 
 /. APPLETON BROWN. 
 
 Shoals, when he was with Hunt ? There is vigor of move- 
 ment in the water, and fine drawing in the clouds, and local 
 colors also ; but it is all descriptive. Not so his restful, quiet, 
 glowing summer days, the fresh, new air of his blossoming 
 springs, or the serenity and warmth of his gray autumns ; the 
 one was prosaic, the others are rhythmic, songs with a musical 
 sense of harmony vibrating sweetly as we remember them. Let 
 him live to paint the landscape in sunlight, where 
 
 " His heaven commences ere the world be past." 
 
1. II. CALIGA. 
 
 "A SAILOR will be a sailor;" so will an artist be an artist, and 
 Caliga is an illustration of this aphorism. After leaving school 
 in Auburn, Ind., where he was born in 1857, he was apprenticcxl 
 to a machinist. The file and lathe amused him for a while, but 
 this trade was presently too automatic for him, so he came 
 to Boston, and found employment in a gentlemen's furnishing 
 goods store. Here he began to feel the bent of his desires, 
 and discovered in a small way the charm of art, for he was 
 impressed with the wonders of the lithographic labels in color, 
 and made many copies of them. From these endeavors he 
 branched off into still-life, and worked very hard to perfect his 
 drawing, in which occupation he found much pleasure. 
 
 Going one day into Marliave's restaurant, a famous resort 
 at noonday for such artistic spirits as Hunt, Robinson, Water- 
 man, Millet, Bardett the sculptor. Judge Chamberlain, O'Reilly 
 the poet, and other like natures, he became absorbed in the 
 arguments of these lights of art and literature, and every day 
 made it his custom to take his lunch there. The conversations 
 on art topics pleased him the most, and he absorbed what might 
 
 29 
 
30 
 
 /. H. CALIGA. 
 
 have been well worth printing. It set him to thinking ; and, 
 as a result, he brought in one of his paintings, a bunch of 
 grapes, and, with some very natural blushes and misgivings, 
 asked Waterman his opinion concerning his efforts. Water- 
 man pronounced his work " rather good," and told him to "keep 
 on " and " go to Europe and study." This was sufficient en- 
 couragement for Caliga, and he immediately plunged into busi- 
 ness and his art, and, from his savings and what his parents 
 could afford, he was, in 1878, ready for his first important step, 
 going in the fall of that year to Munich. At that time, Wil- 
 helm Lindenschmit was the popular artist among the students, 
 his " Venus," exhibited with the works of the Munich painters 
 in Boston in 1878, being much admired, and as a historical 
 painter he had been styled "one of the foremost living artists 
 of Germany." Caliga, influenced by the fame of Lindenschmit, 
 entered the academy under his instructions, and, like all stu- 
 dents, thinking his master had no equal, for several years 
 followed in his footsteps. Lindenschmit's technical ability was 
 unquestioned by the critics ; but his color, that of an opaque 
 brown tone, which gave a leathery hue to the flesh, was open 
 to controversy. Caliga discovered this to be true, and when 
 he came back to Boston, five years later, being endowed with 
 a good natural eye for a higher key of color, soon changed his 
 scheme. Caliga, while in Munich, worked hard and seriously, 
 insomuch that he engendered a jealousy on the part of many 
 students, who derided him, while he, not yet feeling sure of his 
 position, or that he was outstripping his fellows, suffered no 
 little abuse ; but time cleared up all estrangements, and before he 
 left for home his talents gained just recognition, and his exceed- 
 ing good-nature forgave all. His "Flaw in the Title" and 
 " Lilly," the latter being the figure of a young lady in street cos- 
 tume, were painted in Munich, and these, with others of his 
 
/. II. CALICA. 
 
 31 
 
 A'orks, he exhibited in Xew \'oik upon his return, when the 
 American Art Association purchased " Lilly." thi n cann- to 
 
 Boston, and made an exhibition at Williams cS: l""verett's ^raller- 
 ies, receiving, as he did in New \ ork. favorable comment iVoiii 
 the press and artists. The artists discerned his ability as a story- 
 teller, as well as his directness and fine feeling for composition, 
 and when he fitted up his sumptuous studio in Phillips HuiKhng 
 he was soon surrounded b) the congenial spirits ol our art workl. 
 
 He was now established as a professional artist, and, as his 
 financial resources were limited, he was obliged to draw on his 
 courage and industry for a while, and he set to work painting 
 figure pictures, which he exhibited in the Paint and Clay Club 
 displays, being a member of this influential art body. He was 
 not long in gaining the respect of the commimity, and so assid- 
 uously did he carry on his work that he soon had pictures 
 enough to send to New York and other important centres where 
 
32 
 
 /. H. CALIGA. 
 
 it was advantageous for him to exhibit. From figure pictures 
 he turned his attention to the study of heads, and I cannot 
 help feehng that in this particular phase of his painting he 
 shows his greatest skill and completeness of finish. This 
 expression is no disparagement to his story-telling pictures, for 
 he is capable of complete finish in all details, and after a time 
 will show as consummate care and patience in every accessory 
 as he does now in the upper portions of his figures. 
 
 Caliga is fond of interior figure pictures, though he has 
 painted several out-of-door subjects, and in the latter class "The 
 New Chapter" was his greatest success. The incident in this 
 work was one full of sentiment, and quite original and grand in 
 its conception. It depicted a group of ladies seated under the 
 shadows of a tree in a garden. The principal figure was that of 
 a convalescent mother, who was enjoying the sweet summer air 
 and 'the story which a young lady was reading for her bene- 
 fit. Not far away, a nurse sat near a table, with a babe in her 
 arms. While everything looked as if painted from life, and had 
 an air of domestic joy about it, one could not help feeling that 
 the artist's mind was trying to grasp a subject which a mas- 
 ter only could render. It was a wonderful interpretation, how- 
 ever, and was too much over the heads of the public, as well as 
 many of the artists ; nevertheless, it established his reputation 
 more firmly than anything he had previously attempted, show- 
 ing his insight into the nature of things. It did not find a 
 patron, however, but in twenty years from now it would be 
 readily " snapped up." Certain it is that few artists show more 
 sincerity or vigor of execution than was manifested in this work. 
 
 Of his interiors, "The Bachelor's Breakfast" was the best, in 
 many points. The bachelor sits with his knees crossed, and 
 holding a paper in his hand. His head is turned toward the 
 coffee bowl, which his female attendant is filling. The light 
 
/. //. C.UJGA. 
 
 33 
 
 falls s^n-iuK' into the; room throiij^h a ciirtaiin-d window at tin- 
 a-ar. in which is placet! a pot ol k-rns. hirnisliiiij^ a hit ol color 
 
 where it was most needed, an idea he carries into ever)' picture 
 he has ever painted. This is a complete paintinq;- of a bit of 
 quiet life, and its stor)" is adniirabl)' told, in drawing antl color. 
 
34 
 
 /. H. CALIGA. 
 
 His " Fleur-de-Lys," showing a profile view of a beautiful 
 maiden, diree-quarters life length, was a fascinating piece of 
 ideal beauty, and prompted a Boston lady to write the following 
 poem, printed in the Traiiscri pt : — 
 
 " FLEUR-I)E-LYS. 
 
 "The garden path lies fresh and dewy sweet 
 Down which my lady passed this very hour, 
 For I can trace the impress of her feet 
 
 Just where she paused to pluck her favorite flower. 
 
 "How like a sister lily on its stem 
 
 My ready fancy paints her bending there ! 
 All pure as they from crown to raiment's hem, 
 As fragrant-breathed and radiantly fair. 
 
 "Now, far above as heaven she seems to stand ; 
 And I would count it heaven come down to me, 
 Would she but drop me from her gracious hand 
 One little blossom of her fleur-de-lys ! 
 
 "a. d. w." 
 
 The picture displayed a refined idea of the innocence and 
 consciousness of the maiden's mind. 
 
 Caliga, like the old Dutch painters, shows a marked love of 
 life and the ardor of movement and occupation, not the noise of 
 the street or game, but the repose of the figure and the anima- 
 tion of the mind. 
 
 In portraiture he has had a considerable success, the two 
 most striking in point of likeness and the grasp of character 
 being those of Thomas Allen, the artist, and Judge Russell. 
 The former was represented full-length, standing, and wore a 
 fur-lined coat. The pose was firm and manly, the textures of 
 materials were painted with great fidelity, while the expression of 
 the face was true to the life. Setting aside the fact that the sub- 
 ject was a good one, from an artistic standpoint, Caliga displayed 
 
/. //. CAl.IGA. 
 
 35 
 
 a genuine appreciation for the subtleties of the healthy flesh-tints, 
 ami painted theiii with a clearness and strenj^th worthy of an 
 older artist. His portrait of Mrs. Cieorge Maty Hlaki- was an 
 interesting piece of painting, perhaps the best of his man) 
 teniale portraits, while little "Hob" may be ranked as one of 
 the strongest chikl portraits evi-r jjainteil in Boston, antl 
 makes one forget the artist, and his art even, when studying 
 the charming simplicity anil innoci-nce of the youngster. He 
 paints girl faces with an itU al and poetic fancy, and in the semi- 
 nude, or heatl and shoulders, he has shown several really impor- 
 tant subjects, treatetl with much grace of line and effectiveness 
 ol pose. Caliga is yet a student. That is. he has not settled on 
 an\- style or class of subjects. — he will say this himself. — but 
 that he is sure of finding his place, and making an enviable rep- 
 utation, no one can gainsay. It seems singular that he should 
 jjaint with ravishing sweetness the head of a girl, and on the 
 ne.xt canvas depict the head of an old man or woman with such 
 a wonderfully poetical and reverential feeling. It must be that 
 Caliga is full of art, tliat he feels a kindly sympathy for such 
 subjects, and doubtless will ultimately settle down and paint this 
 class of pictures. Certain it is that in the exhibitions, both 
 here and in New York, we do not find a painter, perhaps with 
 one exception, who can show an example of an old lady's head 
 which will carry such a tender and religious sentiment as is 
 shown in Caliga's work. This is a glorious and unoccupied 
 field for him to work in, and the types are plentiful for him to 
 choose from. 
 
 Caliga is progressive, feels the importance of continual study 
 and application, and I know of no more earnest painter than he. 
 When he left Boston in 1887 went to Germany, it was be- 
 cause of his stirring nature, and a desire to see more of the old- 
 world art and perfect himself in his knowledge of expression. 
 
36 
 
 /. H. CALIGA. 
 
 Several of the works he has sent home show proofs of his in- 
 tense ambition for completeness of finish and the mastery of 
 technique, which may be one and the same thing, but what is 
 meant here by completeness of finish is to carry his work to its 
 extreme limits, leaving nothing undone. His healthy, vigorous 
 nature, good physique, and the art that is surely in him, will 
 win him a place among our foremost painters. Caliga has 
 sketched very little about our suburbs ; he prefers the pretty 
 landscapes and familiar scenes of his native State, and every 
 summer sets up his easel in Angola, Ind., where he has made 
 many of his most interesting studies. 
 
 Among his best works are " Fleur-de-Lys," owned by James 
 B. Colgate, Esq., of New York; "Two Generations," in Mr. 
 John N. Weiss' collection, of Harrisburg, Pa. ; " Reminiscences," 
 owned by Gov. Oliver Ames ; George I. Seney, Esq., of New 
 York, owns " Violet" and several other good things by Caliga; 
 Prentice R. Kent, Esq., owns his " Bachelor's Breakfast," and 
 W. M. Allen, Esq., of Boston, owns " Innocence" and others of 
 his works. 
 
W. B. CLOSSON. 
 
 Perhaps with no other art is the public eye more familiar 
 than that of engfravinof. Our p-rcat maofazincs, tlie best in the 
 \vorld, as far as wood-engraving illustrations go, have done 
 much to educate the public taste and carry them along from 
 time to time ; from the carved plank to the higher grades of the 
 engraver's art, so that to-day no mean thing will be tolerated, 
 the enp^ravincj must be from the most skilful hands and the 
 most gifted artist. Conspicuous among the thoughtful engrav- 
 ers of this country stands W. B. Closson, who is widely known 
 and appreciated, not by his illustrations of interiors, though they 
 are full of truth and firm lines, but by his fidelity to the works of 
 the masters, old and modern, and more particularly by his won- 
 derful and imaginative engravings, which as yet have not become 
 extensively known. 
 
 Closson was born in Thetford, Vt., in October, 1848. He 
 graduated from the Academy into a clerkship in a railroad shop, 
 and at the age of eighteen came to Boston on a visit to his 
 
 37 
 
38 
 
 W. B. C LOS SON. 
 
 brother. While here a family friend called one evening, and 
 brought a box containing an ivory crucifix ; and with it were 
 some engraver's tools, which greatly interested young Closson, 
 who was eager to know their use. After his return home he 
 began to paint and draw from objects, and soon interested his 
 brother in his work ; to such an extent that he sent him a set of 
 engraver's tools, with which he worked in the early mornings 
 and evenings, and at the solicitations of his brother came to 
 Boston and took a situation at an engraver's bench. At the same 
 time he entered the Lowell Institute, and later on modelled in 
 clay. He progressed rapidly, and his work soon found a ready 
 market; and in the Salon of 1881 he received an "honorable 
 mention" for his examples of figure studies. In 1882 he ac- 
 companied Mr. Drake, of the Century Company, to Europe, and 
 in the same year received the third medal award from the Salon, 
 for excellence 'in wood-engraving. In 1884 he visited England, 
 France, Northern Italy, Holland, and Belgium, and made many 
 studies of the old masters. The first work that he signed, after 
 setting up for himself, was the blocks for Longfellow's illustrated 
 poems, and immediately after this he went to New York and 
 made many blocks for the Scribners, among them being the 
 " Russian Girl," and this, with the " Winifred Dysart," pub- 
 lished in the Art Review, brought him into general notice. 
 Later he worked for the Harpers, and has contributed many 
 important engravings to special publications. Among his most 
 notable works there maybe mentioned, "The Turkey Pasture," 
 and "Winifred Dysart," after George Fuller, Fortuny's "Sheik," 
 Da Vinci's head of Christ, and the grasses and flowers of Leon 
 Bonvin — the last named being, perhaps, the most subtle and 
 truthful of all his interpretations of others. 
 
 Closson possesses not only great skill in the mechanical 
 features of engraving, but is by nature an artist and painter. 
 
IV. B. C LOS SON. 39 
 
 Forced, as he was and is, to the ])ul)Hsh('r's idea of shadins^ and 
 expression, or of exact hniitation in reproduction, and yet work- 
 ing- earnestly to give that only which shall faithfully represent 
 the artist, — that is, to show IuiIUm- as iMiller |)ainted, or Bonvin 
 as he drew, — he longed to emancipate himself from this narrow 
 sphere and venture into a more congenial field of his art, where 
 he need not sacrifice himself to reproduce another. Accord- 
 
 ingly, two years ago he took up a block, determined to put his 
 imaginations upon its surface without drawing a line ; to let his 
 thoughts inspire his graver. He entered into his work with the 
 enthusiasm of the painter, and, having thought out his subject, — 
 that is, impressed his imagination with his picture, — in his lei- 
 sure hours he drew with his graver a most exquisite and original 
 engraving. To carry his picture in his mind, while employed in 
 
40 
 
 W. B. CLOSSON. 
 
 other work, and to take it up and complete it in the manner 
 that is shown, is indeed a creditable and interesting achieve- 
 ment. One block, five by seven inches, represents on the right 
 a great tree trunk, with branches running out of the picture ; a 
 dense foliage and shadows fill the lower centre of the work, 
 while in the upper left corner a flood of sunlight falls on the 
 tips of goldenrod, and the birds are seen as if singing praises 
 to the warmth and sweetness of the air. In another block he 
 has engraved the light and airy butterfly in a woody glen, with 
 infinite detail in the foreground ; still another shows a fine de- 
 tailed drawing of a bull thistle; its form, sharp points, and 
 anatomy, and the graded light that gives its full glow in the 
 perspective, are exquisitely wrought. The thistle has a full- 
 blown flower, at the top of the picture, and upon this rests a 
 bee; though a tiny part of the work, it is really the most inter- 
 esting, for it shows the nature of the bee, earnest and absorbed 
 in his cumulative work. In all of these conceptions there is evi- 
 denced much freedom of expression, as well as poetry. Here 
 is latitude for the mind, and it is improved in the same way that 
 a child bounds from its servitude of the school session into the 
 joys of vacation. One notices at a glance that there is no 
 lightness in the work, that there is a sense of delicate vibration 
 in the touch, and the line is so gently engraved that every 
 part seems to blend in relation and value. One can penetrate 
 beyond the foreground, can feel rather than see the modelling, 
 and in the butterfly picture can note the lightness of the 
 insects and the fixedness of the earth. We see now for the 
 first time the artist's scope and intelligence, his poetic tendency 
 and subtle touch, and that a new field is opened to the once 
 cramped and, in a certain sense, imitative work of the engraver. 
 
 He has a second style of this imaginative engraving, wherein 
 he makes memoranda on his block, the others having a plain 
 
U: B. C LOS SON. 
 
 41 
 
 surface, ^vith th(^ pencil, just as the artist outlines his subject in 
 charcoal. He iiia)' alter much t)l his suo<;esti\e or located lines 
 when he uses his o-raver; consetiucntl)', there is no loss of imag'i- 
 nation on account of the pencil work. These revelations of the 
 artist's mind will awaken a new interest in woocl-enirravincr, and 
 open a new channel for the artist enq^ravers of our country; but 
 Closson is to be credited with the first successful and important 
 steps in this departure, though there have been other attempts 
 in the same direction. Closson has also been engaged in 
 another art work. I lax ing been trained to think out his prob- 
 lems as an engraver, he has studied the possibility of a free line 
 on copper which should not be obtained by etching, and has 
 already made some beautiful reproductions of the masters, as 
 well as original works. The method is quite original; and in 
 the examples shown is so nearly like etching that the expert 
 cannot tell the difference, though there is one. In this 
 method one can detect sensitiveness of line and a more har- 
 monious result than is noticeable in the bitten work of the 
 etching. 
 
 There is just as much freedom evident in the drawing and 
 handling as in etching, while it is evident that he has in this 
 method the widest range of character of line and its treatment 
 at command ; the limit, he assures me, being only in the mind 
 of the worker. The printing is made from copper, on a roller 
 press, exactly like an etching, and also has all the advantages of 
 retroussage. Every line of the work is made by his own hand, 
 and there is no intervention of photographic or chemical aid. 
 From the fact that the line is cut, Closson styles these plates 
 " Intaglios;" this distinguishes them in name from etched plates 
 or engraved work for relief printing. Possessing, as these prints 
 do, all the wealth of color of the etching, with possibilities of 
 even greater variety of treatment, and considering the remark- 
 
42 
 
 IV. B. CLOSSON. 
 
 able results of the work already clone, I see no reason why this 
 method may not, at least in a degree, supplant etching, when 
 Closson shall see fit to give his knowledge to the public. At 
 present it is only a fair reward for the time and effort ex- 
 pended in reaching his results, that he should keep his meth- 
 ods to himself, but he intimates his willingness to have others 
 ultimately benefit by it. 
 
 Closson has shown several interesting mezzotints from his 
 own paintings of children's heads, which are highly prized for 
 their insight into the innocence and characteristics of the little 
 ones. 
 
 His engraving of the head of Christ by Da Vinci, preserved 
 in the museum at Milan, retains the force of the original, 
 and the feeling of love and tenderness is brought to the sur- 
 face with a sense of the religious element which permeates 
 the subject. 
 
 He wishes to comprehend the work of another before he 
 engraves it, because in this, as well as in his own imaginative 
 work, every touch of his graver to the wood must mean some- 
 thing or nothing, and, that his work may have the qualities of 
 freshness, vigor, and delicacy which he desires, he makes it to 
 mean something every time. 
 
 There are numerous blocks from Closson's hands which 
 might be referred to, but all show the same fidelity to the origi- 
 nal drawing; and from the day he started at the bench, to date, 
 he has never departed from his original style, though the temp- 
 tation to enter into the new school of producers, not interpreters, 
 has been very great in many ways. He has kept right on with 
 pure line and faithfulness to his subject. The brush mark is 
 not all that he sees in a picture or drawing, and effect is not 
 the end of his art. Intervals, degrees of light, modelling, and 
 air must pervade his works. 
 
//'. /.'. C LOS SOX 
 
 43 
 
 There is much common s)'mpathy between Closson and tht; 
 artist illustrator. He comprehends the equality and reHnement 
 in others, and can be relied on for faithful interpretations, but 
 prefers to handle that which is ecjual to his own conceptions ol 
 beauty, even if the manipulation of his block rec^uires twicer the 
 labor of an ordinarj- production. 
 
J. FOXCROFT COLE. S. A. A. 
 
 There are few American artists livina^ more conversant with 
 or who have been greater factors in the elevation of the standard 
 of art in this country than Cole. When one considers that it 
 was he who brought the first Corot to America, and at a time 
 when a good example of this master could be bought for sixty 
 dollars, we may be pretty sure that his knowledge of art and 
 the greatest art epoch in painting that has existed for the past 
 two centuries is based on something' substantial, and is of an 
 interesting historical nature. Cole was born in Jay, Me., in 
 1837, where he lived until his seventh year, when he came to 
 Boston and completed his common-school education. After 
 leaving school, he entered Bufford's lithographic establishment, 
 where Eastman Johnson had worked several years, and there 
 drew on stone, with Winslow Homer as a fellow-draughtsman. 
 
 At that time, just before the war, when the Old Diisseldorf 
 Art Gallery, on Broadway, New York, was the greatest and only 
 one in our country, and Andreas Achenbach was the realistic 
 genius who was most prized, and whose examples of explora- 
 tions into nature were most worshipped by artists, Cole 
 had no desires to become an artist. He saw most of the pict- 
 
 45 
 
46 
 
 /. FOXCROFT COLE, S. A. A. 
 
 ures that came to Boston ; and the Dusseldorf school, with now 
 and then a few EngHsh works to vary or add to the monotony, 
 was not of a nature to inspire him, and it was not until he saw 
 a Troyon that he awakened to the idea that he would like to use 
 color and become a painter. 
 
 Troyon's masterly style and color, as well as subjects, struck 
 a tender chord in young Cole's nature, and, when but twenty- 
 two years of age, he resolved to enter the art world, and study 
 for the profession. In i860 he went to Paris, and immediately 
 began his studies with Lambinet, with whom he continued for 
 three years, during which time he was a student in the gov- 
 ernment schools of Paris, working in the studio in winter, at- 
 tending the life school in the evening, and in the summers 
 sketching with Lambinet. At the end of his studies he took a 
 trip through Italy, and made many interesting sketches at the 
 then favorite resorts of the artists. He returned to this country 
 for a short visit, and revisited Paris, and, by good fortune, fell in 
 with a distinguished party of French painters, at Cerney la Ville, 
 among whom were Jules Hereau, Achard, a lovable old land- 
 scape-painter, Auguste Bonheur, and others of note. This was 
 a memorable summer for Cole, and he has ever retained the in- 
 fluence it had over him and his painting. It was in 1865, after 
 a brief visit to his home, that he commenced his studies in 
 Jacque's studio, Paris. Here he was set to work painting in 
 subjects from Jacque's pencil drawings, and carrying out the 
 ideas intended by his master as far as he could, when Jacque 
 would take them, change the technique, and in a few hours sign 
 the pictures. Jacque was a keen critic, and it was in his studio 
 that Cole gained many excellent ideas, and met Diaz and other 
 noted artists frequently. He was on the ground when in 1867 
 the ripened results of French art were shown in the great expo- 
 sition. The glories of Millet, Daubigny, Rousseau, and Corot 
 
J. I'OXCROI'T COLE, S. A. A. 
 
 47 
 
 were here shown in their fuhicss for the first time, and all wcsc. 
 more completely recoj^nizeil from that time out than they ever 
 were before. Cole exhibited his first wcM'k in the Salon of iS66, 
 and was represented in thv. International Ivxposition and in the 
 Salon of 1867. lie passed the summer of 1867 in Belj^ium, 
 and in the sketchinjr season of 1870 he went with Jules Hereau 
 and Mark iMsher to the Xormandy coast, and in the winter went 
 to England wiib l-isher, the lailer intending to come hack to 
 
 America, l)ut he never came, for he became appreciated there, 
 and is to-da)' one of the most esteemed artists in London. 
 Cole returned to America and established his home and sketch- 
 ing ground in Melrose, and his studio in the Century Building, 
 Boston. Still longing for the atmosphere of Paris, and con- 
 tented only to remain in America on account of his family, he 
 was finally enabled to take his people to Paris, where he lived 
 for a little more than three years in winter months, and on the 
 
48 
 
 /. FOXCROFT COLE, S. A. A. 
 
 Normandy coast in the summers. He exhibited in the Salons 
 of 1873, 1874, and 1875, at the Royal Academy, and the Man- 
 chester exhibition, which shows that he kept constantly at work, 
 and that he was appreciated, and was able to be represented in 
 the exhibits regularly, and to send to this country from time to 
 time examples from his brush. 
 
 In the fall of 1877, he returned to America, and, after an im- 
 portant sale of his works in the spring of 1878, erected a house 
 and studio at Winchester, where he lived for nine years, after 
 which he visited California, then Paris, and returned home in 
 the winter of 1887, and opened his present studio on Boylston 
 Street. 
 
 Cole has sketched in Holland and England, and at his recent 
 exhibition at Doll & Richards' galleries there were several in- 
 teresting studies made in California. During his dozen or more 
 years' residence abroad, he has associated with the strongest art 
 men of France, and his reminiscences of these famous artists are 
 exceedingly interesting. I once heard him relate an incident 
 about Dore which is worth repeating, showing the indomitable 
 spirit of that artist, and what pluck will accomplish. It seems 
 that Dore and Cole were in the habit of dining together in the 
 same restaurant, and one day, during a conversation in French, 
 Dore remarked that he wished he knew English as well as Cole ; 
 he could then go to London. Cole indorsed the sentiment, 
 for he had a liking for Dore, and knew how he suffered from 
 lack of recognition in Paris. They immediately set to work on 
 the English language, and from this moment out Dore plunged 
 into his new studies, and in an incredibly short time he spoke 
 English quite fluently, and soon went to London, where he 
 gave his famous exhibition and made his first genuine and per- 
 manent success, and all from a quiet hint and kindly talk over 
 a dining-table. 
 
J. I'OXCROFT COLE, S. A. A. 
 
 49 
 
 One can scarcely estimate the inlliR-nce Cole, in common 
 with Hunt, "Tom" Robinson, \. II. Hicknell, and Henry 
 Sayles, has had on the arts of the two continents. In France 
 he was pointing to America and sending us the Courbets, Co- 
 rots, Daubignys, Rousseaus, and other works ; in America he 
 was shaping the minds of the few patrons and man)- students to 
 look to France for their good art. It must be a satisfaction for 
 him to look back over this pioneer work, and let us hope that 
 he enjoys the result of the labors which his instincts and energy 
 fostered. 
 
 Cole's work is always serious. He goes out to nature to 
 study as a dutiful child attends school. He takes his seat in 
 the field or on the river bank, and forgets all else but the 
 lesson spread before his eyes. Study, study, study, patiently he 
 transfers the scene to his canvas, and with sure drawing his 
 sketch is after a time a complete memorandum. His art is per- 
 fect in rhythmic measure, even in its cadence, and his color is 
 always sympathetic. He would have been successful as an ar- 
 chitect, would have been solid in his construction and firm in 
 his lines, not severe but important in point of harmony ; indeed, 
 I think there would have been a distinguished and quietly grand 
 appearance in his edifices. Had he been a poet, his verse 
 would have been historical and correct in data, and ever worthy of 
 study by the scholar. Cole thinks deeply and paints deeply and 
 is conscious of his art ; his works show it. He is also conscious 
 of the wealth of nature in her varying moods, and complacently 
 yields to her charms. He does not always paint what he sees, 
 his ideas of composition and picture-making are too well bal- 
 anced to make mistakes. Where one might rush in in a passion 
 and love for nature, and greedily depict all that is before him. 
 Cole carefully selects his picture and knows what to leave out or 
 put in. This is reserve. One of his most poetic pictures, to 
 
50 
 
 J. FOX CROFT COLE, S. A. A. 
 
 my fancy, owned by E. R. Morse, Esq., of Charlestown, Mass., 
 depicts a cow drinking at a pool of water in the shadow of a 
 wall, over which hang tree branches loaded with peach blos- 
 soms. It is a simple, quiet effect, and is pure in tone, and soft 
 and delightful in its atmosphere. One cannot add to or take 
 anything away from it. 
 
 In Cole's more recent work I feel that his colors are applied 
 with more freedom and purity, that they are not stifled, and that 
 his cloud-light is diffused over the earth with a softer and gen- 
 tler spell ; there is less of the cold, pulseless gray. Several can- 
 vases painted in Holland, in 1887, are not only locally true, but 
 they possess a healthy and rich quality of color, and a tone that 
 is sweet and even. 
 
 His nature is of the passive or patient order, though he pos- 
 sesses an undercurrent of vigor, which now and then is mani- 
 fested on some large canvas, where may be seen strong and 
 marked effects of light, shade, and form. He is not demonstra- 
 tive, never loud or dashing, but portrays the quiet, sunny fields 
 with sheep and cows, the roadway with expanse of ground on 
 either side, and airy perspective in the horizon or lingering over 
 the hills, the cattle grazing or reposing in the tree shadows, the 
 gray clouds with occasional glimpses of sunlight illuminating 
 their edges, and if he be in Holland, where air, earth, and water 
 are in movement, he is quickened in his drawing and color, 
 and feels the local atmosphere, its penetrating vitality, and the 
 strength and weight of the earth. He sees like a sage and 
 paints as a prophet with a satisfying, knowing manner quite 
 compatible with facts, and inborn love for nature. It can 
 readily be claimed for Cole that he is original and individual in 
 his subjects and interpretations, that his best paintings are sin- 
 cere bits of pastoral color, and that his works carry conviction of 
 the breadth and subtlety and the silent eloquence of creations. 
 
J. FOXCROFT COLE, S. A. A. 
 
 5' 
 
 Cole is a member of the Societ)" of American Artists, has 
 been before the piihhc as a painter over a (juarter of a cen- 
 tur)', and is now, since the death of Thomas Rol)inson, the 
 onl\- active relic of the once stron<^ coterie ol stront^ nuMi who 
 laid the base of our National School of Art. It would be 
 impossible and hardly necessar)- to o^ive a list of his best 
 works, but there are some near at hand that niij^ht be iiu'n- 
 tioned. His " Ram and I'Lwe " is owned b) the Union C lub 
 of Boston; '"Willow Brook" belongs to the Somerset Club; 
 •• The Weakest goes to the Wall," in the collection of Peter S. 
 Brooks, I'Lsq. ; "Twilight, Melrose Highlands," Henry Sayles, 
 Ks(|. ; " Landscape with Sheep," S. H. Russell, Esq. ; " Cattle 
 in the Fields," George B. Chase. His pictures of " Cows Ru- 
 minating," "Coast Scene in Normandy," and the "Melrose 
 Twilig-ht " were in the Centennial, and were awarded a medal 
 and diploma. 
 
L. D. I-LDRKD. 
 
 Eldred is a marine artist, and was l^orn at Fairhav(?n, Mass. 
 His father was a boat-builder of note, and one interested in all 
 affairs of a marine nature. In his youn^^ days, our subject man- 
 ifested a love for the sea and its varied charms, and was natu- 
 rally interested in his father's work. It requires no stretch 
 of imagination to go back twenty or more years and discover 
 the boy artist with his sketch-book and pencil, rummaging 
 about among the chips of the shops, watching the construction 
 of the boats, the rigging, the movements of the workmen, or 
 sailing his boat and otherwise entering w^ith enthusiasm into all 
 matters relating to the artistic side of salt water and its acces- 
 sories. 
 
 Thus early did he begin his career as an artist, and, being 
 endowed with a keen perception of the beautiful, and invariably 
 to be found at the water's edge, his sketches attracted the atten- 
 tion of visitors to the shore, among whom, upon one occasion, 
 was William Bradford, who, at the time, had a summer studio in 
 New Bedford, and to whom Eldred acknowledges his obliga- 
 tion for whatever success he has had. Bradford, after looking 
 over his studies in color and his drawings, gave him an easel in 
 
 53 
 
54 
 
 L. D. ELDRED. 
 
 his own studio, and guided his course for several years, until 
 he went to New York, and even then gave him a privilege with 
 him during his stay in the metropolis. After a time, Eldred 
 came to Boston, and opened a studio on Bedford Street, where 
 he remained a year or so, ultimately removing to Pemberton 
 Square. 
 
 Relying on his own energy and native talent, he accumu- 
 lated sufficient funds to visit Europe, and in the winter of 
 1880 we find him studying in Julian's studio in Paris. In the 
 early spring of 1881, he started on an extended tour through 
 Italy and the South of France, and returned to Boston in the 
 fall of 1 88 1, well provided with studies, finished pictures, and 
 knowledge. The result of this endeavor to perfect himself in 
 the art was shown in several pictures he exhibited in the Art 
 Club, of which he is a member, the most important of them 
 being a scene in Venice. This painting won for him not only 
 the respect of the artists, but that of the patrons as well, and 
 his "Venice" soon became the property of a noted Boston 
 collector. 
 
 The impressions made upon him during his next trip abroad, 
 which occurred in 1883, will, doubtless, remain throughout his 
 future, for, being an ardent lover of color, he gratified that 
 sense to its fullest degree, visiting the seaports of the Medi- 
 terranean, the Spanish Peninsula, Algeria, and Morocco. 
 Algiers and Tangier seemed to absorb most of his attention, 
 and, judging from his work since his return, it is evident that 
 the influence upon the color mechanism of his eyes was health- 
 ful and of immense benefit. After an absence of a year, Eldred 
 returned and settled down in Studio Building, where he has 
 quietly utilized the materials obtained in his observations and 
 studies while abroad. 
 
 Eldred is thoroughly an artist, for he always sees things 
 
/.. EI.DRED. 
 
 55 
 
 with an cyt- lor the bcauiilul. A visit to his ^tiuiiw cHscloses 
 the prcilominant features of his art to he marines ami shon; 
 paintins^s, but a j^^lance over his walls ami throui^h his sketch- 
 books reveals his love for llowers. the nude, portraiture. land- 
 scapes, architecture, and every other phase of pictorial |K)ssi- 
 bil ities. He doubtless finds relief in paintin«r diffcr(MU ihin^rs, 
 ami paints as he feels ; but it is in his marines that wc; find him 
 at his best, for in these he portrays his li\cliesi instincts and his 
 most intense passion. I cannot feel that his work shows the 
 
 influence of any other marine i)ainter ; quite the contrary, he 
 is original in his style, both in selection of subject and treat- 
 ment, sees nature with his eyes wide-open, and is never uncer- 
 tain in his vision. 
 
 In studying pencil drawings in his sketch-books, and his 
 recent successful attempts at etching, one finds that the artist 
 has thoroughly acquainted himself w^ith every detail of shipping, 
 and that he has studied with all seriousness the wonders, 
 revealed in varied degrees, of the natural condition — light. 
 
56 
 
 L. D. ELDRED. 
 
 This acquired knowledge he carries into his color work, and, as 
 a consequence, he is able to depict with much freedom and 
 poetic feeling the local character of any place or hour. In no 
 sense is he prosaic, but is rather fascinated with the ensemble 
 of things, thus it is impossible for him to draw his objects in a 
 petty way. These traits are noticeable in his compositions ; 
 his " Venice," " Gibraltar," and " Wrecked " all show his power 
 in centralization, so that he obtains picturesque effects with- 
 out slighting the details. In a recently finished painting, 
 wherein he pictures a camel train on the Algerian desert, these 
 features are as clearly defined as in any of those mentioned 
 above. He portrays the great stretch of sand, the movement 
 of the Arabs seated on the backs of the camels, lunging to and 
 fro at every stride of the animals, the hot atmosphere pervading 
 the scene, and other incidents, which can be studied in detail or 
 as a whole, the same as if the sand were sea, and the objects 
 ships or boats upon its surface. 
 
 In Eldred's etchings, the practice of which he has but 
 recently taken up, one can discover a very sensitive feeling for 
 light and shade, and a delicate, almost effeminate touch. His 
 " Gibraltar," the property of Dr. Main, of Boston, is etched 
 for this work, and it has the appearance of a pencil drawing, 
 though the lines are mostly bitten. Somehow an artist cannot 
 hide his style or ability in an etching ; he shows just what he 
 can do with the point, just how steady and sure his hand is, as 
 well as his knowledge of drawing. Good color aids the poor 
 draughtsman as it helps the one more able ; but in etching it is 
 black and white, and every touch counts one way or the other. 
 Considering that the plate spoken of is the fifth executed by 
 Eldred, it is certainly a creditable rendering of his best effort 
 in painting, and gives evidence of true artistic ability in this 
 direction. 
 
/.. n. ! 1. 1) RED. 
 
 57 
 
 Be it in ('tchini^!>. oil. or water-colors, the nio\ciiK'iit of his 
 waves or the cahn of the sea, Kklred's drawing counts as an 
 important factor in his knowledt^e. and shows how close has 
 been his observation of this transitory element. 
 
 Possessed of an even temperament, it is but naliiral that we 
 should find his compositions well balanced, and his every effort 
 interesting;, ai^reeable, and <rood decorative compan)-. 
 
 Kldred has painted many pictures, and the followini; niay be 
 mentioned in conjunction wiili those aireatl)- spoken of: " Mid- 
 Ocean," \\. R. Ives. I'!s([.. Bridgeport, Conn. ; " .Ship at Sea." 
 C. B. Brooks, E.sq., Boston; "The .Sea-Beat .Shore," John 
 Reece, Esq., Brookline, Mass. ; " Marine View." R. M. Pulsif(;r, 
 E.sq.; " X'enice," Mr. Blodgett, Newton, Mass.; " (iibraltar," 
 Dr. Charles Main, Boston ; " Sentinel Rock," Mrs. Edward 
 Haskell, New Bedford, Mass., and several others — in the; col- 
 lections of B. S. Hosford, Esq., Boston ; ICllsworth Torrey, 
 Ii!sq.. Providence, R. I. ; Joseph S. Fay, Escp. Boston, Mass. ; 
 lohii C. Webster, Esq.. Jamaica Plains. 
 
JOHN J. ENNEKING. 
 
 In the years that Enneking^ has been in Boston, he has made 
 his name famihar to every one in the least interested in art. 
 His enthusiasm and well founded ideas in art have stimulated 
 the community, and influenced the student in his study and 
 search for what was really good. He came to Boston in 1865, 
 and at that time was engaged in some mercantile enterprise. 
 Boston and its institutions seemed to attract and interest him 
 more than those of his native residence, at Minster, Ohio, where 
 he was born, in 1841, or of Cincinnati, where he first studied 
 drawing, at St. Mary's College. Here he felt that art and artists 
 stood some show, were recognized and fostered to some extent, 
 and, after a time, he threw off his commercial yoke, and took 
 up the palette. He managed to get a living by his efforts in 
 pastel and oil paintings ; but, being ambitious, and feeling a 
 desire to perfect himself in drawing, he went to Europe in 1872, 
 and. like many of our artists who were attracted by the noise 
 about art in Munich, he first visited that city, and began to 
 
 59 
 
6o 
 
 JOHN J. ENNEKING. 
 
 search out for himself the truth of the stories of the greatness of 
 this school. He was not long in coming to the conclusion that 
 his temperament was not fitted to the methods of the Munich 
 Academy, that they were not rich enough in color, and were too 
 heavy and slow in their style. He accordingly acted on this 
 impulse and went to Paris, where he entered Bonnat's studio. 
 Here he worked hard for an intellectual training. He wanted 
 to draw and paint so as to know how to express himself, and 
 after three winters Bonnat told him that he could now " go 
 ahead." " You can draw and paint," he said, and, with patience, 
 you can paint any subject you may select." Feeling himself 
 secure in his knowledge of figure-painting, he next took up 
 landscapes, and, under the advice of Daubigny, spent the greater 
 part of two years at the favorite European resorts for artists, and 
 in the galleries, studying the masters. 
 
 Upon his return to Boston, he opened a studio in the Law- 
 rence Building, and took up his residence in Hyde Park, where 
 he ultimately built a studio. At present he has a large studio 
 on Tremont Street. His first important exhibition, after his 
 return from Europe, occurred in April, 1878, when he made 
 a grand display of upward of a hundred pictures at Williams & 
 Everett's galleries. The entire collection was sold at auction, on 
 the 2d and 3d of May, realizing upward of five thousand dollars. 
 The highest price received was for a good-sized cattle picture, 
 which went for six hundred and fifty dollars. 
 
 This exhibition established Enneking's reputation as a 
 painter, and ever since he has enjoyed an even success. The 
 catalogue of his works embraced every variety of subject, repre- 
 senting, " A Summer Afternoon on the Androscoggin," " Coast 
 Scene near Manchester, Mass.," " Moonrise at Bestrina, on the 
 Adriatic," scenes in the vicinity of Hyde Park, "The Ober 
 Sea, Bavaria," "Venice at Midday," "Fruit and Flowers," "A 
 
JOHN J. EN N EKING. 6i 
 
 Turkish Beauty ; " pastures, cattle, figures, and landscapes, all 
 were interesting in composition aiul incident, and evidenced the 
 artist's seriousness and thought, as well as skill in making 
 pictures. 
 
 Two years later Enneking gave another exhibition of his 
 works, wherein was shown a decided change in his feelings and 
 methods. He had improved in expression, and was able to 
 conve)- to the mind a more poetic sentiment and a broader 
 view of nature ; especially was this true in his twilights, which 
 
 appealed to the conscience like a sermon or an elegy, and were 
 of a lasting character. 
 
 From this time, 1880, to the present, Enneking has always 
 been represented in the important local, as well as New York, 
 Chicago, and Philadelphia exhibitions, and he has won a reputa- 
 tion commensurate with his toil, and has been recognized as 
 one of the best art jurymen in Boston. 
 
 Enneking's art abounds with reveries and fancies, and is 
 never lacking in design. He lays down the law with knowledge 
 
62 
 
 JOHN J. ENNEKING. 
 
 and with theory, and sketches from nature with force of eye and 
 mind. His sketches give us the same impression which we 
 receive when Hstening to an orchestra at a rehearsal ; we catch 
 here and there, between the interruptions of the leader, bits of 
 melody, stray notes out of time, and several bars of soft and 
 gentle instrumentality. His finished pictures, especially his 
 smaller canvases, give us the full harmony of the orchestra ; here 
 is no halting, all is in perfect cadence, from the first stroke of 
 the brush to the end, if there is an end. He feels that, however 
 far he may push his picture, there is still a beyond, a goal, 
 which he would reach, and, like all true painters, when his work 
 is finished, sees in it only the hope and promise. 
 
 His small works are as big as his larger ones. I have in 
 mind one, a Holland moonlight effect, where the moon is seen 
 partly hidden by "the clouds. Its light glitters on the water 
 ripples. There are two or three vessels, with their lights burn- 
 ing dimly, and on the shore a dull gleam of light comes from a 
 window in a mill. The picture is full of poetic feeling ; it is like 
 an old master, rich in color, firm and true, mellow in tone, yet 
 airy and crisp, or active. You can take it in your lap and linger 
 over it, wondering how it is painted, and never discovering it. 
 You will wish you owned it, so that you might live with it, marry 
 it as it were. Here is another, a twilight ; we have seen such 
 twilights in nature before, this is one more. It is silent in the 
 woods, and the lights seem to change and shift ; you feel it will 
 be dark soon, and that the day will end. It is the same twilight 
 our fathers loved, a New England twilight. Oh, how like an 
 elegy ! He has solved the enigma here, surely. No less impres- 
 sive are some of his larger twilights. They suggest the natural- 
 ness of his art and nature, they bring us into communion with 
 those things we love — men, women, children, good poetry, 
 and traditions. When studying his twilights, real things take 
 
/Ol/X J. HXXHK/XG. 
 
 63 
 
 flio-ht; \vc feel only the conllaj^^ratit)!! that is illiiminatinj; the 
 night-wrack of cloiiils. This is good art, self-sustaining and 
 chaste. 
 
 Hnneking relates his impressions in color in nuicli the same 
 manner that an enthusiast narrates a stor) ; he cannot hokl in 
 nor does he leave any thing out, and he certainly sa) s enough. 
 In his best work you forget his knowledge, and muse with hiin ; 
 that is, you feel less of what he has worked out than what he 
 has thouHit out. We have few artists in this countr\ who know 
 how to paint and how to lea\e the "know how" out of their 
 canvases. 
 
 He paints the fresh green fields and hillsides and cattle and 
 the gray clouds with much vitality and vigor, and remintls you 
 of the varying aspects of nature with a loving and happy heart. 
 In his springtime pictures there is a boyish freshness and feel- 
 ing, something new, something that is streaming on to maturity 
 with a hopefulness of convictions and impulses. The earth is 
 hard and strong, its ribs are covered with the velvet-like verdure, 
 the foliage is bright and vital, and the air sets his branches into 
 movement. The streams course their way along between the 
 river's banks, and seem to feel as if their mission was only to 
 carry the cloud shadows to some remote but more extended sur- 
 face, where they would have room to expand. His springs are 
 full of the " candor of the morning," his twilights silence fault- 
 finding, we forgive all w^hen the end approaches. 
 
 Being of a domestic nature, it is natural that he should paint 
 children with a fatherly feeling, with an ideal love and a sym- 
 pathy for the innocence within them, and in the accessories 
 which surround them, be they in the open fields gathering 
 flowers, or seated in a richly furnished room, he is careful to 
 show their characteristics, never forgetting that they are human 
 as well as beautiful. He manifests the same tenderness for the 
 
64 
 
 JOHN J. ENNEKING. 
 
 aged, and usually depicts them in a good-natured mood or like 
 old people when they are happy. 
 
 His pictures are valuable in the decorative sense, they tone 
 up a room and keep the surroundings on the move. He paints 
 in so many keys that it is an easy affair to select a picture that 
 will fill a place, fill it full. 
 
 Enneking has a belief, it may be styled a religion ; it recog- 
 nizes the spiritual constitution of life, and seeks to reflect the 
 conception of his soul's ideality. He aims to paint types of 
 figures, of landscapes, and of clouds, not as reproductions but 
 as interpretations, thereby hiding the machinery and appealing 
 to the imagination. It can be safely claimed for Enneking that 
 he is no imitator ; his pictures are too full of impressions, of 
 thoughts, of the individual, to be barren ; he may move in society 
 with the surety of being recognized, his pictures take rank in the 
 same way in a collection. His technique, as a prelude to his 
 thoughts, carries him safely through ; it abounds with life, often 
 subtle, and easily passes current among painters. Like the 
 fastidious workman, he has his moods : the one where he sees 
 and feels, as exampled in his sketches, the other when he is long 
 in seeking out the best, exampled in his calm, passionless studies 
 where all is feeling, and the workman has ceased his labor. His 
 work is as much in the way of prophecy as history. It is and 
 ever will be acceptable. 
 
 Enneking has received several gold and silver medal awards 
 for excellence in his art, and his works may be found in many 
 of the best collections in this country, A few only of his 
 important canvases are mentioned in the following list : — 
 
 " Moonrise on the Guedecca, Venice," in the possession of 
 Alfred A. Ordway, Esq., Haverhill, Mass. ; " A Drove of Cat- 
 tle," Benj. Lombard, Esq., Brookline, Mass. ; " Cloudy Day in 
 November," Amherst College, Mass. ; " Coming Storm," Mrs, 
 
JOUX J. E.\\\ EKL\G. 
 
 65 
 
 J. W. Cantllcr, Brooklinc, Mass. ; " A Cloudy Day," Massachu- 
 setts Charitable Mechanic Association ; " \ Ork I'ishermcn." 
 Fretl Johnson, Esq., Auhurndale, Mass. ; " luenin^," Mrs. 
 C. 1"^ Cushing, New York City; " Liuk? Bc^ssie," portrait, 
 Ciovcrnor Sa\v)er, Dover, N. H.; " .Sj)rin<rlinic\" fissure picture, 
 H. v.. Hebl)ard, ICsq., Boston ; " Girl and Kittens," Louis 
 Prang. Roxhury. Mass. 
 
EDMUND II. GARRIHT. 
 
 Garrett was born in Albany, N. Y., in 1853, and when but 
 two months old removed with his parents to Boston. He grad- 
 uated from the Roxbury High School, and soon after went to 
 work with Russell & Richardson, to learn the engraver's busi- 
 ness. Eight years of experience with the graver, the latter part 
 of which he was his own master, was his course of preparation 
 for the profession he now follows. In 1883 he visited Europe 
 for a year, in the interests of a publisher, and in 1886 he took 
 up his residence in Paris, where he is engaged on work for both 
 American and English publications. He has illustrated for the 
 principal American magazines, and his drawings have appeared 
 in illustrated editions of Longfellow's poems, " Lalla Rookh," 
 "The Princess," " Marmion," "Lady of the Lake," "Lay of 
 the Last Minstrel," "Eve of St. Agnes," "The Day-Dream," 
 " Lucille," poems of T. B. Aldrich, " Old Christmas," " Enoch 
 Arden," "The Closing Scene," and many other special publica- 
 tions. 
 
 The strong personality evidenced in the works of many 
 of our American artists can be accounted for on the ground 
 that they have been uninfluenced by any school, and I mean by 
 this that they have not become trained performers, but have 
 
 67 
 
68 
 
 EDMUND H. GARRETT. 
 
 been obliged to rely on their own resources, and have given us 
 the spontaneous, genuine originality, direct from their souls. 
 Those of our artists who show strong personality either never 
 studied abroad or were well advanced in their conceptions of art 
 before visiting Europe, and Garrett had made his reputation 
 assured before he studied with Jean Paul Laurens, Boulanger, 
 Lefebvre, or the lamented John B. Johnston. Education or 
 artistic training is a great aid to expression, so good clothes 
 convey a certain importance or quality of appearance to the 
 wearer ; but, after all, genius consists in the ability to select its 
 own garments; — they may be homespun, but the genius is 
 there, all the same. 
 
 Garrett is an excellent example of the self-educated Ameri- 
 can artist and painter. He understands life and nature, without 
 which he could not comprehend art or give us his interpreta- 
 tions. This life and nature he did not learn from any academy 
 or any master, his preliminary training was obtained by obser- 
 vation ; we know the kind and quality of his art, the depth to 
 which his penetration has gone, and the amount of soul there is 
 in him. We know, too, the strength of his character, the love 
 he has for locality, for old friends and domestic felicity, and in 
 his reminiscences of his early life we note the tender affections 
 and the delights of his spirit. Garrett has always been a great 
 reader, both of romance and classic works, and it is not to be 
 wondered at that he can picture and bring upon the pictorial 
 stage of life the people whom others have conjured up, and 
 give them faces with expressions equal to their rank and condi- 
 tions. His common-sense view of life is divested of all non- 
 sense and affectation, and his moderation and reserve count as 
 discipline without being in the least a cold element. He will 
 quietly study with his author and live the life of the subjects 
 brought before him. He places himself among the nine and 
 
EDMUND II. GARRETT. 
 
 69 
 
 twenty knights of fame that hung their shields in Hranksome 
 Hall, good kinsmen all to the bold Buccleuch, and he drinks the 
 wine through the barred helmet, and joins in the stories that 
 go the rounds. He is one of the belated travellers at the 
 Wayside Inn, and can mix with the loungers, or he plays with 
 
 the children and seems never too old or remote from their infan- 
 tile joys. His patient observation, appreciation of character, 
 and great sympathy, traits so much needed in art, eminently fit 
 him to comprehend the tasks set before him. He is keen in his 
 researches, and often finds errors in the authors, and, as an 
 
70 
 
 EDMUND H. GARRETT. 
 
 instance of this statement, he was at one time looking up some 
 armor for an old knight who figured in the story he was illus- 
 trating, and discovered that the author had given him a weapon 
 which was not made until at least a century after the knight 
 lived. He must make all things sure before he moves on ; he 
 settles all preliminaries, and then, as with the master who strikes 
 the keys, harmony must follow the touch. 
 
 Coupled with his intellectual force comes his original facility 
 in execution. His drawings show that his pencil, brush, or 
 burin moves apparently in a listless manner, not careless, but 
 with a desire to show a mental rather than manual energy. 
 His lines are like delicate tracery ; they wind in and out freely 
 and openly, and make all things look penetrable. Few artists 
 can show a more pronounced or effective technique. 
 
 His characters are happy or serious, or they are . in anguish ; 
 you feel that the light of an inner consciousness is awaking 
 the smile or the frown ; you note also the pose of his subjects, 
 and feel their unity with the surroundings. His Enoch Arden 
 is, perhaps, the best illustration of his powers, and shows how 
 strong the human element is in his nature. He felt for Enoch 
 in his affairs, played with him as a boy, was interested in 
 him as a father and husband, and as a castaway and one 
 forsaken he grasped the conditions with a brother's love and 
 sympathy, yes, even more, he made it possible that he might 
 have been Enoch, and herein he shows great imagination. 
 From the beginning to the end he makes the story more inter- 
 esting than we ever read it before. We encounter the three 
 children, Philip Ray, Annie Lee, and Enoch Arden, playing in 
 the beach sand ; they are abandoned to their simple ways, and 
 are like children. Through the incidents of their lives, so sad 
 and touching, he leads us on until we feel the kiss, which we 
 cannot see given, that Enoch implants on his wife's face when 
 
EDM I'M) //. (;akki:ti\ 
 
 71 
 
 the separation comes. Then follow tin- troubles and trials of 
 Annie, the trur mother ami wife, and l{noch, tlu: bravi* ship 
 wrecked sailor, until thi- latter fMiall)' returns to his nativi- town, 
 ami 
 
 *' Then down the long street having slowly stolen, 
 His heart foreshadowing all calamity, 
 His eyes upon the stones, he reached his home." 
 
 And then Enoch comes to the yew tree and looks in upon 
 
 " His wife, his wife no more, and saw the babe. 
 Hers yet not liis, upon the father s knee." 
 
 And now. " like the blast of doom," the happiness of the hearth 
 has shattered all his life. 
 
 I am told by Professor Brown, of the Boston School of Ora- 
 tory, that the pose which the artist has given to Enoch's figure 
 at that moment is one which he teaches, and which is set down 
 by eminent dramatic authorities as the one which can best depict 
 human anguish. This indorsement of Garrett's selection of 
 pose simp!)' shows that he possesses the power to control the 
 inward feeling, and that he can make the body express the tre- 
 mendous blight that has stricken the unfortunate Enoch. 
 There is no delusion, no tricker)' about his work ; it is as abid- 
 ing as anything in life can be, and \\\\\ always be appreciated 
 for its inspiring qualities. 
 
 I have in my possession a pencil drawing by Garrett, which 
 shows an old fortune-teller and two lady visitors seated in a 
 little room. The old woman's face depicts mystery itself, while 
 she studies the cards in her hand. One of the ladies wears an 
 incredulous expression on her face, the other looks on with a 
 half-curious, half-pitying gaze. One can easily detect the intel- 
 lectual person in the party, and the degrees of their worldly 
 conditions and associations, not by the garments or pose, but 
 
72 
 
 EDMUND H. GARRETT. 
 
 by the character which the expressions convey. There is a 
 lank electric cat purring beside the conjurer's chair, seemingly 
 ready to jump into her lap the moment the cards are re- 
 moved ; but the old crone takes no notice of her pet, and the 
 pet knows and feels it. The accessories are all carefully drawn, 
 with due regard for light and shade or atmosphere. What 
 Garrett intended or felt when he made this drawing was mys- 
 tery, and he certainly has filled the air full of it. 
 
 His landscapes are all seriously drawn, and picturesque in 
 composition. The relative strength of light, as it gradates in 
 depth, is evident on the distant houses and foliage, and it is of 
 a different degree in the middle distance and in the foreground. 
 Here is one that I happen to have before me, which is much 
 like a Rousseau in handling and effect. It is a trifle more vig- 
 orous, yet full of poetic feeling. 
 
 There is something in his etchings which draws you closely 
 to nature. His plate, which might be called "Twilight," 
 wherein the sun has set, and there are no clouds to give effect, 
 shows the shrubs and trees reflecting their shadows in a pond. 
 Large trees stand on a sloping hillside, their branches sharply 
 outlined against the sky. It is no printer's etching ; all of the 
 lines are firmly drawn and bitten, and the foreground shadows, 
 being near you, are not so strong as those in the half-distance, 
 a natural condition of the hour. How carefully he has noted 
 these different effects of light, and what an elegy he has made 
 of this simple bit of nature ! Here is another etching, made on 
 one of the Holland canals. He gives us four or five different 
 types of figures ; grotesque objects they are, as they waddle 
 along, and you can almost hear their peculiar jabbering. The 
 architecture on the opposite bank is touched in with few but 
 telling lines, and it all looks and feels like the place and the 
 time of day. He carries his liberty of feeling into his water- 
 
EDMi'M^ If. CARKF.TT. 
 
 73 
 
 colors from nature, showincr a first-ratc idea of color, ami oood 
 disposition of his lights. In his water-color figures, which he 
 has recently taken up, there is much strength of drawing evi- 
 dent, also skill in the management of his colors. In this phase 
 of his art he is hound to make a strong impression ; for his 
 knowledge of ami power to ili-pict character will aid him, and he 
 will feel his way out in color, as he has in his black-and-white 
 work, (iarrett is invcniixc;, is rationally religious enough to 
 illustrate tht; Hook of Job, possesses a (juiet liumor, and, as a 
 member of the Paint and Clay Club, is one of the most missed 
 of its members when al:)sent. 
 
IGNAZ marc{:l gaugengigl. 
 
 This accomplished artist \vas born in Passaii, I)a\aria, i<S55. 
 The town is one of the most interesting- of Central luiroj^e, is 
 the capital of the circle of Lower Danube, and is located at the 
 confluence of the Inn and Danube rivers. It nestles in a pict- 
 uresque defile, is traversed by three rixers, and bristles with 
 fortresses, some of them grand old piles ; here also are several 
 cathedrals, the old Abbey of St. Nicholas, and numerous glass 
 and porcelain manufactories. The place is full of ripe antiq- 
 uities ; history and the traditions of centuries have moulded the 
 character of this town, and it was here tliat young Gaugen- 
 gigl received his inspirations and was impressed with the love 
 of the beautiful and all which goes to make a man reverential 
 and serious. Gaugengigl's ancestors, for many generations, 
 were soldiers, save his father, who took up literature and became 
 a professor of languages. There is no Cromwellian, Puritanic 
 blood in Gaugengigl's composition, nor was there any in his 
 
 75 
 
76 IGNAZ MARCEL GAUGENGIGL. 
 
 father's or mother's family ; evidence of this is plentiful, and we 
 have in proof the fact that his parents were delighted when 
 they discovered that their boy was artistically inclined, and 
 his entire early education, under his father, was devoted to 
 studies and influences which would benefit him in his future 
 career. He was scarce twenty years of age when he graduated 
 from the gymnasium in Munich, under Professor Raab ; later 
 he took up his studies in the studio of Prof. Wm. Diez, and 
 at twenty-two he was painting portraits after the manner of 
 Coques. His works attracted the attention of the King of 
 Bavaria, who encouraged him, and gave him his first commission 
 in genre painting, which resulted in a fine picture representing 
 the " Hanging Gardens of Semiramis," which now hangs in the 
 royal palace. 
 
 With a desire to see the world and note the methods of the 
 various schools, he visited Italy, and in the early part of 1878, 
 when the attention of the world was directed toward the exposi- 
 tion in Paris, he drifted with the tide of pilgrims and sight-seers 
 to that city, where, after several months of study among the 
 master works in the Louvre and Luxembourg and in the studios, 
 he came to this country. 
 
 Ten years ago he set up his easel in Studio Building, where 
 he has continued in his work uninterrupted ever since, save by 
 several visits to his home in Germany, in the summer. Gaugen- 
 gigl has exerted an influence during his years among us, not 
 only in his painting, but in his social proclivities as well. 
 
 He who has had the pleasure of meeting Gaugengigl in the 
 morning, and receiving from him a courteous salutation, will not 
 forget the earnest and kindly greeting ; it lasts all day and fits 
 one for business and contact with the morose and cold world. 
 At the clubs his advent is sure to give a genuine impulse to the 
 unity of the circle. Such ecstatic politeness, so unassumed, is as 
 
IGXAZ MARCEL GAl'GHXG/GL. 
 
 77 
 
 welcome as it is rari' in these gray okl streets of ours, ( iau- 
 gengitjl has maile many a sad face hghi u|) with pleasure h)- his 
 kiiul, sweet manners, ami who knows but at the time his lu art 
 might have been depressed with some sorrow ? This buoyant 
 and tender spirit, this earnest discijjle of the social arts, so care- 
 ful in his motles ami elegant carriage, so charming in his graces 
 of speech ami figure, is ever\- inch a man. He is as sincere in 
 his art of painting as he is in the .social encounter ; in fact, the 
 
 soulful character of his everyday life naturally leads one to a 
 cheerful consideration of his interpretations and inspirations. 
 Truly he has a hearty way and a robustness of style, albeit he 
 may show it in a smaller space than most painters, who may 
 spread themselves over many feet of canvas and do not obtain 
 gjreater results than he, who can, without crowding, tell a charm- 
 ing story on a tiny panel. Some men need room for their arms, 
 while some require space for their imagination ; the latter can 
 
78 
 
 IGNAZ MARCEL GAUGENGIGL. 
 
 usually stow away their ideas in a compact manner, while the 
 muscular artist lets go his whole weight and the noise with it, 
 and it is all discernible. Gaugengigl, even in his merry Cupid 
 panel over the stage of the Boston Museum, a highly decorative 
 and interesting piece of color and drawing, does not lose his 
 originality and inventive character, nor his style or strength in 
 expression. He displays the same refined humorous spirit one 
 often detects in his easel pictures, and, though the triumphal 
 procession, as it bears its rosy burdens and disports its jolly 
 anatomy, be a distemper effect, it is none the less a strong, vivid 
 example of the breadth of the artist's mind and his facility of ex- 
 ecution. Gaugengigl is well equipped with the requisite train- 
 ing and faculty to successfully express his thoughts in genre art. 
 Like Thoreau, his art is one of intimacy with precious facts. 
 The naturalistic genius of the fields, who knew the time of day 
 by the condition of the flowers, and could tell you something 
 you never dreamed of about the snowflakes, is equalled in 
 another phase of art by this genius of the pigments. Both, in 
 their distinctive works, transcend the real and commonplace ; 
 both are admired by the discerning lovers of true art, and even 
 the ultra-adherents of detail and completeness are forced to re- 
 spect not only the intellectuality of these masters, but their 
 methods and results as well. 
 
 Says an able critic on Gaugengigl: "We like to compare a 
 favorite painter's pictures with those of the great masters of the 
 art, but comparisons of this nature are not less tempting than 
 perilous ; they are as liable to do injustice to the originality and 
 quality of the performance we would praise as they are to over- 
 step the bounds of truth and modesty. It is, therefore, as inex- 
 pedient to call Mr. Gaugengigl the ' Meissonier of America ' 
 as it is to name Colorado the ' Switzerland of America,' or 
 Boston the ' Athens of America.' In certain respects there 
 
n,.\.u MAKCiij. (:.iri,j:.\(;/(;L. 
 
 79 
 
 arc j^Dixl reasons for pri'lcrriiij^ Colorailo to Switzerland, aiul 
 Boston lo Athens, ami in all respects it is certainl)' wiser ami 
 better to let our own scenery, social system, art. ami institutions 
 staml on thrir own merits." 
 
 1 would not compare Meissonier to ( iaui^enL,n<;l, or vice 
 versa, except in a j^eneral way ; ccrlainl)' ilicir art is not the 
 same. tlK)utrh it may he j^enre art. I'ettenkofen, Mar^uc', and 
 DominiLjo all tlitier in techni(iuc. yet it is all ^ood techni(iuc, 
 ami in the same sense wc Imd (-(luall) Inu: iechni(iuc; in ihv. 
 embroiileries iVom the cloister, the hand-tooled leather of the 
 Moors, the enamel lettering in the parchment missal, the in- 
 cised Ivor)" ; and there arc the relative arts of the Japanese, who 
 teach us relifrious technique; — all are exquisite workmen, 
 patient and skilful in their wonderful manipulations. Is excel- 
 lence of technique all of art? It goes far in showing the finer 
 instincts of nature, even though it be literal ; and the better 
 the technique, the better are the soul's convictions expressed. 
 All of the masters spoken of have their own manners and 
 inspirations, each charms ) ou w ith his s])ccial loveliness ; the 
 tea-rose, the Jacqueminot, and the violet are to be considered, 
 not which is the most fragrant or beautiful, but each for its 
 special glor)-. 
 
 Gaugengigl paints correctly the costumes and furniture of 
 the periods in which his subjects lived. He goes further : he 
 animates the costumes w^ith the life that is in the anatomy 
 beneath them ; his paid model stands to his imagination as a 
 king or courtier, and as such he mov€s gracefully, if it is his 
 temperament, rudely if he is enraged, and the costume takes 
 on the spirituality of its wearer ; so do all the accessories ; the 
 " Incredulous Listener," a last-century Frenchman, in a red coat, 
 in one of his pictures, shows it in his doubting face and aban- 
 doned pose, his careless, wrinkled waistcoat, and equally in his 
 
8o 
 
 IGNAZ MARCEL GAUGENGIGL. 
 
 chapeau cocked stubbornly on his knee. The man in the red 
 coat who is trying to convince his friend is all force in pose, 
 and the garments, of course, are full of convincing lines and 
 action. Here is the draughtsman and the poet, humorous, 
 maybe, yet delicate and fine. He has painted the thoughts 
 of these two men, and all else that is needed to complete the 
 picture. His native impulse, self-reliance, culture, and inventive 
 faculties are evident in every task he sets out to perform. He 
 never repeats himself in subject, for we can call up the charac- 
 ters he has portrayed, as distinctly as some well known friend 
 or a companion of an evening. Here is " The Painter," seated, 
 two-thirds back view. He is gazing at the canvas on an easel ; 
 it seems as if one might ask him how he liked it, and that he 
 would respond by turning his head and smiling. The earnest- 
 ness of gaze shows how absorbed he is in the half-completed 
 sketch. Gaugengigl has coupled mind and matter in this 
 work exceedingly well. Here are the two courtly gentlemen 
 in the grand old panelled room. They have looked over a 
 map, and "The Field of Battle" is under discussion. One is 
 still perusing the map, the other has thrown his chair to the 
 floor, and stands defiantly fixed and immovable near the open 
 fireplace. Wood is wood in this picture, so is tapestry tapestry ; 
 fabrics are like the original, and a conscious brain seems to 
 give expression to the faces. As in all of Gaugengigl's works, 
 there is a soft and gentle atmosphere in and about everything. 
 We can see the young monk absorbed in the harmony he is 
 making on his violoncello ; see his face as he looks up to his 
 score, and note the "Adagio" in his countenance. What splen- 
 did results, what splendid art is this ! It is full of good color 
 contrasts and gentle gradations of color drawing, in light and 
 shade. 
 
 " L'Affaire d'Honneur," with swords, is another well known 
 
Si 
 
 work 1)\ this artist. It is diu- oI llu- old sort ; soiiu- knul or love 
 afiair has hct-ii settled in the carl) inornini^. 1)\ the seashore ; 
 the one is taken and the othi-r is left. i his is really a wonder- 
 ful canvas, one of his nuist ilramatic in its action, and is beauti- 
 ful in its lantlscajje aiul effects of the early hour antl mastery in 
 conception, j^roiipin*;. antl directness. There is a traijedy and a 
 inatinal symphon)- i.joini;- on at the same instant ; truly a wide 
 contrast, ami yet all seems possible. " l.'ne Pelilt? Repri- 
 mantle " and " Hellissima " show that he can paint the opposite 
 sex in the most ravishint^ style of beauty and spirit. It would 
 l)e tlifficult to pick out his best works ; they all possess an inter- 
 est equally fascinating-. There is his " Unc; Question Difficile," 
 a companion in st\le to his "The Story." Both are su[)erb in 
 handling and grouping, ami all-sufficient in spiritualit)-, text- 
 ures, repose, and naturalness. In " The I'irst Hearing," a 
 young musician is surrounded b)' a select company of gentle- 
 men in the costumes of the Directory. He is rendering some 
 interesting piece of x iolin music, and, judging from the atten- 
 tion of his listeners, lie is scoring a success. You will delight 
 in the delicate feeling and charming insight of the artist's crea- 
 tion, and enter into the spirit ot his marvellously told story. 
 
 Gaugengigl's work is full of distinguished individuality, 
 gentle and genuine, and is filled with that attribute which can- 
 not be acquired — intuition. He has shown his power in all 
 phases of the emotions; he has pictured the shore "After the 
 Storm," where the angry waters are still restless, and the great 
 solid rocks look sullen and in despair of ever again being 
 bathed with pure simlight ; he has given us the most dainty 
 middle tones, the most delightful sheen of the fabrics, the 
 effects of lights, exterior and interior, and introduced us to 
 many agreeable gentlemen, who will abide in our memories as 
 long as we live. 
 
82 
 
 IGNAZ MARCEL GAUGENGIGL. 
 
 Gaugengigl has been a grand success in art, and in his 
 influence over art. Have his fine instincts been appreciated in 
 this land of trade and pohtics, trust companies and utiHtarian 
 habitudes ? Our self-reHant connoisseurs are few, and good art 
 often suffers for want of patronage. 
 
 With those mentioned, the following make a complete list 
 of his works : — 
 
 "The Musician;" "The Philosopher;" "Reading;" "The 
 Student ;" " How do you do ?" " Mischief ; " " Small Audience ;" 
 "The Troubadour;" "The Year;" "Stirrup Cup;" "Going 
 Out ; " " The Pets ; " " One of the Committee of Public Safety ; " 
 " Siesta ; " " His Hobby ; " " Idylle ; " "A Studio ; " " The Sur- 
 prise ; " " Le Refugie ; " "An Affair of Honor;" "The Child 
 is Father of the Man ; " " The Amateur ; " " Quiet Afternoon ; " 
 "And Drive Dull Care Away;" "Revenge;" " Egalite ; " 
 " In the Promenade ; " " Le Choix Force ; " " The Story ; " " The 
 Only Way ; " " The Cavalier ; " " The Art Lover ; " " His Boy's 
 Boy; " " Un Patriote Elegant." 
 
ABiiorr (iUA\ i:s. 
 
 A VISIT to the studio when the artist sits down after a day's 
 toil over his easel, and watches the effect of the fading light 
 upon his picture, and notes its strength or weakness of light 
 or shade, is usually the most interesting event of the day, and 
 the time to catch the artist in a talking mood. At such a time? 
 one may hear the art events of the day, or reminiscent art, dis- 
 cussed with much intelligence. It was at one of these " gloam- 
 ings " that I first heard tlic name of Graves mentioned and his 
 works discussed. One of his flower pictures, the first of imj)or- 
 tance that he had shown, was then on exhibition at the Art 
 Club, and it had attracted the attention of tlie colorists to such 
 an extent that it was one of the themes of studio conversation. 
 All agreed that it was more than clever, that it was " full of go," 
 and that Graves was " sure to come up." The prophecy has 
 been realized ; the artist and his works are well known, and both 
 alike are popular. 
 
 Several years after, at another of these studio twilight sit- 
 tings, remarks were made concerning another picture Graves 
 had on exhibition. " What makes Graves con.spicuous is his 
 loyalty to his friends and his art," said one artist, and in re- 
 
 83 
 
84 
 
 ABBOTT GRAVES. 
 
 sponse to this came remarks to the effect that Graves, though 
 hnpetuous, was earnest and honest in his convictions, and that 
 he was eminently decorative in color, and comprehended his art 
 and the nature of flowers ; an indorsement which all who know 
 the artist and his work will readily agree to. 
 
 Graves, though a young man, has had a considerable experi- 
 ence in life, and has won his way, accompanied by the usual 
 hard knocks one receives when thrown upon his own resources 
 at an early age. He was born at Weymouth, Mass., in 1859, 
 and is of Puritan and French Huguenot descent. His first at- 
 tempt at painting dates back to his tenth year, when he bought 
 three colors of Frank W. Rogers, the dog-painter, who was a 
 schoolmate of Graves' at the time, in Hingham, and with these 
 colors he painted a portrait of the family dog. At sixteen, 
 young Graves was obliged to leave school and seek his own 
 living, and by instinct drifted toward a greenhouse. In this 
 congenial employment he was engaged for several years, 
 learning the business of flower growing and sowing in every 
 capacity, from the carrying of a " dozen board " to making 
 bouquets, and travelling for the firm. His great forte was in the 
 decoration of houses for weddings, where he could handle flow- 
 ers by the bushel, and in this large way of doing things Graves 
 made an enviable reputation. At every available moment he 
 was at work in his room, painting flowers, and his ambition to 
 be an artist was paramount to all other desires in life. Imbued 
 with this feeling, he opened a studio in Studio Building, when 
 there seemed to be little prospect for him to be able to pay his 
 first month's rent, but at the end of two months he was square 
 with the world, and has been enabled to keep so ever since. 
 His first friend and patron in the arts was Mr. Samuel Adams 
 Drake, the historian, to whom Graves is indebted for many 
 kind words and other substantial encouragement, and later on 
 
ABBOTT i.KAlTiS. 
 
 85 
 
 hf touml a warm iVifiuI in Mr. Lt)iiis Aklrich, whose Ijcautiiul 
 daughtt-r In- ullimatcl\- inarricil. 
 
 Ciraves contributed reijularK to the i-xhihitions in tliis city 
 and New \'ork, and after a time was stronj^ enouj^h to become 
 a member of the Boston Art Chil) and Paint and Clay Ckib, and 
 in 1SS4 went to Paris, where he stiulietl iindiT (jcorijes Jeannin, 
 ilie lamous flower-painter, and later on visited \ enice, where 
 he painted his large canvas, " The Flowers of X^enice," which 
 secured for him a permanent place among the strong painters of 
 our city. After a year's absence abroad, he returned to Boston, 
 
 and when the Cowles Art School was established became an 
 instructor in the still-life and flower-painting class, which posi- 
 tion he held with, much distinction until his departure for Eu- 
 rope in 1887. 
 
 Up to this date there were several incidents which happened 
 in his art career, which showed an independent spirit, and con- 
 spicuous among them was one wherein he refused to liave his 
 picture hung over a door at the annual exhibition of the Art 
 Club in 1886. Feeling that he could not get the satisfaction he 
 wanted, before the exhibition opened, he removed the picture 
 
86 
 
 ABBOTT GRAVES. 
 
 from its frame. There was considerable talk made over this 
 action, and the writer feels that time has smoothed the matter 
 over and proved that Graves was not so much in error as some 
 supposed he was at the time. 
 
 Graves' pictures recommend themselves to every lover of 
 flowers ; nor can he fail to attract the eye of the decorator, for his 
 colors are well arranged and look natural, and he possesses a 
 faculty of placing great masses of color on a canvas without caus- 
 ing vagueness; — this is a strong feature in Graves' mechanism. 
 "The Flowers of Venice " is a good illustration of the point in 
 question. In it there is a gondola filled with the brilliant tones 
 of the peonies and other rich-hued flowers, also pot plants in 
 great profusion, and one cannot but feel charmed with the 
 beautiful display, if he cares the least for color masses. There 
 is no confusion nor fixedness in the grouping, the accents of 
 light and the shadows are not spotty, and the breadth and grasp, 
 while being vigorous and real, are not of an imitative nature. 
 One feels, without exaggerating the imagination, that the breath 
 of the flowers still lingers over the wealth of their colors, and 
 one becomes happy in the presence of the .work. There is 
 much of Graves' enthusiasm evident on the canvas, a youthful 
 buoyancy of disposition ; and this fresh and quickening senti- 
 ment is a healthy adjunct, noticeable in all of his works. 
 
 Graves models the flowers in color with a knowledge of their 
 lightness and with a delicate sense of their tenderness; he 
 draws with the pencil the anatomy of the leaf and petal by 
 graceful touches, and an instinctive love which the born botanist 
 recognizes and appreciates. Even in these delicate pencil lines 
 there is a decision and firmness as well as freedom, and in his 
 color work the tones are true and just, not severe. Graves 
 possesses some science; but his sensitive observation and rapid 
 translation supplant even the knowledge of how the thing is 
 
ABBOTT GRAVES. 
 
 87 
 
 tlone ; thus his works show the impersonal in tlcsigii and indi- 
 \ iihiahi\- in execution. 
 
 There is no secret in his art, it is frank and o|ien, and the 
 nature anil species of the (lowers are always well portrayed. 
 In composition Graves is always agreeable and original, and is 
 e(|ually at home on a large or small canvas. His " Chrysanthe- 
 mum vShow," taken from an exhibit in Horticultural 1 lall, is an 
 interesting picture, and, while the original show might have im- 
 pressed the visitor as being rather massive and weight)' in color, 
 Graves seems to have absorbed the; immense llood of subtle 
 colors without monoton)- in its treatment, and with a tender sen- 
 timent and affection. There is something palpable aiul sub- 
 stantial in his picture owned by the Boston Art Club, and in 
 this work the composition is so well balanced and lighted that 
 the eyes may repose with a pleasurable sensation on any i)art 
 of the canvas, especially on the centre of the huge bouquet. 
 
 None of Graves' pictures are what is termed " effective," they 
 are not real enough for that appellation ; they are brilliant, dec- 
 orative, and kept w-ell within themselves, always consistent and 
 never over-accented. You feel that they are impulsive, in the 
 sense that they are unconscious interpretations ; that is, as if the 
 child had shouted, " See the splendid colors of the bouquet," and 
 exultantly seized his palette and painted into his work the ex- 
 pression as well as the bouquet. 
 
 Graves lacks preciseness, and his temperament is better off 
 without it. If he possessed it he would be finical. His pencil 
 drawings show^ wonderful knowledge of detail ; it seems as if his 
 eyes rested on the rose and his drawing simultaneously, so cor- 
 rect is every part; but his feeling of colors is so strong that he 
 loses this correctness and grives us the life of the rose, while his 
 precision of drawing apparently slumbers. 
 
 Flowers possess a religious life within them ; they seem to 
 
88 
 
 ABBOTT GRAVES. 
 
 be like poetry, full of gentle and polite character ; they are the 
 delicate, sensitive children of earth, " innocence's emblems," and 
 it seems out of place to classify them with fruits, dead game, nuts, 
 and bric-a-brac, under the head of " still-life." Can a painted brass 
 pan, a dead fish or duck, an orange, or bird's plumage convey to 
 the heart such delights as a beautifully painted mass of flowers ? 
 
 Flowers as Graves paints them are not still-life studies ; they 
 seem to possess movement and vitality ; they are ever smiling, 
 have a language of their own, and are always companionable. , 
 
 His " Cherries," shown at the Paint and Clay Club exhibition 
 in 1888, are juicy and like the fruit, or like the taste and fruit as 
 we remember it. He shows in the textures that there is a dif- 
 ference, in the material, between the cherries and the willow 
 basket which holds them, and still another substance in a green 
 jug near by. Here is green, brown, and red, and a rich back- 
 ground of subdued monochrome hue ; all are strong as frag- 
 ments, and together are in harmony. 
 
 Among Graves' most important paintings are the following : 
 " Flowers of Venice," Southern Hotel, St. Louis ; " Chrysanthe- 
 mum Show," owned by Mr. John Shepard, of Boston ; " Peo- 
 nies," in the Boston Art Club collection ; " Grandmother's 
 Window," owned by Miss Niles, of Beacon Street, Boston. 
 
In a general exhibition of pictures, a first-rate marine attracts 
 about as much attention as any other subject. The avera<re 
 visitor will study the waves, look with wondering eyes upon the 
 ships, and feel impressed with the life that animates the canvas ; 
 and the reason for this feeling is that they are not familiar with 
 the sea. and that they are drawn toward the representation on 
 account of the mystery connected with the life of the mariner. 
 Marine pictures are also inclined to be decorative, and are, when 
 fairly painted, the first to catch the eye upon entering the gal- 
 lery' : this is a special feature of Halsall's works, and, aside from 
 the experience which he paints, his canvases invariably attract 
 attention on account of the effects attained in line and form, as 
 well as stronor contrasts of color. 
 
 o 
 
 Then comes the charm of his story, which demands your re- 
 spect and absorbs your thoughts, and, like all stor^'-tellers of 
 any force or character, he gives you facts and a knowledge 
 which is only gained by absolute experience. Halsall has been 
 over the ground, or, one may say, sea, and is well fortified with 
 
 89 
 
90 
 
 WILLIAM F. HALS ALL. 
 
 details to make his story interesting. He is one of the most 
 earnest painters we have among us, and was a born sailor, and 
 in his earliest youth hankered for the sea as the girls do for 
 their dolls. 
 
 When but an aproned child he would wander away from his 
 home down to the docks at Portsmouth and play about among 
 the ships until he got to be a favorite with the old salts, and it 
 is not to be wondered at that his infant mind matured rapidly, 
 for at the age of ten he ran away from home, shipping at Ports- 
 mouth as cabin boy on the Ocean Rover, bound for the East 
 Indies. When but sixteen years of age, he had become second 
 mate of his ship, and had sailed to many European ports and 
 had visited Australia and the African coast. 
 
 It would seem from the foregoing events that young Halsall 
 was not of a very artistic temperament, but incidents happening 
 during his six years' sailor life prove that a latent spirit for art 
 was in him, for if we look back we will discover him hard at 
 work, doing a great part of the ship's painting. It was he of all 
 the crew who set the color for the cask hoops and took great 
 pride in applying the black paint around the gilded name of the 
 Rover. These are trifling innuendoes, to be sure, but, coupled 
 with the lettering and attempts at drawing, and his inclination 
 while abroad to visit picture galleries, all go to show the bent of 
 his mind, though yet unconscious of his future career. 
 
 When I first knew him, in i860, he had given up following 
 the sea and was hard at work, side by side with W. E. Norton, 
 the marine artist, at Mr. Christopher Needham's shop on Wash- 
 ington Street, as a fresco painter. Here he discovered his 
 passion for art, and, with the same ardor which prompted his 
 ventures as a mariner, he plunged into the details and rudi- 
 ments of art, and might have been seen any night at the Lowell 
 Institute, with Norton, Mark Fisher, Martin Millmore, Moses 
 
lVILIJA.]f F. J/ALSALL. 9. 
 
 Wirjht. Bierstadt. and others, studyinj^ the mysteries of black 
 and white, and keeping even w ith his fellows. I low man)' hours 
 of overwork at the shop he has performed in ortler to see the 
 Allston Club exhibitions by daylight, and how many depriva- 
 tions he has imdergone to attain his ends in art, cannot easily 
 be reckoned ; but it is safe to state that his struggU.'s were of the 
 old and familiar sort, and were perhaps essential to his ultimate 
 success. Doubtless, he woukl have continued his work at tin: 
 
 institute, and, like his companions, opened a studio, but, with a 
 patriotic impulse, he entered the United States nav)' and 
 served with distinction in the North Carolina blockading squad- 
 ron. After his discharge he opened a sign-painting shop on 
 Broad Street, and during his spare moments practised his art, 
 and became well known to yachtsmen as a yacht-portrait painter 
 some time before he gave up his regular business and opened a 
 studio. 
 
92 
 
 WILLIAM F. HAL SAIL. 
 
 Uninfluenced by any school, save in a general way, from the 
 inspiration any painter receives in studying fine pictures, and 
 being a devout lover of nature, he set at work with vigor and 
 earnestness to realize his ambitions in his chosen profession. 
 Nothing can be more interesting in human affairs than to follow 
 the progress of any worthy man who, step by step, carves his 
 way to success, and I know of no man who has won a better 
 place and name among the artists of this country than Hal- 
 sail. The mere painting of yachts did not seem to reach 
 Halsall's aspirations; there was more than this for him to per- 
 form, to realize his highest dreams. Being a great reader, he 
 had developed a sentiment for the historical character of marine 
 architecture and incident, and his researches for a good subject 
 were rewarded by the production of his first really important 
 picture, the "Arrival of the Winthrop Colony," now owned by 
 Mr. Joseph T. Bailey, of Boston. This work opened the 
 eyes of the public, and he followed up his success soon after 
 with the "Mayflower," now the property of the society at 
 Plymouth. Then came his heroic canvas, "The Fight between 
 the Monitor and Merrimac," which now hangs in the Senate 
 wing of the Capitol at Washington, and his last achieve- 
 ment was the historical picture of the famous yacht Vol- 
 unteer. 
 
 In all of his works three attributes are noticeable : the serious 
 student, an artistic insight, and application ; by these he has 
 attained a remarkable success, and the world is familiar with his 
 pictures by the aid of the reproductive processes. 
 
 Halsall divides his time about equally between his studio 
 and nature ; indeed, he may as often be found on the pilot boats, 
 sailing in the placid summer sea, and in midwinter scudding 
 before the gale, as in his studio ; in fact, he feels it a duty as 
 well as a love to paint from nature, especially so when his ele- 
 
UVL/./.LV F. HALSALL. 
 
 93 
 
 ment, the water, is of such a iiansiiorj' and ever chansrinjr char- 
 acter, l luis it is that his crreat waves art- made to appear so 
 full of restless ant! luinultuous force, and his even ebh and llow 
 soairreeable and remindful. There is no academician about Mr. 
 Halsall ; his paintinji^s are not hampered by theories, they can be 
 studied by the untutored mariner or the artist with equal deli^i^ht; 
 and his compositions are invariably artistic, and often tender 
 and poetic. Halsall's work evidences the characteristics of the 
 .sailor, who sees thint^s in a big way ; now we are studying the 
 gigantic ices of Niagara Falls, now a frigid scene from the top 
 of Mount W'ashinotou, ajjain we are warmed with the hot <jlow 
 of a harbor sun.set, or trail slowly along in some becalmed 
 schooner or yacht. Still again we see his brush depicting the 
 ship in mid-ocean, flying before the gale or moving in outlines 
 against the marge of gray, with full sail set and nearing port 
 after a successful voyage. In all of his work the artist, painter, 
 and the sailor are combined with splendid force, and in the full 
 magnificence of manliness and clearness of perception. I can- 
 not see but what his drawing equals that of the European edu- 
 cated student, and that his energetic temperament is as well 
 displayed in water-painting as any of the Dutch painters'. Cer- 
 tain it is that his paintings move one to an appreciation both 
 for their subjects and realism as w-ell as for their poetry and 
 imagination, and, if there be aught lacking in the appearance of 
 a generous largeness of treatment in his work, it cannot come 
 from the artist, but rather from the narrowness of the critic's 
 vision. We have not among us a more whole-.souled artist or 
 one more able to give us the stories of the sea or shore, the 
 anatomy of the ship or wave, than our subject. 
 
 Halsall is a member of the Art Club and Paint and Clay 
 Club, and his works are always acceptable in all of the impor- 
 tant exhibitions held in New York, Chicago, or Philadelphia. 
 
94 
 
 WILLIAM F. HALS ALL. 
 
 Many of our local collections contain Halsall's works. His 
 "Niagara Falls" is owned by B. W. Kilburn, Esq. ; " The Vol- 
 unteer," by Dr. Charles G. Weld; "The Lee Shore," by T. J. 
 Loud, Esq.; and the Boston Art Club possesses "To the 
 Rescue " 
 
LOUIS K. HARLOW. 
 
 Hari.ow is best known to the art Avorkl as a water-color 
 painter, and was born at Wareham, Mass. At the age of twelve 
 he studied pencil drawing with an old English artist, and read- 
 ily accords to him whatever success he has attained in the use 
 of the point. His early genius naturally sought the black-board, 
 and his " Deer's Head " was the wonder of all youthful eyes. 
 After graduating from Phillips Academy he went into business ; 
 but for figures and commercial pursuits he had little tact, or not 
 enough to find pleasure or profit in them. In 1880 he thought 
 himself well equipped for art life, and opened a studio in Studio 
 Building, where he had " hard lines," usual to artists who are 
 determined to stick to their profession. 
 
 From 1880 to date, Harlow has steadily grown in repu- 
 tation, and just as steadily has he won the financial accompani- 
 ment to merit. 
 
 Boston is slow to recognize its artists, if it ever does, and 
 Harlow became known in the West before he claimed the 
 attention due him in this city. In 1882 he received a call from 
 a pioneer band of artists, some thirty or more students in the 
 class, in Detroit. There he labored for several seasons, and 
 formed the nucleus of what has since developed into a museum 
 of fine arts of great importance and influence. 
 
 95 
 
96 
 
 LOUIS K. HARLOW. 
 
 His adaptability to instruct pupils in the rudimentary princi- 
 ples of art has given him congenial employment in many cities, 
 and opened a market for his productions. 
 
 His first important exhibition in the East was given at Mr. 
 Walter Kimball's galleries in this city, in 1885, and from that 
 time out he has worked every moment on commissions. This 
 success enabled him to visit Holland, and at another time Eng- 
 land and Paris. While he always found enough good material 
 at home, by these visits abroad he obtained a wider range and 
 comprehension of art, and his many visits to study the Dutch 
 pictures influenced his manner and style, and gave him the 
 ideas which he has so eminently improved. 
 
 His affability of temperament is evident in his work, and his 
 alert sensibilities are as ready as his brush or pencil to catch 
 the prettiness of an idea or the beauty and picturesqueness of a 
 scene in nature. Few indeed are the artists who can as read- 
 ily transcribe a thought or scene on the paper as Harlow, and 
 his rapidity of manipulation of color in the wash is interest- 
 ing to witness. This facility has surprised artists ; yet when he 
 finishes his painting the drawing and color are complete and well 
 balanced. He seems to know his colors and their effects, and, 
 like an English artist who has learned his trade, comprehends 
 the results before his brush is applied. This born grace of his, 
 the handling of color, is of special advantage in the use of water- 
 colors, enabling him to fix an effect from nature which the more 
 solid pigments are almost incapable of being made to do. 
 Hence the touch and brilliancy of his studies. 
 
 His inventive faculties are prolific and a wonder to the pub- 
 lishers of specialties in the line of original illustrated works, 
 and I doubt if there are many artists to be found whose 
 works are as plentifully distributed among the homes of our 
 people. 
 
LOr/S K. JLlKJAni'. 97 
 
 I will not attempt here to oivc a list of the iiimicnnis holiilay 
 bt)oks he has conceived ; suffice it to say that no end ol piil)- 
 lishers have souj^ht his service, and at the present writing his 
 time is divitled between Messrs. IVani^ ^ Co. and Mr. C. Klack- 
 ner. the one in water-colors for reproduction in various sinK-s, 
 the other in work for etchiui^^s. This latter phase of Harlow's 
 labor is one which has brouLjIu him into notice? ihrouL^^hout 
 llu" laml ; publishers are not likcK lo palroni/e an artist unle.ss 
 
 he be a source of revenue, and this is quite an indorsement for 
 the " taking qualities " of Harlow's work. 
 
 There seems to be no end to the Aariety of subjects this 
 artist has treated ; flowers and figures, land and sea scapes, 
 architecture and wood interiors, as well as themes from the 
 poets, and whatever he may see in his daily walks, all alike 
 affect him for the beauty and art in them, and his imagination 
 feels out the language or the thought to be convejed. 
 
9.8 
 
 LOUIS K. HARLOW. 
 
 In his " Picturesque Coast of New England," published by 
 S. E. Cassino, of Boston, we find the instincts of the artist, and 
 his strength in the portrayal of the scenes, to be evident at a 
 glance. The sea has its charms for him, and the influence of 
 its wonders, engrafted into his young heart on his native heath 
 at the Cape, can never be lost or mistaken for anything but the 
 genuine. His " Etching of Daybreak," Longfellow's sweet 
 rhyme, shows a delicate sense and fine appreciation of the 
 effects of nature and the poetry of the morning hour. In his 
 " Floral Tributes," from the Bible, and " Holiday Songs," from 
 Shakespeare, the careful student of literature is evident, 
 for in the selection of material for such illustrated work it 
 is quite an easy thing for the researcher to make too much 
 of his subjects, or, as the journa4ist would say, " pad 
 them." 
 
 He has given to the world many bits of rambling history in 
 real life and from nature, such as " Sketches in Dutchland," 
 " Echoes in Aquarelle," " American Poets' Homes," "" Snow 
 Bound," " Home of Evangeline," " Green Pastures," " Still 
 Waters," and others of equal note and importance. 
 
 His studio, at No. 6 Beacon Street, is a resort for artists, 
 critics, amateurs, and connoisseurs, and, unlike most professional 
 men, he is fond of company when he is at work ; at least, he 
 never seems to mind their presence, in the sense of being 
 annoyed, and will keep up an animated conversation on almost 
 any theme, and at the same time handle a large etching-plate, 
 design and paint in color, or leave his work and take up a pencil 
 to illustrate some point in his argument. 
 
 These are but a few of his happy characteristics, and what- 
 ever of praise is here meted out to him is deserved. In a quiet 
 way he has assisted many beginners, is always patient, and seems 
 to be amused and interested, at the same time, over the earnest- 
 
LOllS K. I/ARLOIV. 9*; 
 
 ness of the student. NalunilU . lie has ukuI*- \-,\.\\\) Irieiuls, and. 
 what is iinporiaiU above all, he retains ihein. 
 
 As in his works, so is he in his social and business rela- 
 tions, simple antl effective in techni([iic. aiul al\va)s aj^p.-eahle 
 in color. 
 
F. CIllLni- H ASSAM. 
 
 Ria-Ri:.Sl!I\(^, oncrinality is al- 
 ways c\ i(lciu in I lassam's work. 
 It is quite unlike: any other artist's, 
 in style or fmish, that 1 know of. 
 Startinf^ with his drawins^r and 
 en(lin<4' with his compositions, lill- 
 in_o' u]) the interxal with color, 
 technicjue, and subject, he iinari- 
 ably stamps his works with a 
 strong- indixidualit)', antl sets the 
 imajrinations and eyes of those 
 who stud)' his work on the keen 
 jump. He is not unlike the Jap- 
 anese in the spirit of his drawings, 
 full of movement and force, very 
 vital in character. He has had little training, what might be 
 termed literal stud)', though his whole mature life has been 
 devoted to artistic pursuits. He was born in Dorchester 
 (Boston), in 1859, and, after leaving school, commenced draw- 
 ing on wood for the engravers. After quite an apprenticeship 
 in this line, he took up illustrated work, and in this field 
 acquired an excellent reputation, as the children who have 
 
 lOI 
 
I02 
 
 F. CHILDE HAS SAM. 
 
 studied die gift books of the seasons which he has illustrated 
 will readily attest. Despite the fact that Hassam has " drawn 
 many pictures" for the edification of juvenile readers, he has 
 never allowed this work to interfere with his painting in water- 
 colors or oils, and has been recognized as a painter fully 
 as long as he has been known as an illustrator. His figure 
 drawings in black and white and color have always been very 
 taking with the public, and when he began to paint wet days 
 in the streets, and put his figures into the incidents, he struck 
 a motif which few artists attempt, by which he has gained a 
 reputation on two continents. 
 
 Hassam is very observing, he notes the high lights in every- 
 thing he attempts to paint ; you feel this feature of his art to be 
 most prominent. His winter scene on Boston Common, 
 painted in 1885, evidenced his love for light effects in a most 
 striking manner. It depicted the fading glow of a clear winter 
 twilight evening ; the gas-jets were lit, the vehicles on the 
 streets caught the lights with strong accent, and the reflections 
 on the upper stories of the buildings added a rich quality of 
 color to the interesting scene. The picture was exhibited in 
 New York, and readily found a patron. Its story-telling quali- 
 ties recommended it equally with the manner of its expression, 
 there was not a vacant or unmeaning spot on the canvas. 
 
 Who that is at all familiar with the works of our local artists 
 will forget Hassam's street scenes ? Did he not make some ot 
 the prosaic thoroughfares of the south district of Boston picto- 
 rially poetic, and impress on our memories a new way of viewing 
 street life ? He certainly did make the rainy day on Columbus 
 Avenue very interesting and worth remembering ; bringing 
 before us the coupe and patient horse, the puddle, and the 
 human figure on its errand, and the silent piles of brick and 
 stone houses whose fa9ades looked so moist and grim, the while 
 
/•: CHIl.PE H ASSAM. 
 
 103 
 
 the rain slaiiti-il on its down ward course, ami seemed to empha- 
 size the fact that it was determined to make thint(s just as wet 
 as possible. These wen- i^raphic and c'iTei li\-e hits of jrray color, 
 and showeil a phase ol out-of-iloor life that is common eiiouL;h, 
 hut which we have rarel)' seen in rhythm before Hassam painted 
 them. I le has painted just such scenes in New \'ork, I'ai is, 
 and i.ondon ; ami has since 1SS4 become recoL;ni/.ed as one of 
 the best painters in this specialt\- in the countr)-. 
 
 Hassam is not at all confined to gra)' days ; he pa'nts modern 
 life in the gay streets of Paris. The parks and gardens give 
 him many suggestions and material wherein his figures can 
 move or loiter in shadow or sunlight, the ever)-da)- life of the 
 village, flowers and landscapes, up hill and down, over deep- 
 rutted roads, in the barnjard, and on the (xlg(;s of the woods; 
 in all of these scenes he feels the life that is ofoino' on in the 
 earth, and upon it, and all the while Hassam is one of the most 
 
I04 
 
 F. CHILDE HAS SAM. 
 
 active of the active figures, and, while we cannot see him, we 
 do most assuredly feel his presence everywhere. Hassam's 
 chief characteristic is his passion for living things; he makes his 
 clouds big enough to move alone as they hurry along on their 
 mission ; he gives the earth, in springtime, little cracks to 
 breathe through; his children, men and women, cattle are out- 
 of-doors in action, doing something, alive. He never rests or 
 gives repose to others, he does not w^orry his subjects or 
 those who study his works; quite the contrary, he keeps every 
 one busy, and for good cause, and in a natural way. There 
 may appear to be, at first sight, a little of the memoranda feeling 
 in Hassam's work, but this wears off on close and careful exami- 
 nation. He is not in the least limited in knowledge, or power 
 to execute, and is sufficiently intellectual to make his subject 
 worth the study. He has something to say, and says it to the 
 point, without superfluous flourish, though, like most strong 
 painters of the Hassam type, he knows no restrictions. I some- 
 times feel that if Hassam could paint the reflections of his mind 
 while he is catching or observing natural objects, that is, if the 
 gala street scene could be frozen and taken to his studio and 
 deliberately thawed out as he wanted it, he would give us less 
 fragmentary work, and yet this very process might obstruct the 
 freedom of his mind and brush. 
 
 There is a great deal of the master workman about Hassam. 
 He sets about to paint a picture with a perfect knowledge of how 
 to handle his tools, is ready to take new work on his easel, and 
 invent a way to make it complete. This handiness helps him 
 wonderfully, and, doubtless, makes up for his apparent lack of 
 reserve. Coupled with this facility or workmanlike manner, 
 Hassam shows a genuine artistic appreciation for composition. 
 I think all who know his works will readily accord to him the 
 title of artist as well as painter, and every new picture he has 
 
/: CHILDE 11 ASSAM. 
 
 105 
 
 sent from abroad. wIutc he has hic n painiinij^ for a jcar or 
 more, shows this artistic fcchiij^ to liavc ili:vt'lo|H-cl to a woiuK r 
 fill dci^rcc. In the Salon of 1SS7. he was rcprcscnli'd 1)\ a 
 canvas seven 1)\- three ami one-half feet, entitled. " V wv. A\erse, 
 la Rue lionaparte." which is lu-re re|)roduced. and illustrates the 
 point in (|uestion, sh(uviiii;- how naiuial ii is lor liiin to make an 
 artistic composition, and that, loo, out ol an apparenil\ ordinar\' 
 subject, llis .Salon picture tor iSSS was ('([ualK' eons|)iciious 
 for thestr (jualities. 1 lassam is a sc;rious and prolific painter, 
 ami the whik; a stuilent, alwa\s learning- and conseciuentK 
 proi^ressive. 
 
 In lookin_<j over his works, il we were to place his Injures in 
 procession, we mi<.(ht review them in this order: I'ir-^l woukl 
 come the lady and child, carrj ino; an uni- , 
 brella ; their clothes are pulled al)o\(; the ^W'^^'*^ '^f^^'^' > 
 ankles, to escape the mutl or watcM". ^ ^fTrii"^ ■'i '""^ 
 Then follow the old peasant and daui^h- 
 ter, drao'L^ing the handcart ; at tlieir 
 h'jels come the coupe, and women with 
 
 bundles, flowers, and boxes. On one side ol the street, watch- 
 ing the scene, we will note a lot of hackmen. antl storemen 
 looking front out their windows, peo])le standing in llie door- 
 wa)s waiting for their "bus" or a friend!}' uml)re!la. So all day 
 long the crowd mo\es on, until at nightfall the lights si)arkle 
 from the store, cab, and street lamps, and the glow of the sun 
 flecks the house-tops, and after a lime the day's work is over, 
 the unconscious models are soon asleep, and Hassam too is 
 dreaming. 
 
 It is safe enough to predict that I lassam is sure to becomt; one 
 of the strongest painters this country has |)roduced. His subjects 
 are nourishing to the mind, in the sense that he uses tlie 
 material most familiar to the ejes of every being, and horn 
 
io6 
 
 F. CHILDE MASS AM. 
 
 which so much can be derived of value when it is poetically 
 and intelligently fixed in color before us. He interprets the 
 bustle and life of the street as meaning much more dian a pass- 
 ing show, a mere illustration in black and white ; he feels the 
 story, not the incident, the energy that moves matter rather 
 than matter itself. At least, that is the way I study his works, 
 and I am impressed that, if one will but stop and look into and 
 under his drawing, the same conclusions will be reached. 
 
 Hassam has studied at Julien's, in Paris, at least two years, 
 and has worked under Boulanger and Lefebvre. He is a mem- 
 ber of the Paint and Clay Club of Boston, and is appreciated for 
 his personal character where he is well known. 
 
PHa^:BE IMCKI'RING JKNKS. 
 
 W^Tii ninc-tcnths of the artists, thcnr li\'cs from earliest 
 memories are filled with pretty attempts at clra\vin<i^ and ambi- 
 tions to paint. Here is one, however, wlio never attempted a 
 translation of her thouQ^hts into color until she had reached 
 her twent\ -ninth \ear. The circumstances of her life had never 
 been such as to induce her to paint, or even draw. Maternal 
 cares and domestic felicity filled her hapjjy )outh and latter life, 
 and, at the aj^e referred to, Mrs. Jenks was surrounded with 
 artists, companions of her husband, and it is probable that the 
 influence of their presence awakened a new sentiment within 
 her. 
 
 It chanced one day that an unusually large and Ijeautiful 
 bouquet was brought into her home ; all day long its delicate 
 petals and fascinating colors were before her eyes, and wIkmi it 
 came night she resolved that she would paint the (lowers the 
 next day. Tl^e study of the first day and the labor of the next, 
 when she reproduced the bouquet, were a surprise to her friends, 
 and a new delight to herself. Her heart was full of aml)iti()ns 
 and the latent energies of her artistic mind, and the disco\(;ry 
 
 107 
 
io8 
 
 PHCEBE PICKERING JENKS. 
 
 that, throughout Hfe, she had been a constant observer of nature, 
 in all of its beauties, was the turning-point in what might well 
 be termed a new career in life. The subtleties of the more 
 solid colors in the flesh always absorb her eyes, and it is not 
 improbable, had she begun to paint early in life, that she would 
 have commenced on still-life, and reached the position she now 
 finds herself in, in her more mature age. 
 
 Her young days were passed in Portsmouth, N. H., where 
 she was born, in 1847, "^^^ where she lived until her sixteenth 
 year, when she came to Boston ; she is therefore thoroughly 
 American, possessing those marked characteristics of the New 
 England type of woman, i.e., alertness, frank, open ways, and 
 sincerity of spirit. These traits predominate in her work, filling 
 one, at sight of them, with the honesty of the artist's methods 
 and purpose. 
 
 Not long after her first endeavor in art, Mrs. Jenks began to 
 study out-of-doors, and, like all true artists, found inspiration in 
 looking into nature. Her unusual perceptive faculties and 
 application, coupled with encouragement from patrons, for 
 she soon began to contribute to our local exhibitions, and 
 dispose of her works, enabled her to open a studio, in Studio 
 Building, and enter into art as a professional painter. 
 
 There seems to have been but little experimenting, in her 
 early career, as to the subjects in which her art should be directed, 
 and, while landscapes afforded her great pleasure, she rarely 
 painted a canvas in which there was not one or more fig- 
 ures. This born love for picture-making and figure-work, unin- 
 fluenced, save as all minds are by association and observation, 
 gravitated toward portraiture, and by this specialty she is widely 
 known. 
 
 It is an interesting study for the biographer to note her prog- 
 ress from time to time, and to look over the subjects she has 
 
PHUiBR PICKERIXC JliXKS. 
 
 109 
 
 paintctl. in thcin one can disciTii the ctTtMiiinatcr loni^ini; for the 
 ideal, the love ot chiKln-n, aiul a line, (Iclifatc sense for composi- 
 tions. Where some artists would pose their fissures with a view 
 to lorcihle lines, and would sacrifice even truth for intensity of 
 e.\i)ression, Mrs. Jenks, in an oriijinal and unassiimeil manner, 
 j)laces her sitters with a view to comfort, makes them at home, 
 as it were. There ajjpears to he no stud\ in the arranjTements of 
 accessories, no check in her freedom of movements and simpli- 
 city of style. Her figure t)f " May " is a gootl illustration of tiiis 
 
 statement. It depicted a sweet-faced girl, in a pretty white dress, 
 standing beneatli the blossoming tree branches ; in her hands, 
 clasped behind her, she held a spray of buds ; her hair fell 
 loosely over her shoulders, and her full, beautiful, blue eyes 
 seemed to be drinking in the new life and glories of spring. 
 There was much grace and ease in the pose of the figure, and a 
 very agreeable moral ideal of beauty in the facial expression. 
 
I lO 
 
 PHLEBE PICKERING JENKS. 
 
 She painted a portrait of a boy, not long ago, which won the 
 heart of every mother that saw it. The youngster was put on 
 to the canvas in a Rembrandtesque style of costume, and his 
 face, though not animated with the roguishness usually seen in 
 youths of his age, was handsome and of the affectionate order. 
 His hair curled luxuriantly down his neck, his eyes were full 
 and round, and his lips were parted as if to ask a question. 
 The character of the boy was evident, and it was " mother's 
 boy," and enjoyable on that account. It was not over-painted, 
 nor fumbled over, but seemed to be drawn and colored with 
 a sure hand and eye. 
 
 We have a touch of robustness or inflections of the mascu- 
 line temperament in her " Cantatrice." Here the figure was 
 posed against a drapery, and the singer had completed her 
 lines. The vigor of life, and the bold fulness and mould of 
 features, the self-indulgent cast of expression and force in the 
 outlines of form and draperies, were strong, positive, and effec- 
 tive, and displayed the firmness of touch and decision- of char- 
 acter of the artist. 
 
 How sweetly effeminate, in contrast, was the portrait figure of 
 a young lady on the lawn, plucking the flowers. It was a picture 
 for any time or country. It was not fussy or strained ; you dis- 
 cover for yourself that you have a high regard and respect for 
 womankind, and in many ways, the face more particularly, it 
 reminded one of the gentle and intelligent types painted by 
 Copley. "The Gypsy," a three-quarters length figure of a girl 
 standing in relief, against a background of foliage, was a fine 
 piece of color, and eloquently appealed to the lover of simplicity 
 and freedom of such characters. There were to be seen in the 
 girl's face authentic hints of her nationality, the original ele- 
 ment of expression in the lips and eyes, and in the neglige of 
 costume and other accessories ; the picture was impressive, for 
 
y 
 
PIKHIU- riCKl-R/XG JF.XKS. 
 
 1 1 1 
 
 it was truihrul. Onr oi her hrsi portraits, paiiitcc! in 1SS7, 
 was that of a lady attiri'd in low corsage. I he subject was 
 about thirty-live years of age, splendidly developed, and e\i- 
 tlently of an amiable disposition. W hat ga\-e the jjainting 
 \ alue was its truthfulness of color and a wholesoineness of love 
 for the life that was in the tlesh, and the mind that controls all. 
 Thi' posi' of the head, firml\- antl solidly resting upon the 
 shoulders and bust, the purit)- of color and individuality of 
 method or treatment, made this work one of great interest alike 
 to artists, painters, and the lo\'er of good [pictures. 
 
 Mrs. jenks has been well recognized in her ability, having 
 painted the portraits of Mrs. Francis B. Hayes, Professor Sparks' 
 grandchildren, Mrs. Ellis L. Mott and daughter, Mrs. .S. A. 
 Bigelow', Mrs. Harrison Gardner, Mrs. C. C. Walworth, Mrs. 
 Kdward Tyler, Mrs. Henry Lancashire, and many others. Her 
 latest work, that of the two Lovering boys, is by far the most 
 pretentious of her attempts. The canvas is very large, and 
 shows the boys, one .seated on a richly carved piece of furniture, 
 and the other stancHng against its arm. The background and 
 accessories are smartly painted, and in perfect and agreeable 
 keeping with the costumes. The portraits are fine and lifelike 
 in color, and look as if they were breathing in the atmosphere 
 which surrounds them. As portraits or as a picture it will ever 
 be valuable. 
 
 Of her ideal work, " Triumphant," in the collection of 
 Rhodes Lockwood, Esq., is one of the most breezy, showing a 
 female figure in highly effective costume, playing with her pet 
 birds. This |>ainting represents Mrs. Jenks in her strongest 
 and most decorative style. The " Gypsy," owned by Mr. Mill- 
 ard White, and " May," in the pos.session of Mr. N. W. Rice, 
 of Boston, are good and lasting examples from Mrs. Jenks' 
 brush. 
 
112 
 
 FHCEBE PICKERING JENKS. 
 
 There have been but thirteen years of study and application 
 in Mrs. Jenks' art career, and we write of her pictures, as shown 
 to-day, as one who has settled down and found her style and 
 method. What will the biographer of the future say of her 
 last life effort, when she shall have painted, say, thirty years ? 
 It seems to me that, as all true art is progressive, Mrs. Jenks 
 will be written down as one who was serious and intellectual, 
 and proud of her profession, that she was an artist by intui- 
 tion, and that her portraits gave the expressions of the minds 
 of the people that had lived, loved and been beloved, and 
 that they all appeared to have been born with the comforts 
 of life at their command. Her color will stand, and so will 
 her drawing. 
 
HENRY HUDSON KITSON. 
 
 Not yet twenty-five years of age, and Kitson has given the 
 world several really wonderful and imperishable pieces of sculp- 
 ture. Kitson is a genius. He was born near the town of Hud- 
 dersfield, Yorkshire, Eng., April 9, 1864. His family, for some 
 hundreds of years, had been interested in the woollen trade, 
 and originally came from Halifax, where may still be seen, in the 
 old churchyard, the coat-of-arms of the family. One of his 
 ancestors, Sir Thomas Kitson, took advantage of equality before 
 the English law, and demanded personally of King George III. 
 the payment of certain debts contracted on account of the army ; 
 his manners so pleased that monarch that he knighted him. 
 
 Henr)''s father and mother, John and Emma Kitson {nee 
 Jagger), presided over a somewhat numerous family, of which 
 several members have shown a strong and decided ability in the 
 direction of sculpture, literature, and painting. Of his early 
 
 "3 
 
114 
 
 HENR V HUDSON KITSON. 
 
 youth I have heard him relate many interesting incidents. It 
 was his custom to go on long walks with his father into the 
 country, to enjoy nature, and he would point out the beauties, 
 gather ferns and flowers, and when they were brought home 
 Henry would draw them and often carve them in stone. His 
 eldest brother being a carver, young Henry used his tools ; and 
 so ambitious and earnest was he that his mother sent him to the 
 evening class at the Mechanics' Institute, in Huddersfield, when 
 he was but eight years of age. He would walk to the Collegiate 
 School each morning, and back again in the afternoon, then in 
 the evening returned for the drawing class, coming back at ten 
 o'clock. 
 
 Before his twelfth year Henry had taken several prizes at 
 the school for South Kensington, and also won the first prize 
 given by the Yorkshire Mechanics' Institute for design. 
 
 In 1877, just thirteen years of age, Henry came to New 
 York, and, entering his brother's shop, began work on the Astor 
 Memorial in Trinity Church, then in the process of erection. He 
 took part in all of the best work of the shop, including the Van- 
 derbilts', for which he modelled most of the friezes and panels. 
 It was during these years of practical work in the cutting of 
 stone and ornamental designing that the young sculptor gained 
 great knowledge and control of tools, and, though he lacked in 
 years, the most important work in carving came to him, and 
 perhaps it was well that it was so. In 1882, Kitson entered the 
 Ecole des Beaux Arts and Ecole des Arts Decoratifs. In the 
 Salon, 1883, he exhibited his first bust from life, that of his 
 friend Angelo Schiitze, musician and painter. This work was 
 characterized by great strength of expression, was a true labor 
 of love, and now rests on the grave of the much lamented fellow- 
 student. The bust of " Amour," a sweet-faced child with love 
 in its every line, was executed in this year. 
 
j/EXRY i/rnsox kj tsox. 
 
 At the Beaux Arts lu; worked in the ateliers nuinont ami 
 Bonnassieiix, and at the Ails Decoratifs widi Millet ami (iaiilcr. 
 Both ateliers were much c rowxlc il, aiul, as work was coiulucletl 
 under great difficulties, he. oju-neil a studio ol his own, when 
 his studies and aims took a more definite and [KTsonal shape. 
 At this time was commenced the " Music of the Sea," which 
 appeared in the Salon of 18S4 and drew forth universal admira- 
 tion. This work was especially based on a most interesting 
 
 study of nature, and was an episode in the life of the sculptor, 
 happening when on his walks with his father on the west coast 
 of England. The work is not sensational ; it is poetic, full of 
 mild character. You feel a growth in this boy, a silent growth, 
 no violence, no striving for the executive. This boy is a boy, 
 he is listenincf to the murmur of the sea in the shell, he is think- 
 ing, smiling, wondering what is meant by the sounds ; he is 
 thoughtful as a child. There is graceful and quiet movement, it 
 
ii6 
 
 HENRY HUDSON KITSON. 
 
 is tranquil, and the boy seems alone. You can watch him, he is 
 too absorbed to heed your presence. The work is one of beauty, 
 innocence, and fine poetic imagination. It was awarded the 
 gold medal of honor at the Prize Fund Exhibition, in New York, 
 in 1885, also a gold medal at the Massachusetts Charitable 
 Mechanic Association Exhibition in Boston, and is now in the 
 collection of Mrs. David P. Kimball, of Boston. It is amusing 
 just here to recall some of the details entering into the construc- 
 tion of this noted work. One day, in commencing the figure, a 
 need was felt to give more strength to the iron armatures ; 
 inspiration being up and no time to be wasted in going to the 
 blacksmith's, the poker and fire tongs, being at hand, were 
 pressed into service and did not again see the light till the com- 
 pletion and casting of the figure. Once in moving to a new 
 studio one of the arms, upon which most careful work had been 
 bestowed, was jolted off, and delays occurred to make his friends 
 regret and believe that it would never be in time for the " Salon," 
 but on the appointed day Kitson took the statue and the bust of 
 the " Fisherman's Wife" in a hand-cart and arrived with it, hav- 
 ing but a few moments to spare, at the receiving door. The two 
 pieces were received, and were both well placed and remarked. 
 
 How easy it is to relate these incidents ; but none know the 
 struggles and hardships of these ambitious students, except 
 those who have likewise toiled and won. 
 
 During the summer of 1884 was modelled the "Singing 
 Girl," and a bust of Mr. Sturdee ; both were successful works. 
 In the autumn he returned to New York, where he made the 
 bust of John McCullough, the actor, for which he took the death- 
 mask at Philadelphia ; and later on he modelled the deli- 
 cate and beautiful bas-relief of " Easter," the portrait of Miss 
 Ruggles, exhibited in marble in the Salon of 1888, and 
 the clay model of the late Mayor Doyle, of Providence, R. I., 
 
IIEXRY //CJ)SO.V K/TSOX. 
 
 117 
 
 the statue of which he is now cnj^Mnrtl upon in Paris. The 
 model gave evidence of his ahiht\ lo compose and crcati", to 
 model and make alive. The fij^ure stands (|uite erect, is tn'mly 
 planted on his legs, and, if he were clatl in the costume of the 
 Directory, would show a correct and forcible anatom)'. 1 le 
 has made the best of the tailor garments by throwing back the 
 Prince Albert coal and allowing the folds to drape somewhat 
 over the left hantl. which rests on the hip. There is from top 
 to toe a muscular action or mo\ement going on even though 
 the mind appears to be calm antl in healthful repose. He 
 makes his figure feel the dignity of his position among men, and 
 when the work is set up in bronze, I have no tloubt, it will be 
 a grand exponent of his proficiency and of the proficiency of 
 the sculptural art of his time. 
 
 Kitson's force is passive, almost solemn in its nature, and yet 
 it never lacks in virarous form and line. Indeed, it is remarkable 
 in these characters ; he keeps them simple, hence their truth and 
 beaut)-. He is capacitated intellectually to grasp a big subject, 
 though his physical vitality may not enable him to carry it to 
 its completion. I feel he is quite aware of this fact ; yet he 
 would attempt a colossus, even though he broke down under it, 
 so great is his determination and ardor for his art. His range 
 of subjects runs through the entire gamut, from the lowest 
 relief to the heroic statue, and he is equally strong in every 
 desiofn. Take his bas-relief of " Easter," showinof a three- 
 quarters head, shoulders, and arms of a beautiful maiden. It is 
 like a Donatello in moderation, and the execution is equal to 
 the conception, though with Kitson the workmanship or tech- 
 nique follows the cardinal idea or the breadth of his composition. 
 He knows how to work out the detail even to elaboration, his 
 sketch is a finished work, but his art is master, he would sacri- 
 fice nothing which he felt. 
 
ii8 
 
 HENRY HUDSON KITSON. 
 
 His yearnings are for beauty, beauty where it is not usually 
 looked for ; like a child with an instinct and passion for the 
 freshness of nature, for the purity in living things, we see him 
 eagerly absorbed. He will never mature in this direction, 
 never change in the nature of his subjects or his method of 
 treatment, but will continue to show a youthful buoyancy, and 
 his maturity will present to us beauty without age. 
 
 There may be some who feel that they know the sculptor, 
 and that he is not credited with the vigor or robustness that 
 they think they have seen evident in him. To such let me say 
 that Kitson must be studied in his works — " By their works 
 shall ye know them." If his lifelong friends had noted him 
 closely, they would have detected his moods, for he is a man 
 possessed of a reflective nature, and they would have discovered 
 a depth of genuine poetic feeling in him, a creative silence 
 which belongs only to poets. All of his seeming bravado or 
 playfulness counts as nothing in his art ; it is lost the moment 
 he touches the clay. 
 
 Contrary to the general rule among artists, Kitson, in his 
 social relations, does not evidence his genius, but rather sug- 
 gests a jolly good fellow ; even in adversity he never burdens 
 others with his sorrows. He gives to the world, always, the 
 best there is in him. 
 
 He is instinctively a sculptor, and takes a view of men and 
 objects with regard to their construction and weight ; weight of 
 light and gradations. You feel this is true when you use your 
 knuckle on the head of his bust of Miss Ruggles ; it is firm and 
 like a skull, the hair is subtle in its movement, lightness, and 
 color. He honors his subject by his strokes of genius, by his 
 own consciousness and love. Prevailinof traditions do not affect 
 him, else he would have seated his Doyle in a chair, where he 
 would have forever appeared an unnatural object, as he was 
 
HFXRV lU'DSOX K/TSON. 
 
 never scon, in our cold clinic. Kitson embodies the beauty el 
 color and form in scul|)ture. and a power to \ italize the cla) or 
 bronze with the inward firi' of his spiritual force. It he lives 
 another quarter-century, what ijrlorious works he will perlorm ! 
 
 At present he has several commissions for monuments, also 
 one for a bu.st of Queen Ii!lizabeth, " Carmen Sylva," of Rou- 
 mania. upon which he is at work in the Royal Palace at Bucha- 
 rest. As his friend Wickenden says of him, " he has truly 
 hew n out by hard knocks and severe study a o^ateway to the; 
 temple of fame, and, once havinsj^ entered, we may certainly 
 expect many more stron<^ and beautiful works from his hand, 
 for which his youth and alrcad)- remarkable success give such 
 ample promise." 
 
\VALl"i:k 1". L.WSIL, 
 
 F()RTV-r\V() )cars ajj^o, the date of Lansil's birili, in Ban- 
 gor. Mc. there were upwartl ol two thousand vessels anniiall)- 
 employed at that port in llie lumber trade ; and we may be rea- 
 sonably sure that when ^ounir Lansil was able to move about 
 he took a lively interest in the stirring life of the Penobscot 
 mariner. Not unlike other artists born in seaport towns, he was 
 influenced and impres.sed b)- the romance of the sailor's life, 
 saw the picturesqueness rather than the conmicrcial features of 
 shipping, and developed a facult)- for i)icture-making, which is 
 well remembered b)' his schoolmates. Of his knowledge of the 
 sea and the construction of a ship his works of later life give 
 am[)le proof, and of his characteristics and art life we shall find 
 much that is of interest. 
 
 As young Lansil's very instincts led him to walk the deck 
 of a ship, so his soul longed for the time when he should be 
 able to paint the poetry that animated his love for the sea and 
 its toilers. Lansil studied art under Mr. f. P. Hard\- in P>ang()r 
 until he came to Boston and took a studio in Studio lUiilding, 
 where I first met him in the early seventies. At that time he 
 was painting rather fair-sized canvases, and rather |)retentious 
 ones too. His mind was working in the sea-story vein, that is, 
 
122 
 
 WALTER F. LANSIL. 
 
 he was painting prose in beautiful colors, and, while there was 
 some poetry in his works, he felt that they lacked the fulness of 
 sentiment which is evident in his later paintings. 
 
 He has had what may be termed three distinct styles of 
 painting during his career, his " Crossing the Georges," owned 
 by the Boston Marine Insurance Company, being the most vigor- 
 ous, "The Arrival in Port" being his most poetic, and his Vene- 
 tian pictures which show a strong and wonderfully rich feeling 
 in color. I do not forget his " Fishermen in Calm," his " Sun- 
 set," or his really pretty and solid shore marines ; how can any 
 one with a love for color forget them ? Lansil's pictures are 
 always charming in composition and subject, but I cannot for 
 the life of me remember anything about his drawing ; yet would 
 have noticed it, doubtless, if it had been bad enough. This is 
 rather an amusing fact, that his drawing should escape one's 
 memory, but if it were necessary to make a record of this phase of 
 his art I could see one of his pictures in half a minute, it having 
 been one of my eye-companions for several years. Perhaps it is 
 a good feature to conceal the mechanical portions of one's work, 
 as Lansil does, that is, to paint with such freedom and sentiment 
 and color as to make one lose sight of all mannerisms and 
 methods, as Decamps also did. Certain it is that Lansil can 
 draw well, and since his return from Venice his color has 
 become more conflagrant and evident above all things, and as 
 he goes on he seems to get nearer to the old Venetians in 
 point of mellowness. 
 
 Lansil's greatest achievement, and the one which I feel he 
 will be best known by, is a large canvas now in the possession 
 of the artist and patron Scott Leighton, and very recently 
 painted. It depicts a great Italian ram steamship at anchor 
 several miles from the city of Venice. The vessel is painted 
 white, and not far from her port is a huge, red, oval buoy. 
 
U AL THR F. LAXSIL. 
 
 lictuccn the buo)' aiitl tlir ship the n lKction of the whole white 
 broadside sweeps down to the edy^e ol the can\as. '['\\v city 
 lies oft' in the right and K it lu rspective, bathetl in the hot sun. 
 anil warnieil by its rich glow. ( )\ i'r all is a melting sky pecidiar 
 to the locality many days in the year. The painting and color 
 in this work are beautiful and forcible, and in subject and com- 
 j)osition it is as imconventional as any picture I hav(; excr 
 studied. 1 would not dispute any enthusiastic connoisseur if he 
 
 were to pronounce it " one of the finest still-water marines ever 
 painted." 
 
 The Dutch luggers of Hollancl. a few coast and port scenes 
 in Belgium, and the studies which he made in Germany and 
 France, show that he is strongly impressed with the local color 
 and movement of the different countries. His two winters in 
 Paris, studying at the schools, did not change his style, but 
 seemed to make him more observant of details; it helped his 
 power of expression, and his Venetian pictures also show it. 
 
124 
 
 WALTER F. LANSIL. 
 
 Lansil rarely paints the fury of the wave, even in his Dutch 
 pictures ; in fact, who ever saw one of his pictures depicting a 
 gale or storm at sea? He possesses the physique to accom- 
 plish, but not the temperament. To him the becalmed fisher- 
 man, the night on the waters, the sunset, the slow-moving tide, 
 the placid summer sea, the ships at anchor or at the pier, and 
 the mist that sometimes hangs over the deep, these peaceful 
 scenes, frankly, openly painted, are all gentle, sweetly poetic, 
 and show the tenderness and affection of his sentiments. 
 
 How easy it is to get at the disposition of an artist. Here is 
 Lansil, for instance ; you may be sure by studying his works, be 
 they in the form of etchings, of which work he is very fond, 
 many of his plates being very free in line, or in his oil or water 
 colors, that he is not variable, that he never riots with his neigh- 
 bor, that he is an agreeable companion and a firm friend. You 
 may be sure, also, of his sympathy in time of need, and that he 
 will appreciate a bit of wit, and laugh till the tears come over a 
 good yarn. He can be counted on for hospitable treatment, and 
 is generous to a fault, a trait not prevalent among artists, say 
 one out of every four possessing it in fair degree. With Lansil, 
 you know his work and you know the man, ?nd I presume it is 
 so with writers or any professional men ; a man cannot hide 
 himself behind any style he may for even a short time assume ; 
 a man writes and paints himself. 
 
 Lansil is a hard worker when he paints, and rarely leaves a 
 subject half-finished for any length of time. He thinks out his 
 picture before he touches it, and when he has concluded its 
 arrangement he pushes on to the completion, often laying in his 
 colors before making any extensive drawing. 
 
 His pictures are all original and constitutional, or individual 
 in treatment. His color lifts us into warmth ; we measure the 
 aerial and water perspective in his pictures as we do when we 
 
I 
 
WALTER /■: LAXS/r. 
 
 125 
 
 visit the shore : \vc feci thi? siinhi^ht upon us ; ever)- s|)()t the 
 c\c rests upon is ilhiminated. His simplicity of manner c harms 
 us; it ni'ver intriules, hut rather commands the aiicnlion. In 
 an exhibition his pictures will carr\' ihcmseKi s and all others 
 aroiuui them ; they seem to shed a kindl)- ami welcome lii^du. 
 and make their locahty cheerful. 
 
 LansiTs appearance is of the mariner rather than the lands- • • 
 
 man, ami his salutation is always of the sailordike heartini^ss. 
 He also combines with these outward traits the nco-Iior of the 
 artist and the expressions of a serious, thou^hlful man. 1 \c is 
 of the q^lad-to-see-you type, and loves to talk of what is going 
 on and how well the artists and everybod)- are doing. 
 
 He is a resident of Dorchester, where he has a studio, which 
 is filled with objects of a varied and nautical nature ; anil Ik? 
 may occasionally be seen on our streets, slowly moving along 
 and observing with great interest the busy people. 
 
 In art circles Lansil has received abundant evidence of the 
 esteem in which he is held alike by his many patrons and per- 
 sonal friends. Like his pictures, he is ever welcome at the 
 club, and his social and open-hearted ways make him a ready 
 favorite. 
 
 It will be noticed that a detailed and technical analysis of 
 Lansil's work has been passed over ; the reason for so doing is 
 that the writer prefers to give an impression of the artist and his 
 pictures in the space at command, rather than the exact and 
 often dry details of how results are obtained. I will say, how- 
 ever, in parenthesis, that his paintings will stand close stud)-, and 
 that the student of art will enjoy his technique as well as ^ou/ 
 ensemble. 
 
 Lansil has received several medals for his excellence as a 
 painter, and was the only foreigner on the jury of awards, in 1S83, 
 at the Fine Art Exhibition at St. John, N. B. His works are to 
 
126 
 
 WALTER F. LANSIL. 
 
 be found in almost every collection of representative American 
 painters, and among them may be mentioned the following : 
 " Waiting for the Tide," owned by Gov. Oliver Ames ; " Fisher- 
 men Becalmed " is at Smith's College, Northampton, Mass. ; 
 "Midnight Arrival" and "Trawlers Making Port" are both at 
 the Adams House; "Becalmed" is owned by F. M. Ames, 
 Esq. ; "A Dead Calm " is in the interesting collection of Amos 
 W. Stetson, Esq., of Boston ; " Sunset, Vineyard Sound," is 
 owned by Mrs. Gen. Lander, Salem, Mass. ; and three of his 
 early works are in the possession of the Hon. John Quincy 
 Adams. 
 
SCOIT LKIGHTON. 
 
 Much credit is clue to the artist who, in his earl)- career, 
 solves his own problems, g-uidecl solely his own keen in- 
 stincts, and owino- nothinof to schools and little to influences. 
 Such an artist is Scott Leii^^hton. the painter of horses, who 
 spices his work with a rare and delicious flavor of his own 
 individuality, and shows his supreme love for and knowledg'e 
 of animals. 
 
 He was born at Aulnirn, Me., and as early as his fourth year 
 gave infantile sU^ns and symbols of artistic taste. At that early 
 age he evidenced his love for animals by making curious little 
 drawings of horses, and, as he progressed in his common-school 
 studies, he developed as a draughtsman, and to such an extent 
 that his schoolmaster encouraged his art b)' allowing him to 
 make studies of animals, when other pupils were engaged in 
 their routine duties. Despite the demands of his parents that 
 he should work on the farm, this passion for horses developed 
 with his years, and at seventeen we find the youth in Boston, 
 studying in the galleries and visiting the horse marts in quest of 
 thoroughbreds, in order to perfect his knowledge and acquaint- 
 ance with art and its application to his profession. While on 
 
 127 
 
128 
 
 SCOTT LEIGH TON. 
 
 his travels he discovered an artist employed in painting horse 
 portraits, and, after learning that this artist received a fair price 
 for each subject, he conceived the idea that he could make a 
 tour of the Eastern States as a horse-painter. Accordingly he 
 set out for the East, and travelled through the States and Prov- 
 inces, and, after several years of varied experience, he settled 
 down at Wellesley Hills, Mass., where he enjoyed farm 
 life, and painted a great deal out-of-doors. It is well enough 
 for an artist of Leighton's temperament to keep in the open air, 
 his nature demands it, and his studies from nature invariably 
 possess a fuller quality of color and show an intenser passion for 
 things that grow than is to be found in his indoor work. Here, 
 as elsewhere, success followed him, his work becoming known 
 and appreciated far and wide. In 1874, believing himself to be 
 well equipped in art and finance, he came to Boston, started 
 a studio, and here he has labored up to date quite independently 
 and with a success that is not vouchsafed to many American 
 artists. 
 
 For several years, Leighton painted nothing but horse 
 portraits, and his fame became so extensive that he executed, 
 on an average, thirty portraits every year. After a time, he 
 became aware that he was turning out more portraits than 
 artistic merit would allow, and about five years ago he deter- 
 mined to work for art and for art's sake. He accordingly 
 commenced the serious study of landscapes, cattle, and fowl, 
 sought out the picturesque beauties of nature, to which he 
 added the domestic and interesting side of the horse. He now 
 began a new art career, and painted pictures where once he 
 painted portraits only. I remember distinctly his first genre 
 painting, exhibited in Boston. The subject was simple, and de- 
 picted a horse at a watering-trough. It was not only well drawn 
 and painted, but it displayed a tender sentiment and affection 
 
SCO TT I.EIC.1IT0X. 
 
 129 
 
 for tht' dumb creatures. The work was (|uili' a surprise to the 
 local artists, and ol course louinl a ri ad\ aiul happy patron. 
 
 Leii^^hton has steadily iinprovid Irom that moment, in com- 
 position, finish, and care ol iletail. This much of praise is due 
 to one so unassumini^" and s^enerous, as man)' an artist less 
 j^ifted can testify, for in his art he has labored tlilio'cntl)-. 
 earnestly, and a kindl\' word for such is none too timely. It 
 must be understood that in ortler to |)aint a horse well the re- 
 quirements of an artist are manifold indeetl. lie must, fu'st of 
 
 all. know and love his subject, his knowlcdo'e of anatom)- must 
 be perfect, for there is no draper)' to hide tlie nudit)- of a 
 horse; then there is the richness of colors, sheen, and liulit and 
 shade, as delicate often as in the liuman llesh ; the tcmpcn-ament, 
 poses, and action also. All these essentials are to l)e considered, 
 and, as far as m\- ac(iuaintance with horse-painters ^-ocs, there 
 are few who possess them in so fulT ant! comprehcmsixc a 
 det^ree as Leii,diton. I am conscious of the marvellous power of 
 Fromentin, Chelminski, .Schre)-er, more in color than drawin<T, 
 
I30 
 
 SCOrr LEIGHTON. 
 
 Delamin, the master of them all in technique and knowledge, 
 and others of the French school whose works have so elevated 
 the standard of art by their creative ability and originality ; but 
 in the same sense, distinct originality, I cannot but feel that 
 Leigh ton occupies the same place in his own country — an artist 
 uninfluenced by academy, individual in his work, of no school, 
 and therefore a representative American painter. Decamps and 
 Delacroix said of Schreyer as a horse-painter, " He is an imita- 
 tor of no school or man," and the same expression may properly 
 be applied to Leighton. 
 
 His horses are always technically good in drawing, showing 
 unerring knowledge, the result of arduous study and a happy 
 sense of seeing and feeling for the noble traits of these creat- 
 ures. 
 
 There are many good-looking horses, painted by landscape- 
 painters, attached to farm wagons in the pastures ; but one feels 
 that if they were to move or be moved, like a puzzle, they would 
 all drop to pieces. They are painted, like the wheels or shafts, 
 to stay forever where they are, a part of the scene, and are 
 included in the composition with the rocks, fences, and other 
 inanimate objects. 
 
 As the sea-captain knows the ropes and gives his commands, 
 so the horse man is intimate with every part of the horse, knows 
 his qualities and what his endurance is; he cannot be fooled. 
 Leighton's horses are known to traders and fanciers, and they 
 can always point out their fine features on the canvas, and at 
 the same time are wont to say, " I'd like to own horses like 
 those." There must be art and knowledge in such painting. 
 His landscapes, or, as one might say, "settings" for his animals, 
 are free transcripts from nature, always poetic and harmonious. 
 
 His color is brilliant and permanent, his execution vigorous 
 and yet refined. His compositions are full of grace in line and 
 
SCOTT I.EIGIITON. 
 
 form, aiul hr is alive to the iiniioriaiUH' ot projj^ress. or. lo use 
 an expression 1 ha\i- often heard Iroin his lips, •■ |usi wail iiiuil 1 
 am a dozen \ears oKler, anil 1 will show, it hard work can accom- 
 ])lish anNthini^. that 1 lo\-e m\ prolession and am hound lo im- 
 prove." 
 
 Leii^hton is a member of the Art Club, has been a l)ene- 
 factor to many a '"hard-up" artist, and, bein^- wx)- frank and 
 open in his communications with men. is constantl)' surrounded 
 by a large coterie of admirers. 
 
 Among the man\- works jjroduced 1)\' Leighton, the following 
 ma\- be classed wiili the best: Mr. J. Re(xl Whipple, "In th(,' 
 Stable;" Mr. (ieorge Hall, "Three Veterans," one of the most 
 sympathetic of Leighton's works ; Col. \\. .S. Russell, " .Smug- 
 gler ; " Mr. John .Shepard, "On the Road," a s[)irited canvas; 
 Mr. Thomas Mack, "The Pet;" Mr. Geo. F. Fabian, "Wait- 
 ing;" Mr. Joseph Hickson, "Dogs;" Mr. David Nevins, 
 "The Fearnaught Stallions," and other works of interest and 
 value parts of collections in and out of this State. 
 
FRANK T. MERRILL. 
 
 Mr. Merrill has been a Boston boy since the clay of his 
 birth, 1848. He is a graduate of the Roxbur)' High School, 
 and studied art, first at the Lowell Institute, in 1864, and later, 
 1875, at the Art Museum School. Like the true artist, who 
 has reverence for his master and sees the good he tries to do, 
 he takes up the gentle cudgels for the venerable Hollingsworth, 
 of the Institute, and credits him with having drilled him none too 
 hard in the study of the ball, the vase, and the boxes. He 
 rightfully claims that the eye was correctly trained in tlie 
 elements of linear perspective, when the boxes were drawn and 
 redrawn, arain and aofain, and that this drilling^ has ever been 
 invaluable to him. He eagerly applied himself to his work, and, 
 three months after entering the Institute, he took up the 
 
 133 
 
'34 
 
 FRANK T. MERRILL. 
 
 manikin and so continued advancing to the life classes of 
 the studio, and going to nature for a complete study of light and 
 shade. Merrill is thoroughly appreciative of his American train- 
 ing, and indorses with pride a remark made to him by his 
 friend, E. L. Weeks, after he had returned from the Beaux Arts, 
 to the effect that " the Museum of Fine Arts School in Boston, 
 for the technical training of students and for other facilities, is 
 as good and perfect as any school in Europe." 
 
 Merrill is progressive in his work, and in his early drawings 
 on wood displayed considerable chic or clever imaginative feel- 
 ing ; but he is nevertheless seen to better advantage in his care- 
 ful and sure studies from life, and there are ample opportunities 
 for the artist to exercise his imagination in this direction. An 
 examination of his illustrations reveals the vigorous and careful 
 spirit of the draughtsman, and an intelligent conception of the 
 themes he attempts to give added life to. His lines are firmly 
 drawn, graceful, and one feels the anatomy of his figures. This 
 feature in his drawing can be compared when studying the 
 strength of his male subjects, their ability to act with muscular 
 movement, and the ease and gentleness of his female figures. 
 His colonial ladies are really beautiful types of health and grace, 
 in form and drapery. Indeed, his drawings are not unlike 
 Louis Leloir's; if anything, they are more decided, and, if 
 etched, would be clearer and fuller in line. While in England 
 he made many studies of English country lads and sportsmen, 
 which evidenced much spirit and energy, and a marked sym- 
 pathy for the picturesque costumes and quaintness of his sub- 
 jects. They were not caricatures, but looked the pictures of 
 reality, homely and plain, yet wholesome and simple, and told 
 in a straightforward manner the " cut of their cloth." 
 
 While looking up data for use in his illustrations for George 
 Eliot's "Adam Bede," he made many excellent water-colors, 
 
/•'A'J.\A I. Ml.KRII.L. 135 
 
 which wiTc as triir to ihr olijccls as Uk \ wi ir licf in wash and 
 color. One liill-paj^c (.hMwin;^" shows the interior ol Hronily 
 Arms Inn, nicntioni-il in "■Ailani Hcdc," as ihi' Donnithorn 
 Anns. In the orij^inal siiuh- one feels the ver)' air and char- 
 acter that pervade this historic hostlery. 
 
 Perhaps his best work may be foimd in his illustrations 
 lor Thackeray's " Mahoi^any Tree" and Irvinij's "Rip \'an 
 Winkle." Some of the fi<,aires and still-Iife in the former arc 
 
 remarkably strong in drawing and grouping, bringing to the 
 fore the snap of the incidents. There can be no doubt about 
 the sympathy Merrill feels for Rip Van Winkle. This story 
 gives him ample scope for his imagination, and there is no 
 staginess or dramatic posing seen in his interpretations. The 
 scene where Rip is taking the j)roffcrcd wine, while it is 
 real in action, conveys a new and unique idea of the predica- 
 ment in which this unfortunate and simple fellow finds him- 
 self. The bowling scene is also well executed, and impresses 
 
136 
 
 FRANK r. MERRILL. 
 
 one with the mystery that surrounds these strange dwarfs of 
 the Catskills, as one never before felt it. 
 
 I would not underrate his charming style and originality as 
 shown in the edition de luxe of Miss Alcott's " Little Women." 
 One feels that many of the original illustrations reproduced in 
 this work would be valuable to have lying around on the cabinets 
 or hung up in the drawing-room, where they could be studied 
 as stories in color, as well as suggestions of the artist's versatility. 
 Among other well known works which Merrill has illustrated, 
 the most important are Mark Twain's " Prince and Pauper," 
 Longfellow's " John Endicott," parts of " Lalla Rookh," and not 
 a few specialties for general circulation. 
 
 There have been some good prints in the market from 
 Merrill's etched plates, and in this branch of his art he has also 
 been successful. His first important proofs, exhibited in the 
 Salmagundi Club in New York, brought him into notice, and 
 were a source of revenue from the start. 
 
 One of his best plates, in point of subject and execution, is 
 entitled " Old Comrades," and depicts a colonial soldier leaning 
 up against a chair, examining his flintlock pistol with an 
 earnest air. There is no timidity in the drawing, nor is there 
 lack of symmetry in the figure ; but if he were to make the same 
 subject over again, he would, as he remarks himself, " let loose 
 some of the shadows in the draperies, and open the lines a little 
 more." 
 
 His portfolio of pencil, pen-and-ink, and water-color studies 
 made during his trip through Switzerland, Belgium, Holland, 
 and France reveal a number of studies rich in local character, 
 incidental to high and low life, and of no end of interest to the 
 connoisseur, the general reader of books of travel, or the child. 
 
 His contributions as author and illustrator have found a 
 ready market; and his story of "Through the Heart of Paris," 
 
/'7^.LVA' T. M ERR I I.I,. 
 
 '37 
 
 (graphic alike in inciilciu ami pe n sketches, shows the hunioious 
 as well as serious sitle ol his observation ol men ami ihiiij^s : 
 tlu- Seiiu' tishermen. (jueer-lookinjj^ men who hi'(iiient the swim- 
 minj^-baths, Seine laumlr)- boats, llower markets, the horse 
 baths, venders of milk, dojr-barbers, book-stalls, soldiers, chil- 
 dren, weildin*^ parties, cafe scenes, and the like are noted tlown 
 ami im|)ress the reader with their naturalness and ([uaintness, 
 ami as a imicjue collection of t) i)es of brench jxiople. 
 
 Mc-rrill is a collector of costumes as well as iiu idi nis, and in 
 his studio one mij^ht readil)- iniai^nne himsclt in an armor)-, not 
 unlike Gerome's. These objects are used to clothe; the beings 
 of his creation, and. as such, seem to possess a greater xalue. 
 Here is poor Rip's coat; the frock of a Derbyshire farmer, the 
 courtly dresses of bVench men and women ; and the? hats and 
 caps of the soldiers and peasants of many eix)chs, and of [)eople 
 who have lived in novels and history. 
 
 Merrill's illustrations seem to ha\-e the feeling of paintings. 
 They have a tone and fulness of color, and are carried to the full 
 limit and capabilities of his vehicles ; they show also an immense 
 amount of real work and study, not as one recites who learns a 
 lesson, but as if he were solving a problem of his own invention, 
 and gave the rules of his process as he went along. He adds 
 to these qualities of the mind an agreeable feeling and interest 
 for the affairs of life and the fancies of others in poetry or prose, 
 and succeeds in making others see things as he does. 
 
 The mental element of his art, as well as the manual, does 
 not hide his instructix'e force, the trend of his being. It is as 
 natural for him to desire to draw as it is for most peojile to 
 love children. The effort is nothing ; the interpretation and 
 sentiment are equally evident and easy to express when he is 
 left to follow his own inclination. His hardest work comes 
 when he is commissioned to follow a set idea conceix'ed by 
 
'38 
 
 FRANK T. MERRILL. 
 
 another. The summing-up of which means that Merrill is in 
 no sense a mechanical draughtsman. 
 
 In an acquaintance which the writer has enjoyed with the 
 artist for many years, there has always been evident, on his part, 
 a hearty good fellowship, a warm, cheerful disposition, and, I 
 dare say, my experience is indorsed by all who know Merrill, or 
 who have had the good fortune to visit his interesting and deco- 
 rative studio on the hills of Dorchester. 
 
H. WlXnikOP IM'IRCE. 
 
 TR.\NQUii.i.m', indcpenclcncc, aiul capacity, with, perhaps, a 
 sHght touch of bo)ihoiiiii\ and nnicli genuine poetic feclinij;-, 
 constitute the notable traits in Peirce's make-up ; these essen- 
 tials in an artist, coupled with cheerful aspirations, patient jjlod- 
 din<^, and manly dignity, will achieve good results, and win the 
 applause and esteem of those who know good art. 
 
 Peirce is a Boston boy, was born here in 1850, and received 
 his education in our public schools. Immediately after gradua- 
 tion, he entered a lithographer's establishment, and designed 
 and drew on stone. In the meantime he was studying drawing 
 in the Lowell Institute, and later he entered the Museum of 
 Fine Arts School under Grundmann and Dr. William Rimmer. 
 In the summer of 1881, he went to Paris, and there studied 
 under Bouguereau and Tony Robert Fleury. Here he was 
 trained rather than influenced, his mind being impressed only 
 with the works of Cazin, Puvis de Chavannes, and like artist 
 painters. He felt that great fidelity in expression was mere 
 manners if not accompanied by some more poetic and lasting 
 element. 
 
 He devoted his summers to out-of-door work, Barbizon and 
 Fleury-en-Biere possessing a charm for his palette, as it had 
 
140 
 
 H. WINTHROP PEIRCE. 
 
 been before for the masters of the great French school. It was 
 in the finest forest of the empire, Fontainebleau, that he painted 
 his February effect, and with sufficient merit to be well hung in 
 the Salon of 1882. Here also he caught the autumnal beauties 
 of the woods, and his second envoi was exhibited in the Salon of 
 1883. Returning to America in the winter of 1882, he opened a 
 studio on Park Street, where he worked on his sketches until 
 the summer season, when he sketched in the vicinity of Revere, 
 a custom he has kept up every season save one. In 1884 he 
 gave an exhibition of his works at Doll & Richards' galleries, 
 and out of sixty canvases fifty were sold, an indorsement of 
 his ability highly gratifying and merited. In 1886 he visited 
 Scotland and England, but most of his summer was passed in 
 that delightful old shire of Warwick, where he found much 
 material of value in the architecture, foliage, atmosphere, and 
 costumes of the husbandmen of the soil, and many bits of this 
 season's work have, both in illustrations and color, fascinated 
 the eyes of our people. Returning in the fall of the same 
 year, he soon after opened a studio in Studio Building, where 
 he is located at the present writing. In January, 1888, he 
 exhibited a collection of his works at Noyes, Cobb & Co.'s 
 galleries, and appended will be found a partial list of his pict- 
 ures, which will convey something of an idea as to his selection 
 of subjects, and the sentiments that pervade his mind. " In 
 the Happy Fields;" "Grandmother;" "Caesar's Tower, War- 
 wick Castle ; " " New England Homestead ; " " Sunny Mist, 
 Valley of the Wye;" "Smile of the Passing Day;" "Old 
 Houses, Warwick ; " " Sunbeams fill the air with mirth ; " 
 " Falling Leaves ; " " Mountains cn whose barren breast The 
 lab'ring clouds do often rest ; " " Green Lane, near Stratford-on- 
 Avon ; " "The Banks of Avon;" "Sister Cecilia;" "Clear 
 Evening after Rain ; " " Sunset Splendor ; " " High Tide in the 
 
//. IW'XrHROr PEIRCE. 
 
 141 
 
 Marshes;" " The Day and the Year were I^ate ; " " Tht' Lcaty 
 Glen;" "The Livelong Daylij^ht Fails;" "Barley ImcIiIs 
 where Poppies Grow." and others of like name aiul nature. 
 
 It will be seen that the artist's ran<^e embraces landscapes, 
 tiLj'ures. old architecture, and genre subjects, and that he 
 inclines to happy fiekls and sunny mists, nature's smiles and 
 shadows, sunbeams antl fallinij leaves, and that he is reverential 
 and poetic in his portrayal of nature and real life. It cannot be 
 
 said that Peirce is a dreamer ; he is too conscious of facts as 
 related to the soul, to stumble or grope about ; he may be " 
 likened to a child, who sits silently for a long time, gazing at a 
 bouquet of flowers, and suddenly exclaims : " What makes 
 them so beautiful?" His temperament, while it embraces the 
 epic and idyllic, is also thoroughly eclectic, for he has painted 
 the infant with its grotesque toy, still-life, and, indeed, other 
 bits of prosaic yet interesting incidents and objects. Peirce is 
 precise in work, though not formal ; he paints with an eager- 
 
142 
 
 H. WINTHROP PEIRCE. 
 
 ness and a desire for truth, at times, which might be mistaken 
 for exactness, but his perceptions are of the exquisite and 
 refined order, and he is loyal to his sketch, can safely rely 
 on his imagination to complete his subject. 
 
 In one of his pictures, entitled, " The Day and the Year were 
 Late, Fleury," you feel that there is infinite detail, so carefully 
 has he painted the rank weeds, the trees, and the foliage in the 
 foreground. This study of flora is essential to the incident of 
 the surroundings, and helps you to see and feel that the locality 
 is one of great interest. There are traditions in the air of 
 Fleury ; the old trees were planted by order of the lord of the 
 manor, for the pleasure of his master ; Richelieu lived near by, 
 and, earlier yet, Henry II. and his court summered here. The 
 "King's Spring" is not far away, where Louis XIV. once 
 quenched his thirst, and, though time has strewn stubble in 
 the favorite paths and lanes, still there lingers about them the 
 memory of the royal footsteps and courtly persons, and under 
 such influences has the artist painted and given us the detail of 
 his art resources. 
 
 Peirce shows in his art a religious feeling ; his Sisters of 
 Charity are blessing the moment that they can interest the chil- 
 dren with flowers or music, and the children look with admira- 
 tion and love on the faces of these noble women. The same 
 sentiment pervades the glow of his sunset, the autumn leaves 
 and branches brown and bare, the ivy that clings to the manor, 
 the pearliness of the morning sky, and in his gentle winding 
 rivers ; all these inspire one with his quiet religious sentiment 
 and his delicate yet significant observations of the Creator's 
 works. How carefully he has noted down in one of his 
 sketches of the footbridge at Dakewell, Derbyshire, the great 
 buttresses that rest in the quiet waters of the river Wye ; you 
 wonder that a footbridge should be so solid, but it was built 
 
//. WIXTHROP PEIRCE. "43 
 
 to resist the torrents of sprinji^ thai llow iVoin the Pi-ninr Ilills; 
 lie has paintetl the character of the roiiiaiuic spot, the old ■A.'gQ. 
 that seems to hover over the limestone earth, and the siK-er)- 
 purple haze that haiiij^s over the distant hills ami dales. It is 
 an atjreeahle atmosphere, antl a lilting- birthplace for such a 
 man as Dr. I )ar\vin. 
 
 Let me draw a composite color-picture of IVirce's works. 
 It woukl reveal the mist of the earth, a tangle of foliaj^e, a faint 
 outline of fii^un-s, a purple haze in the upper left corner, and 
 over the x'\<^\\ and centre a )-ellowish jj^ra)', while in the faintest 
 tracery imaginable one might detect the spirit of s[)ring grace- 
 fully moving into the scene, and l)ringing with ii a new song, a 
 fresh inspiration, adding a mental atmosphere, and enriching 
 the color scheme as well as exalting the imagery. 
 
 The more I learn about the painters of the past, and the 
 more I study their methods, the more respect 1 have for the 
 discipline and devoutness which they evidenced in their art, and 
 one cannot but feel that our local artists are thinking and work- 
 ing out their problems with the same love, light, and color as 
 the old masters did, and, according to their Ii(Thts and surround- 
 ings, they are by no means so vastly inferior. 
 
 Peirce would not have been laughed at if he were to have 
 shown his picture, "The Harvest Cross," in Haarlem, in the 
 seventeenth century. It shows the delight of children, the 
 gladness of life, and the )'early custom of the little ones. It 
 shows also a feeling for beaut)-, for the warmth of the sun, and a 
 harmony which blends the incidents and nature into one. The 
 old Dutch painters might have said tliat it was too poetic, but 
 they would have praised it for its likeness and for its feeling. 
 
 There is nothing hidden in Peirce's art. It is too sensitive 
 to be false, too honest to lie, and never jokes, though the artist 
 himself understands what constitutes good humor. 
 
144 
 
 H. WINTHROP PEIRCE. 
 
 As a member of the Paint and Clay Club, as a companion 
 and guest, Peirce is always in earnest, appreciative and genial, 
 and well posted in the arts and literature. 
 
 Among his most important paintings, the following may 
 be mentioned as being notable: "The Gardener's Daughter," 
 J. Brown, Esq., Boston ; " Edge of the Forest, Barbizon," 
 Thornton K. Lothrop, Esq., Boston ; " The Busy Housewife's 
 Evening Care," Louis Prang, Esq., Boston ; " September 
 Morning, Valley of the Seine," Miss W. Johnson, Brookline ; 
 "The Day's Work Done," J. I. Bowditch, Esq., Jamaica Plains; 
 " In the Chapel," Mrs. David Sears, Boston ; " Hesperian 
 Views, Twilight Landscape, Evening Star," Miss Elizabeth 
 Howes, Boston; "The Boat Field," Mrs. Alexander H. Bullock, 
 Worcester. Thirty-two drawings illustrating " Hiawatha," for a 
 frieze of carved oak, in the house of Mr. Wm. A. Slater, 
 Norwich, Conn. ; " Harvest," figures binding sheaves of rye, 
 Athenaeum of Topeka, Kan. ; " Evening in the Valley," Maiden 
 Public Library; "The Last Sheaf," Mrs. Barrows, Boston; 
 "The Return of the Exile," Wm. H. Winter, Esq., New York; 
 " February, Forest of Fontainebleau," Thomas Wigglesworth, 
 Esq., Boston. 
 
HENRY SANDHAM. R. C. A. 
 
 Sandham was born in Montreal, in 1842. seven years Ijefore 
 the mob burned the ParHament House, and ten years before the 
 metropoHs was nearly destroyed by fire, and consequently knew 
 old Montreal, and these events of his young life made a deep 
 impression on his mind. His father and niother were English, 
 and gave Henr)- a good education at the Normal School. The 
 father was a man of practical ideas ; he started life by leaving 
 home when but nine years of age, and was educated in the West 
 Indies, and, after following the sea for a number of years, settled 
 in Montreal, taking up commercial pursuits. He was a success- 
 ful and self-reliant man, and business was his natural element. 
 It happened, when Henry was a boy, that an old portrait-painter 
 "got in" with his father, and, having hard luck in his profession, 
 occasionally borrowed half a crown of Mr. Sandham, " to finish a 
 portrait with," when in reality he applied his money for liquor, 
 and, as the sequel proves, made himself obnoxious to every one, 
 and the ambitious Henr)' in particular, who had a taste for art. 
 When Sandham left school, his father retired from business, 
 bought a farm, and offered his son a clear deed of all the cattle 
 and the farm, if he would take hold and work, and not become 
 
 145 
 
146 
 
 HENRY SANDHAM, R. C. A. 
 
 " a drunken artist, kicking about and borrowing money." The 
 son refused the offer, whereupon the irate father informed him, in 
 a terse manner, to shift for himself. The mother, an aesthetic 
 lady, always busy on some fine bit of needlework or embroidery, 
 or training the flowers and vines to grow into open windows, 
 took the boy's part, but of no avail ; so, in a kindly yet resolute 
 manner, the father and son parted, Henry striking out for Mont- 
 real to seek his own livelihood. There was no art in Canada at the 
 time, the nearest approach to it being photography ; this was 
 better than farming to our determined youth, and he found em- 
 ployment as messenger boy in the best photographic establish- 
 ment Montreal could boast of. Here he toiled and worked his 
 way up until he stood an equal partner. His facile brush in fin- 
 ishing portrait work and directing others how to work brought 
 the concern into wide notoriety, insomuch that the productions 
 of his house received the highest awards in the World's Exhibi- 
 tion, and the special gold medal was awarded to his own work 
 in the Philadelphia exposition. While he was with this house, 
 he painted portraits, two of which made him conspicuous in 
 Canada as a robust and vigorous painter. These were the full- 
 lengths of Howe and Johnson, the great provincial politicians. 
 These two portraits, with one of Sir Thomas Lawrence, are the 
 only ones now hanging in the Senate Chamber at Halifax. Be- 
 side portrait work, Sandham had painted a number of marine 
 pictures, Canadian barges and river craft on the St. Lawrence, 
 with considerable skill and interest. 
 
 His works attracted the attention of O. R. Jacovi, a trained 
 and thorough artist, once court painter in Germany, before the 
 consolidation of the German Empire ; also, Adolph Vogt, the 
 cattle-painter, whose death by smallpox, in New York, will be 
 regretfully remembered ; also, John A. F"razer, a strong colorist, 
 and C. J. Way, a finished water-color painter. These artists 
 
IIEXRV SAXni/AM, R. C. A. 
 
 147 
 
 aided Sandham by the catholicit)' of their spirits, and by work- 
 ing with them he gained rapidl) in his stuches. 
 
 In 18S0. Sandham was one ot ihe few selected to loiin tlie 
 R()\ai Canathan Academy, and 11. R. II. Princess Louise con- 
 ferred an honor upon him by sekrcting his picture, " Beacon 
 Light, St. Jolin Harbor," for the National Ciallery collection in 
 Ottawa. 
 
 Sandham worked hanl for his success, and from marines he 
 went to landscape, hoping in this phase to hnd an outlet for his 
 
 expression ; but it was not satisfying. Then he took up cattle ; but 
 these did not appeal strongly to his nature, and it was only the 
 human figure in which he could realize his hopes of accomplish- 
 ing anything to his purpose. There was no life school in which 
 he could study, so he engaged his family physician to give him 
 a course in physical anatomy, and for three years he labored in 
 his spare hours, building up his own skeletons, and clothing 
 them with the overlying muscles and tissues. After a time he 
 took to modelling in clay, as the only way in which he could draw 
 
148 
 
 HENRY SANDHAM, R. C. A. 
 
 his figures; and thus unconsciously he was working in the direc- 
 tion of many of the masters. 
 
 When he left Canada for England, in 1880, the demand for 
 his works was so great that he had nothing to carry with him 
 to show his manner of painting, although several of his pictures 
 had preceded him to London. In London and Paris he worked 
 with, and associated among, the strongest artists, and, after a 
 time, by a careful process of reasoning, concluded that he would 
 let all business go, and adopt art as his profession. With this 
 intention, he came to Boston, and severed his business connec- 
 tions with his partners, which means that he sacrificed many 
 years of laboi* and many thousands of dollars for his art. 
 
 He worked along slowly at first, refusing the generous offer 
 of Miss Hunt, sister to the late Wm. M. Hunt, to gather a class 
 for him, his ambitions centring on important individual work, 
 requiring close application, which should give him a name in the 
 new field of his labors. His ability to work in most every branch 
 of the arts soon brought him into notice, and he was selected by 
 the Century Company to illustrate Helen Hunt Jackson's famous 
 article on Lower California. This was followed by other impor- 
 tant commissions, the most notable being parts of " Lalla 
 Rookh," " Lenoir," " Sermons on the Mount," published in 
 London and Boston, and many special publications. Sandham 
 spent five months in and about Southern California, and among 
 the Franciscan Missions, and retains all of the sketches of figures 
 and scenery mentioned in Mrs, Jackson's work entitled " Ro- 
 mona." Li these illustrations there is a peculiar charm, fitting 
 accompaniments to the singing melody of the poet's words. He 
 caught the local color, the character of the old churches, and in- 
 spired his work with a sympathy and feeling for the traditions 
 which permeated the very atmosphere. His figures of the priests 
 and monks, with their long flowing robes, were picturesque 
 
n j:\Ry s.i.\7)//,i.]/. a\ c. a. 
 
 '49 
 
 ami full (if movement, ami he iln w with v ij^or ami largeness ol 
 vision the j^anlens at San Juan Haulisia, where the folia<je 
 cautjht the sunli«iht ; ami he seemed speciall)' deliirhted w iili an 
 o|)|)()rtunit}- to make stroni; and rich effects in lij^ht and shade. 
 
 Samlham is always busy, and is capacitated b)- nature to carry 
 on a number of works at the same time. Vor instance, while en- 
 gatjed on his portraits antl illustrations, he was collecting mate- 
 rial for iiis " Dawn of Libert) ," a large canvas, j)rompted by Mr. 
 C. A. Wellington, a i)atriotic citizen of Le.xington, ami which now 
 hangs in the town hall of Lexington, Mass. No one can know, 
 who has not had like experience, the infinite toil and study re- 
 quired to successfully compose and finish such a historical work. 
 Beside the accuracy of detail, parts of which necessitated a visit 
 to England, the study of literature, early visits to Lexington for 
 dawn effects, collecting arms and costumes, drawing his figures 
 nude and clothing them afterward, and the like, the artist w-as 
 called upon to paint nature without regard to the battle, which 
 proved to be one of the best landscapes ever painted in this city. 
 The work, in all points, was exceedingly interesting, and made 
 Sandham's reputation more solid than ever it was before. 
 
 In portraiture, Sandham has made a great stride, his recent 
 work in this direction, of Dr. Duryea, pastor of the Central Con- 
 gregational Church, of Boston, being his most important. He 
 has made a noble figure, dignified and w-ell composed. He 
 gave the expression and character of the preacher with unusual 
 force and freedom, and an original setting. He painted the 
 bigness of his theme, and, while the accessories were noticeable, 
 they were not exalted above his subject. The conception, in its 
 entiret)', was grand, and was deservedly well received, and was 
 a departure from the usual conventionalities of portrait poses. 
 Among his other strong portraits is that of Robert Swan, whicli 
 hangs in the W'inthrojj School, in this city. 
 
HENRY SAND HAM, R. C. A. 
 
 In Sandham's art, nervous energy and the pictorial elements 
 predominate. Coupled with these qualities is a lively imagina- 
 tion, which is stimulated by good reading, good-nature, good liv- 
 ing, and a wholesome love for out-of-door life. Of his technical 
 skill and executive aptitude, it may be said that both are equally 
 balanced; he is of the Courbet type, with the exception that he is 
 more gentle in subject and treatment. He appreciates Rousseau 
 for his poetry and purity, but he cannot follow him in his silent, 
 tender earnestness ; he longs for the bustling affairs of life, the 
 historic, brilliant, and stirring events, animated scenes in nature, 
 and, in his sphere, makes his own distinctive mark. His draw- 
 ing and color show artistic effect, compatible always with his 
 subject, literal sometimes, but not in the sense of rotation ; say, 
 rather, that he is courageous, and that in his fidelity is discern- 
 ible a desire to transfer the object itself, with all that he com- 
 prehends of its inner life, on to the canvas. Sandham is a 
 genuine good fellow, and his pictures carry weight with the 
 masses, who can read his kindly temperament on his canvases. 
 There is nothing immured about Sandham's work. He develops 
 more by contact with nature, and need not rehash his sketches. 
 In fact, his works clearly establish this fact, for they always show 
 the freshness of his eye and a genial smile, reflections of fre- 
 quent visits to nature's shrine. 
 
 Sandham attributes a great share of his success to the art 
 instincts and hearty cooperation of his wife, Agnes A. {n'ee 
 Fraser), to whom he was married in 1865. Mrs. Sandham is an 
 able writer and contributor to our best magazines, and inherits 
 her father's gifts in this direction, he being a noted contribu- 
 tor of papers on the Chartist movement in England, and whose 
 pen and tongue were always used on the side of the peaceful and 
 legal reform party. 
 
 Sandham is a member of the Paint and Clay and Boston Art 
 
IIEXRY SAXD/f.lM, R. C. A. 
 
 Clul). ami has cotitrihutcel his works to inan\- h^cal as well as 
 Acailcmy ami oihi r outside exhibitions. Among his most im- 
 portant works, hrsidcs those mentioned, the following is but a 
 small list: '• Ciatherini; Sea-Wrack." Cieorire Hairue, manager 
 Merchants' Hank, Montreal ; " Return from the Hunt," Juds^c 
 McMahon. Toronto; " Salmon-I^'ishing. Godljout." Allen Ciil- 
 mour, Hs(j.. Ottawa : "Beacon Light, St. John Harbor," Cana- 
 dian National Gallery, Ottawa; "On Montreal Mountain," 
 bought by Ontario Society of Artists ; " Happy Moments," F. 
 Wolferston Thomas, manager Molson's Bank, Montreal; "Zuni 
 Chiefs," Mrs. Mary Hemenway, Boston ; marine subject, Anson 
 P. Stokes, New York; "Camp Steps, Camp Harmony," Dean 
 Sage, Albany ; portrait, James Bogle, Boston; portrait, Henry 
 W. Wellington, Newton, Mass. Water-Colors: "Santa Bar- 
 bara," Mr. A. Hemenway. Boston; "Shelter Island Landscape," 
 Professor Horsford, Boston; "At San Gabriel," Mrs. Caroline 
 M. Severance, Boston; "Fishing Camp. Restigouche." C. F. 
 Lawrence, New York ; " Salmon-Fishing," W. II. Sage, Ithaca, 
 
FRANK HILL SMITH. 
 
 To write a concise history of the arts of Boston, the compiler 
 would be oblio"ed to consult with Smith, for he has been identi- 
 fied with its best efforts for upward of a quarter of a century. 
 He was born in this cit)', in 1842, is a f^raduate of our schools, 
 and has q^rown up with the best social elements and influences 
 the city can boast of. We find him, as early as 1859, studyino;- 
 architecture with Hammatt Billings, and it was durino" his connec- 
 tions with Billings that his mind was filled with the poetic senti- 
 ments of that master. Billino-s was an artist of refined tastes, 
 subtle fanc)', and versatile talents, and was known by his exquisite 
 drawings for illustrations of Keats and Tennyson, as well as his 
 architectural and monumental designs, which were full ot imagi- 
 nation and inventive power. It is not to be wondered at that 
 Smith gained an immense amount of knowledge from such an 
 association, and that he was active in an)- art event of the times. 
 Frank Hill .Smith, A. H. Bicknell, and Mark Fisher were about 
 the onh' artists who drew from the antique at th(; Athenaeum, 
 and, after stud)-ing at the Lowell Institute a while. .Smith, in 
 
 153 
 
154 
 
 FRANK HILL SMITH. 
 
 conjunction with Bicknell and Fisher, started the first life school 
 ever opened in this country. His connection with the old 
 Allston Club was of value to him, for he mingled with such 
 artistic spirits as " Tom " Robinson, William Furnace, and Hunt, 
 and his artistic nature was recognized and appreciated by these 
 pioneers of good art in America. In 1865 he visited Europe, 
 and in that year entered the atelier Suisse, in Paris, and after- 
 ward studied with Bonnat and other noted French painters. For 
 five years Smith worked seriously for his advancement, and his 
 progress was sufficient to warrant the splendid juries of the 
 Salons of those days to accept his works. While in Paris, he 
 painted minute figures, full of detail and of interest, of such merit 
 as to attract the attention of Goupil, the French dealer, who 
 purchased several of them. From Paris he went to Belgium 
 and Holland, remaining there several months, from there to 
 Venice, where he became absorbed with the architectural beau- 
 ties of the city, and made innumerable drawings of details at St. 
 Mark's and other notable old buildings. 
 
 In 1 87 1, Smith returned to Boston, and began to paint 
 portraits, his scope having enlarged, and his feelings for grander 
 masses of color having been augmented. His early works were 
 conspicuous for their rich color and fine conception of composi- 
 tion, and these features of his art were jusdy appreciated. After 
 a time he took to painting figures and landscapes ; indeed, he 
 alternated from one to the other, as his fancy inclined. 
 
 There is no doubt that Smith, Bicknell, Robinson, Cole, 
 Hunt, Waterman, and, later on, Vinton, and one or two others, 
 had pretty much the swing of art in Boston for several years, 
 and it is well for the arts of to-day that they did. They were 
 constantly together, working like brothers in the cause, and 
 their interests seemed to be closely united. Would there was 
 the same unity among our artists of to-day. 
 
FRANK HILL SMITH. 
 
 155 
 
 Smith, Robinson, and Hunt used to paint a great deal 
 tog-ether; in fact, they formed a triumvirate club to " sass one 
 another's pictures," as Hunt termed it. Both Hunt and Robin- 
 son recognized the splendid color in Smith's works, and, upon 
 one occasion, when Smith painted a picture of a donkey, from 
 one of Hunt's drawings, and asked Hunt to finish it. Hunt 
 remarked, " Y) — n it, Frank, I can't ; it's good enough." He did, 
 however, dash in some high lights and add to the anatomy, after 
 
 which both artists signed it, and in the Hunt sale, several years 
 later, the picture sold for two hundred and fifty dollars. 
 
 While Smith was in Europe he made many drawings and 
 studies of noted continental interiors, and with the purpose of 
 future use in architectural paintings and practical construction. 
 He studied the methods of the architects and painters of 
 Holland, Belgium, Italy, and France ; indeed, he associated with 
 the strong men of Europe, who, by the way, were always pleased 
 
156 
 
 FRANK HILL SMITH. 
 
 with his ready suggestions with the pencil ; and accumulated a 
 vast and interesting store of art knowledge and characteristic 
 sketches. 
 
 About twelve years ago he was called upon by one of his 
 picture clients to suggest a scheme for the interior finish of a 
 house which was in the course of construction, and, with his 
 usual ardor, set to work to make something effective and impor- i. 
 tant, and out of the common style of things. He started on 
 friezes and displaced the tedious cornice with a design from the 
 plaster casts given him by the Centennial committee of judges, 
 of which he was a member. These casts were made by the 
 Spanish government, as a part of their display in the exposition, 
 and consisted of different parts of the Alhambra and Alcazar, 
 and other forms of Moorish decorations. 
 
 Smith made models of these casts and had them placed on 
 the walls, giving great satisfaction. Afterward he used the 
 principle upon which these casts were made, and designed a 
 ceiling and other ornamentations for the same house. This 
 was a new departure in Smith's art application, and was really 
 the starting of his career as an interior decorator, and he has 
 worked with wonderful success in this direction. After two 
 years he gained a reputation, and then Lefarge, Tiffany, and 
 other artists began to work in the same direction ; but Smith 
 was the leader of the revolution of artistic interior decorating 
 in this country. Since his first effort he has gained such recog- 
 nition that, to-day, he has an enviable reputation in this impor- 
 tant field of art work. 
 
 It would make a long list to enumerate the important com- 
 missions he has executed, but there are some which are really 
 worth noting. Young's Hotel is one of his most conspicuous 
 public works, and, though among his first efforts, is still pointed 
 at with pride by our citizens, and in this, had he not been handi- 
 
FRAXA' HILL SMITH. 
 
 '5/ 
 
 capped, it uoiilcl have been (.'ncii more heaiitilul. The stroni;^ 
 feature of the dinintJ^-rooin i)f this hotel is its dignity and 
 strength of construction, coupletl with an intelhj^cnt conception 
 of what ijood ina\- be obtained Ironi lorni, color, and line when 
 thought out with an idea of compensations or tone harmonies. 
 Without going into details of materials used, or their distribu- 
 tion, we may say that the artist decorator really established a 
 new era in decoration, which has spread all over our land. Of 
 the work that he has performed in churches, theatres, and 
 private houses, there is much to write about; but we must gen- 
 eralize on the artist's creative ability, in an article of this nature, 
 rather than go into minute detail. 
 
 Smith is a born artist, knows and feels the power of color 
 and form balancing, and is eminently able to grasp his ideas as 
 units, and obtain from them grand and beautiful harmonies. 
 These expressions apply equally well to both his paintings and 
 architectural and interior works. In his paintings one can see a 
 tremendous vigor of handling, not so much in the way the 
 paint is applied as in the force of its contrasts and relations. 
 His colors look as if they were first hewn, and then polished 
 and set into their places; they are not of the blocky construction, 
 but rather like mosaics in their affiliation one with another. 
 This being the fact, it is impossible to find anything he ever 
 painted that has the appearance of fussiness ; such a sure 
 method of applying the pigments keeps the colors pure and the 
 light and decorative qualities clear and certain. In one of his 
 recent paintings, that of Venice, the clouds are tinted by the 
 rising sun, seen in the clear, morning atmosphere overhead, 
 seemingly balanced over the dome of the Santa Maria della 
 Saluta. while a mist is spread over the water, reaching into the 
 perspective, half-way up the side of the edifice ; there is evidently 
 a spiritual or ethereal feeling in this w^ork, which is remindful of 
 
158 
 
 FRANK HILL SMITH. 
 
 some of the best French artists' pictures more than any other 
 school I know of. It is a mysterious reahty, if that can be pos- 
 sible, and, if there is a dreamy feeling about it, it is the dream of 
 a strong man. It is full of stirring, heroic poetry, and is vitally 
 impressive ; a gondola, just emerging from the mist, adding to 
 the interest of the work as a picture. There is a delicious, fatty 
 quality in his colors which have aged, and this test of the chem- 
 istry of his color and the mechanism of his eye is a very 
 noticeable one. You cannot fall to sleep over his work, every 
 part of his canvas vibrates with life, a sort of nervous, mental, 
 and physical force not unlike in its effect on the eye to a certain 
 class of refined, full orchestral music on the ear. If Smith were 
 just beginning to paint, and possessed the same amount of 
 knowledge that he does of art, I feel that he would take as his 
 masters Rousseau and Decamps, possibly Delacroix. Of these 
 great masters he is particularly fond, and his unerring judgment 
 of their works, as well as of others of the great Barbizon school, 
 has entitled him to a worthy censorship, which art patrons have 
 readily availed themselves of. 
 
 Smith finds much repose from his many undertakings, in 
 keeping up his painting ; indeed, he could not be comfortable 
 without trying to give expression in color to the pictures that 
 are constantly in his mind, and from his numerous sketches. 
 In the decorative world he is equally at home as in his painting, 
 he revels in de luxe materials, fabrics rare and costly, Japanese 
 inlayings and carvings, bric-a-brac ; the arts of the Orient 
 entrance his eyes ; the tracery of the India crafts, the hand- 
 tooled leather of the Moors, and the superb handiwork of the 
 masters of the fourteenth, fifteenth, and sixteenth centuries come 
 under his eye for study and suggestions ; he copies nothing, 
 imitates no one ; his work is original and inspiring. He is 
 quite able, without undue praise, to execute any commission, 
 
FRA.VK HILL SMITH. 
 
 •59 
 
 ami to tlircct the erection ami decoration of an imperial i)alace ; 
 
 him the workmrn r(|iial to his dcmaiuls is ail he needs, he 
 is biij enout>fh to master the work in haml. The lamented Tom 
 Robinson once said of Smith as an artist that "he paints big; 
 what I mean to say, he feels color and decorative thinirs in a Imij 
 way." No one will gainsay " Tom's " ability to judge, and, as 
 Smith holds a position as an equal with the three best decora- 
 tors in the country, the statement scarcely needs any further 
 comment. Among the important pictures Smith has painted, 
 there miorht be mentioned the followine : " Venice," in tht; Som- 
 erset Club collection ; another view, owned by William Clatlin's 
 heirs; "St. Mark's," in the Isaac Fenno collection; and other 
 works, in the possession of Martin Brimmer, Esq., and others. 
 
 In the way of architectural and interior designing and con- 
 struction, the following works are well worth mentioning: Union 
 League. New York ; Union Club, Chicago ; Christ Church, 
 Cambridge ; and many private dwellings in New York, Boston, 
 and Chicago. His present public work is the charge of the 
 interior architectural designs and the decorations of the steamer 
 Puritan, now being built for the Old Colony Steamboat Company. 
 
1). j. STRAIN. 
 
 Strain is one of New Hampshire's sons, and may ]^v added 
 to a loni]f list of now noted artists who have s[)rui\t^' up ainon<j 
 the hills of our New h^ni^land towns. Consistent with the laws 
 governini^ his surroimdin<i^s, rural simplicity, Strain's early days 
 were passed not unlike nine-tenths of the average country 
 lad's ; and, while he was not guided toward any pretentious 
 calling b\' his parents, still he inclined to the artistic side of 
 matters ; and, having the instincts of art within him, he was not 
 slow in taking advantage of his o{)portiinity when it came 
 to him. 
 
 Chancing one day to fall in with an artist who was painting 
 some rather interesting heads, Strain was at once captured with 
 the process and results, and with intense delight plunged into 
 his new vocation. I think it was about thirteen )ears ago that 
 I first met him, in his studio, Lawrence Building. At that time 
 he had been in Boston but a little while, and was just com- 
 mencing to realize an income from his ideal crayon heads of 
 children, which were photographed, and had become popular 
 all over the country. 
 
 In July, 1877, Strain, accompanied by W. E. Norton, left 
 Boston for Paris, where he entered Julien's studio, and contin- 
 
 161 
 
l62 
 
 D. J. STRAIN. 
 
 ued a student there for five years, save one year, when he 
 studied in Jackson's. During his summer vacations he made 
 extensive trips through Holland, Spain, and Belgium, and one 
 of his winters he spent in Morocco. In the fall of 1883, after 
 an absence of over six years, he returned to this city, and 
 opened a studio in the Evans House, where he has remained up 
 to this date. Previous to his departure for Europe, Strain 
 studied out the problem of his future career in art, and con- 
 
 cluded that, while it was a good thing to be successful in 
 crayon work, he had much rather perfect himself in all the 
 branches of art. This was an important and progressive step, 
 and one requiring a remarkable degree of pluck ; for to leave a 
 lucrative revenue and commence a life of close application to 
 the rudiments of art was an ambition involving great financial 
 as well as vital expense. The result of his endeavor is well 
 known, and his expenditure of time has proved to be a valuable 
 investment. 
 
1\ J. S TRAIX. 
 
 Strain is endowed with an intense love of the ideal,- not of 
 the dreamy or ilraniatic sort, hut rather of the (|iiict and i)erf(?ct 
 type. He sees the ideal line ami form of objects in life antl 
 nature, and, with a refinetl antl delicate method, paints the love 
 that is within them. These traits are noticeable in his first 
 Salon picture, honored with a position on the line, entitled 
 " Les Deux Amis." It would seem impossible for the artist to 
 ever again rise above this marvellously beautiful conception of 
 childish purit)- and innocence. Here is a simple, rustic, barefoot 
 girl standing in a field path. She holds a spray of wheat in her 
 hand, which a pet lamb is nibbling. The figure is life-size, is 
 tender in color, and the face is full of love and gentleness. 
 This work will be made famous by an etching which Strain has 
 published, in which he shows consuinmate skill as an etcher, his 
 lines being delicate yet firm, and his drawing sure and clean. 
 His painting entitled " Fleurs des Champs," depicting a little 
 girl asleep in the field, is another really absorbing work. "Zora- 
 hayda" also calls for special comment. In this work he shows 
 a )-oung Moorish maiden, a princess, standing in the princesses' 
 tower of the Alhambra, sadly gazing out toward the mountains 
 in the direction of Cordova. The picture is one sweet harmony 
 of thought and color, and is impressive in the sense that it is 
 pure and elevated in character, as well as being well drawn and 
 composed. 
 
 In portraiture. Strain carries the same passion for ideality 
 which is evidenced in his pictures ; that is, while he obtains a 
 likeness of the individual, he adds to it his personality, grace of 
 movement, conscientious treatment, and an insight into the 
 best side of the human attributes. He thus shows his knowl- 
 edge of technique and other essentials necessary to every artist 
 in depicting the wonders of color and expressions seen in the 
 human face. I have noticed in his portrait work that he leans 
 
D. J. STRAIN. 
 
 toward the home side of his subject, the side where we best 
 know our friends, and that, it strikes me, is the most satisfactory- 
 way of looking at men and women, and that is where we prefer 
 to see the subject and the portrait. The bustle, the overwrought 
 expression, and the violent life of the commercial man is really 
 the unnatural condition, is not the most lasting or best, conse- 
 quently the social character of a man or woman is the truest 
 and best for portraiture, being full of repose, and showing all 
 there is of internal light and sincerity. 
 
 Strain works for beauty of accessories as well as for a por- 
 trait likeness. He feels that the composition must be full of 
 graceful lines, quiet forms, and local color ; that these must 
 melt into the surroundings as helps to his figure, and not show 
 as mere objects or still-life. 
 
 A careful study of Strain's portraits will disclose how mi- 
 nutely he observes the relations and influences of the textures 
 of fabrics with the flesh tints, how the shadows and lights are 
 made to harmonize, and with what care he adjusts the little 
 things so often passed over or neglected by other painters. 
 This earnestness to complete and make as good a portrait as 
 he can has given Strain his present reputation. 
 
 It is not necessary to mention the list of his strong works in 
 portraiture. They begin with children, several of which have 
 been shown in our local exhibitions and in the Salon, and fol- 
 low with those of young ladies, ladies in full costume, and gen- 
 tlemen of all ages, from the college graduate to the wise old 
 merchant, the poet, and the general. His latest work, a three- 
 quarters length of General N. P. Banks, is, perhaps, his greatest 
 achievement, being a lifelike and characteristic piece of painting, 
 and one which gives the true interior force of the subject with 
 an intelligent comprehension of his vitality and exterior expres- 
 sion and color. 
 
11 J. S TKA/.V. 
 
 165 
 
 To nnind out in lU'tail the many cslinialile qualities of our 
 subject ami his work would Ix- simply tautolo<;ical. it ix-iuL; 
 evident, from what has been said, that Strain is one whose 
 mature judsj^ment and knowledj^e' are found in\aluabK' amoni^ 
 the jurymen of the Hoston Art Club, that he is held in csiccm 
 by his fellow-members of the Paint and Clay Club, antl that he 
 is a g^ood citizen as well as painter. 
 
W. L. TAYLOR. 
 
 Mr. Tavi.or is an artist who paints in water monochromes 
 for illustrations. He was born in Grafton, Mass., and, after 
 leaving school, being artistic in his temperament, he took 
 up mechanical drawing, the nature of which kept him in the 
 open air, an employment congenial and much needed at the 
 time, on account of previous confinement and ill-health. By 
 degrees he gained in perception and facilities, and, while a 
 member of the Artists' Leagrue in New York, he determined 
 to work out his ideas in the higher branches of art. Applying 
 himself for a time with his usual earnestness, he became ill 
 again, and was forced to relinquish his work, and went to W'or- 
 cester, Mass., where he remained until recovery. It was in 
 1 88 1 that he came to Boston, with more ambition than pennies, 
 and set up a small studio on School .Street. 
 
 Few artists appeal to a larger or more appreciative audience 
 than the serious illustrator. He deals with the subtleties of 
 
 167 
 
W. L. TAYLOR. 
 
 light and shade. It is his province to give the force and char- 
 acter of color without using pigments, and he stands equal with 
 all other masters of art, and, like the painter artist, he must be 
 a student of nature and look beyond the surface of things. 
 To portray the events in black and white, and give life to 
 the figures, to give the relative darks and weights of color, to 
 grasp the intent of the author, — more, to add truth to the 
 author's verse, — requires a mind certainly equal to the poet, 
 and a remarkable facility to execute and make thoughts tangible. 
 
 Take the works left to us by the greatest of illustrators, 
 such as Durer, Meryon, Claude, Hogarth, Rembrandt, and 
 Dore. All of these were elegant draughtsmen, and full of 
 imagination. They could be forcible or delicate, grand or 
 simple, as the subject required. Their temperaments entered 
 into their works, and according to their temperaments so were 
 they gifted in expression ; that is, each one gave the imprint 
 of his own virility. 
 
 Mr. Taylor's temperament is of the poetic order, and one can 
 form but a small idea of the draught made upon his vitality and 
 imagination by looking over the publications he has illustrated. 
 
 It is in the portfolio of his works, rather than in the repro- 
 ductions, that we will find out the power of the artist, and we 
 will escape the errors of the printer, the engraver, and the 
 process men when we study each one of the originals. Here 
 we find his mental and creative ability to be remarkable, and 
 his themes taking a wide range. It is evident that he devotes 
 no end of time to the study of costumes, places, times of men, 
 expressions, poses of figures, historical data, textures, subtlety 
 of flesh, atmosphere, anatomy, and grace of composition. All 
 appear in unity with his theme, and he gives, sometimes, the 
 obscure idea of an author whose mentality he lifts by the straps, 
 as it were, with a substantial mental and manual effort. 
 
ir. L. TAYLOR. 
 
 169 
 
 The portfolio is o|K'n ; here, at first sij^hi. is a fij^urc; chul in 
 a costume worn about the seventh centur\ . There is a buckle 
 which Mr. ra\It)r knocketl all over luiro|)e to Inul ; it inij^^hi 
 have been discovered in a library book, but that woukl bi; no 
 one knows how man)' removes from an orii^inal. Ww. fiijure is 
 of a youni^ man. and is drawn with few lines and visibU; skill. 
 \et the motlellinjj^ is remarkably strouLj. showinj^ a minimum 
 outlay of labor, and more eflective than 1 have seen in some 
 
 figures on noted canvases. The subject is taken from Tc nny- 
 son's "The Holy Grail," and it is a delicate introduction to the 
 reader of a portrait of little? Sir Galahad. There he is, in liis 
 necklace, tunic, croppcxl hair, belt, silk stockings, and red leather 
 shoes, all in detail, real and distinguished. Again, we are in 
 the banquet hall : the strong light comes in from overhead, and 
 marks in gentle gradations the atmospheric effects, as .seen on 
 the figures in their various positions. The light strikes the 
 
170 
 
 W. L. TAYLOR. 
 
 flesh, fabrics, metals, and materials natural to the substance, 
 and you feel also the construction of objects, the design of the 
 interior, and the anatomy and bulk beneath. 
 
 There are other illustrations here from the same work, exte- 
 riors and interiors, male and female figures, and all of them 
 show how patiently, calmly, and devotedly the artist has worked 
 for the minutest detail. 
 
 From the " Earl's Return " we pick up the illustration 
 where 
 
 " The flakes of the spray that were jerked away 
 From the froth on the lip of the bleak blue sea 
 Were sometimes flung by the wind as it swung 
 Over turret and terrace and balcony." 
 
 Here is a splendid conception of the force of the water and 
 spray, and of the grand old architecture of the times. The 
 upper turrets are among the black and angry clouds, and the 
 moonlight flecks the projections of the great pile, as it comes 
 through rifts in the clouds, adding to the grandeur and wonder 
 of the scene. Here is the earl's wife, who 
 
 " Sat 'twixt the mildewy beds 
 Of the sea-surged flowers in the Pleasaunce Garden." 
 
 The facial expression of the lady, the flow of lines in the 
 draperies, the loneness of the place, the sunlight playing about 
 in the foliage, are treated with marvellous power of human 
 knowledge and human feeling. The lady is not a piece of still- 
 life. The drawing is accurate and made from a model, but his 
 model was not a princess ; he had to make her one. This com- 
 prehends the charm and beauty of good art. 
 
 In another drawing we note the happy features of the mother 
 and child watching the river and listening to its song, and then 
 we take up several illustrations from " Dora" and other poems 
 which Taylor has so delicately and sweetly painted. 
 
//: L. TAYLOR. 
 
 171 
 
 It ^volllcl l)c well lor tlic stiuU'iit to look over the works 
 by Tayk)r, anil note the actual labor, to say nothiii*^ of the 
 thouirht and skill, displayetl in them. Stiuly the illustration 
 from " Dora," depictint^ a q^entle landscape and a pathwa)-, 
 which leads )-ou through a wicket to the house beyond, 
 
 "... wliere farmer .Vllcii at llic farm abode." 
 
 Despite the engraver's renderinsf, the eye can readily take 
 in the .sweetness of the scene in tlie graceful lines and forms. 
 It contains itself, antl no more could be added nor could any- 
 thing be taken from it. Remove the distant spire, slightly 
 suggested as it is, and you lose a note that breaks the harmony. 
 The labor of the hand in drawing and perhaps redrawing this 
 illustration must have been great, simple as the picture may 
 appear. 
 
 We have seen in his works the significance of the emotions 
 of hate, of love, of pride and valor; we have .seen the rural 
 maid, the simple child, old age, the men and women of the 
 court and of the field ; innumerable costumes, architecture, an 
 armory of equipments, and all depicted in a very small space. 
 A high intellectuality pervades every touch, and by its religious 
 power the poet is brought nearer to the people, and if I were to 
 select an artist to illustrate the Book of Ruth, I know of no one 
 better qualified by nature or by his arts than Taylor. 
 
 There is no dash or jumbling in any of the drawings we 
 have looked over — all is technically fine, clear, and direct in 
 results — nor does it appear that any formula is used, but, 
 rather, that the dominating features of his art lie in his 
 instincts to paint w'hat ought to be, his ability to give expres- 
 sion to his refined thoughts, and his literal intimacy and rela- 
 tions w^ith everything he attempts to illustrate. Hard w^ork is 
 evident, and, coupled with a poetic impulse, he is enabled by 
 
1/2 
 
 IV. L. TAYLOR. 
 
 very close application to sustain himself evenly to the finish. 
 Taylor frequently finds relief from his work in using water- 
 colors, and I have seen many of his interiors ; one, in particu- 
 lar, I have in mind, where the light is seen stealing into the 
 windows of a blacksmith shop, threading over and under and 
 around every object, and where the color also is seen in the 
 light. There is the same frankness and reserve in the drawing 
 noticeable in his black-and-whites, and the local impression of 
 the interior is rendered with a strong and careful touch. 
 Nothing is overdone, there is no strangulation of color; 
 lines and forms are put in where they belong, and not at 
 random. 
 
 The point that can be claimed for Taylor's work is that it is 
 work, and that it is inspired work. A painter or sculptor is not 
 greater than this ; his material cannot make him great. 
 
 Taylor is a member of the Paint and Clay Club, and, socially, 
 is an agreeable and gentlemanly person, common-sensed in his 
 views of affairs, pleasant in conversation, and is well informed 
 in literature. He walks an even life, always accompanied 
 by the respect and love of those who are fortunate in his 
 acquaintance. 
 
ROSS TURNl-R. 
 
 URNER has completely identihc'd himself 
 with the arts of Boston, ihoui^h he; has 
 been among us onl)- six years. It is not 
 alone by his works that he has so effect- 
 ually endeared himself, we can easily trace 
 his popularity to a strono- personality and 
 a willingness to help ; pointing the way and 
 giving hope and courage to the student 
 who is ambitious and willing to learn. 
 None will gainsay the truth of this introduction to Ross Turner. 
 He was born at Westport, N. Y., on the west side of Lake 
 Champlain, June 29, 1848. The vicissitudes of his first fourteen 
 ) ears were not of a nature to make them pleasant to his mem- 
 ory, for they were of a routine business-like character, though 
 the stolen hours of recreation on the lake and the kindly influ- 
 ences of his home compensate somewhat for the trade intervales. 
 He took up mechanical drawing when he left school, and this 
 occupation prepared him to lift up the veil between his desire to 
 study nature and the opportunity to exercise it, for he gain(;d in 
 facility and knowledge in handling the pencil and the use of 
 water-colors. In 1876, he went to Munich, and there began his 
 
 173 
 
174 
 
 ROSS TURNER. 
 
 study of painting, and found congenial friends in the American 
 colony which had obtained a considerable footing under the in- 
 fluence of Duveneck, Chase, Shirlaw, Frank Currier, and others. 
 He visited Florence, Rome, and Venice, and in those warm lati- 
 tudes for the first time saw the life and animation of color as he 
 had pictured it in his early fancies. 
 
 Seven years of study and close relationship with the arts of 
 Europe fortified his knowledge, and fixed his palette and style 
 into permanent shape, and, with a desire to practise his art in 
 his native land, he came to Boston in 1883, and established a 
 studio in 12 West Street. No sooner had he set up his easel 
 than he was appealed to by amateurs for instruction, and just 
 here it may be stated that he is amply qualified in disposition to 
 direct the hand of the beginner, possessing those rare qualities, 
 patience and sympathy, and is never frustrated by the short- 
 comings of the student, doubtless considering, the while, that 
 he too is a student in art. 
 
 Upon the event of his marriage, in 1885, he took up his resi- 
 dence in Salem, where he has a picturesque studio, but he al- 
 ways retains his city studio for his classes, and is now located on 
 Boylston Street. 
 
 Turner's advent into Boston was under flying colors ; Venice 
 and its atmosphere, always so remarkable for its clearness, giv- 
 ing to objects a brightness of color and distinctness of outline 
 unknown to any part of Northern Europe or America, illumi- 
 nated our galleries and club exhibitions, and his fresh manner 
 in making his pictures very decorative attracted considerable 
 notice and patronage. His strong hold in art may be said to 
 be in his decorative and artistic arrangement of colors, agreeable 
 groupings, and his intense love of nature, coupled with a healthy 
 poetic imagination. Dallying somewhat with music, poetry, 
 history, and social life, he alternates in his delineations of the 
 
ROSS TURNER. 
 
 '75 
 
 arts, and wi- fiinl him i)aintini,r luual architecture of the ICliza- 
 bethan period, fissures from some poi-m, wiKl llowers of i-ver)' 
 clime, boats and ships, still-hfe rehcs of some story, or other- 
 wise reminiscently interesting, — and all the while using every 
 known vehicle to convey his interpretations. 
 
 W hile I'urner can depict the color and texture of the petal and 
 helj) ){)u to love the sensuous (lower, while; he can portra)' the 
 lights that tremble in the upper air. among the sunlit clouds and 
 
 azure blue, and bring them nearer to your view as he spreads 
 their subtleties over the earth, while he calls our attention to 
 the character of the Roman Villa and the Murrano Isle, and 
 pictures the resplendent, quivering, dazzling masses of oriental 
 twilight fire, — still he sees the rugged anatomy of our sombre, 
 picturesque coast, and interj)rets the gray frowns that wrinkle 
 our water fronts, ami through all of these transitions he is the 
 same susceptible painter, and by nature the poet, with a peace- 
 ful sunglow in his heart. 
 
1/6 J^OSS TURNER. 
 
 His drawing is always interesting, and he has, with a few 
 Hnes, given us the suggestion of a hillside, with figures moving 
 to and fro ; only a small part of the canvas or paper is used, the 
 rest is left in one tone and yet there seems to be no vacancy. 
 This shows that he comprehends the value of light and shade 
 and the phenomena of color. This feature of his art is evident 
 in his Venetian pictures and flower studies, more than in his 
 paintings of New England scenery, the reason being, no doubt, 
 that he feels the vitality of the warmer atmosphere and hot color. 
 
 ^ In his latest works, as shown at Doll 
 xy/^ & Richards' gallery, in February, there 
 were many examples painted in his best 
 style. Here were two large water-colors 
 which, taken in their entirety, he has 
 never surpassed. In " In the Summer 
 Time," he depicts a natural growth of 
 semi-wild flowers in their simple, unaf- 
 fected beauty, growing in a rural garden. 
 The genial sun rays mellow the air and 
 warm the colors on the little cottage that 
 nestles in the fragrance of the blossom- 
 ing vine and foliage. There are two figures in the garden, 
 and these, with the worn and winding path, tell of human life 
 and movement. All is quiet save that the insects are hum- 
 ming in their own realm, and the birds are joyous in their 
 songs not far away. One feels a desire to be neighborly and 
 gently push his way through the tender flowers and bushes, and 
 get a glimpse of the life within the cottage. There are some 
 splendid intervales of light and shade and color balancing in 
 this picture, the poet reads to us his own work, we become 
 enlightened, he has told off his rhyme and we are made 
 conscious of the beauty of that simple country garden. His 
 
ROSS rrK.\7:K. 
 
 ^77 
 
 "November" is a iiuiet transcript of iiaturi-. the lii^ht is in 
 and about tin- scene, penetrating beneath the rank o^rasses of 
 the marsh land, and brino;in<> to \ie\v the burial-places of the 
 once happy insects, and tlu' sut^^rcstive browns in the shadows 
 where the tides come ant! iro. The warmth of summer has 
 i]^one, but Turner iloes not make you rejj^ret it ; Ik: invites 
 )Ou to listen to the more plaintive melody of this serene mo- 
 ment. In ever\' painting there was shown a simple and poetic 
 description of what he sees and feels in nature. 
 
 Turner is best seen antl felt in his water-colors. With this 
 medium he excels in graphic ability and tact, and finds more 
 freedom and a readier vehicle for his imagination; that is, 
 being of a sensitive nature, he requires sensitive vehicles to 
 work with, the body pigments confining him too much in them- 
 selves, and in their use he loses his easy, delicate, and rapid 
 touch. 
 
 It is a satisfying pleasure to study Turner's work ; it is so 
 honest and enthusiastic that it buoys you up, revives your 
 spirits ; like good wine it intensifies your thoughts, and you can- 
 not despond. His power of expression carries brilliant and 
 luminous color into the pleasant company of his thoughts. 
 There is no labor, no over-study, no riot of contrasts and rela- 
 tions, no more nor less than there is in nature. His intimacy 
 with flowers gives him the power to interpret their language to 
 us. His vision is always receptive to that which is refined, and 
 his art is consistent without being too methodical. He can 
 draw every detail, but prefers to give us the movement of color 
 and form without showingr us the wheels in the works ; we know 
 they are there, the life is always evident. He has a lively ap- 
 preciation of others' w'orks and can criticise without finding 
 fault, a trait that at once sets him down as being unavailable 
 
178 
 
 ROSS TURNER. 
 
 for public use, but as a more important factor in quietly elevat- 
 ing and encouraging his brother artists. As in his art so is he 
 in the social world, and his domestic felicity inspires him to 
 a happy view of this life. Who can say that the biographer 
 has overdrawn the portrait? 
 
FREDERICK PORTER VINTON, A. N. A.. S. A. A. 
 
 Like the portraits that he paints, Vinton is an interesting 
 stud\- in himself. He was born in Baniror, Me., 1846, and 
 amongst the liard\- lumbermen and the bustling commerce; of 
 the great shipping port of the Penobscot li\-ed the first ten 
 years of his life. His parents then moved to Chicago, where 
 he went to school, and, in his off hours, worked in a shetl his 
 father had built for him, painting ornamental signs and dashing 
 off pastels for amusement and possible profit. At fifteen years 
 of age the family moved to Boston, where young Vinton was 
 obliged to find mercantile employment, and entered the house 
 of Gardner, Brewer & Co., in 1 861, at a salary of fifty dollars 
 a year. Failing to see, after the first year, wherein bundle 
 carr) ing and porter's work could ever lift him into a partnership, 
 he left this house and went into the employ of C. V. Hovey & 
 Co. An incident occurred, while he was engaged in his duties 
 
 179 
 
i8o FREDERICK PORTER VINTON, A. N A., S. A. A. 
 
 here, which really shaped his future career. It chanced one day 
 that the halyards of the Union flag which the firm had patrioti- 
 cally hung across the street, it being war times then, had caught 
 on a skylight, and Vinton was told to go up and release them. 
 While thus engaged he looked into the skylight of Wm. M. 
 Hunt's studio, and, becoming fascinated with the picture on which 
 Hunt was at work, "The Listener," he laid down and quietly 
 enjoyed the scene. The next day he took his drawings and 
 crayons to Hunt and submitted them to him. Vinton, the 
 boy, stood before Hunt, the master; and his long, white, flowing 
 beard and searching eyes, enough to impress a strong man, set 
 Vinton into a tremble. " Let's see your work, come in," said 
 Hunt, shutting the door and continuing his interrogations. 
 "So you think you want to be an artist?" and, crossing the 
 room, he took up an antique cast, and, holding it up, said, 
 "What do you see?" Vinton replied, "A white piece of 
 plaster." "Yes ! " vehemently responded Hunt, " a white against 
 a dark — black and white, you see. Now, how white and how 
 dark it is are the salient points of art ; take it home, bring me a 
 copy in crayon." Vinton, with much hope and eagerness, and 
 a joy within him because he had talked with a great artist, went 
 his way. After a time, he brought back his study, and Hunt 
 stood awhile looking at the drawing, then turned about, and, 
 slapping Vinton on the back, said, " You've as much art as I 
 had when I started ; go ahead." To Hunt, Bicknell, Fisher, 
 Cole, "Tom" Robinson, and John B. Johnston, Vinton owes 
 much for his early encouragement, and is always happy in 
 acknowledging their aid. 
 
 Vinton left dry-goods, studied in a business college, obtained 
 employment in a bank, and commenced soon after studying in 
 the Lowell Institute, entering the life class in his second year, 
 and then began a course of studies with Dr. Rimmer. He was 
 
FREDERICK PORTER 17X7 OX, A. X. A., S. A. A. iSi 
 
 enablctl, after a time', lo opcii .i siiulio in the hank buikling', and 
 there ilevoted his time in the alternoDns lo serious work. I le 
 soon j^ainetl the esteem of Cole and Robinson, who kindly 
 invited him lo exhibit with ihvm. In 1S75, he had savcil 
 enough money to ^o abroatl, and. in the fall of that year, was 
 ailmitteil to Bonnat's studio, where he studied from the fi<ifure 
 until the following; s|)rin!^. when b'rank Diucncck came oxer 
 Irom Munich and inducc-d X'inton lo back with hini. which he 
 
 did, and remained there for a year, studying- in the Academy, 
 under Professors Wagner and Diez, and with Duveneck. He 
 then returned to Paris. Being attracted by the work of Laurens, 
 he applied to him for admission to his studio. Laurens told him 
 that only Frenchmen could study in his school ; but after 
 looking over his work he was admitted, and was at that time the 
 only foreigner who was allowed in the studio, \\1iile in Paris, 
 he painted the " Little (j)ps)'" and a '"Head of a Neapolitan 
 
i82 FREDERICK PORTER VINTON, A. N A., S. A. A. 
 
 Boy;" the former was exhibited and sold in the Salon of 1878, 
 the latter was shown in the Paris Exposition of 1878. 
 
 In September of the same year, Vinton returned to Boston, 
 and opened a studio on Winter Street, when he received his 
 first important portrait commission, that of T. G. Appleton. 
 This was followed by one of Sam'l H. Russell, Esq., Wendell 
 Phillips, and Causten Browne, the three latter being painted in 
 his West Street studio ; and these, in order, were exhibited in 
 the Academy Exhibition in New York, in 1881, 1882, and 1883. 
 It was in 1880 that Vinton was made an Associate of the 
 National Academy, and a year later a member of the Society 
 of American Artists. 
 
 In the fall of 1881 he took the lamented Hunt's old studio 
 in Park Square, and there painted his commission from the 
 citizens of Boston, of Wm. Warren, the actor, who had just 
 retired after fifty years of active stage life. In the spring of 
 1882, in company with Wm. Chase and R. Blum, Vinton visited 
 Madrid, and there entered into his study of Velasquez' works 
 with great animation and delight. In the autumn of the same 
 year, he returned to Boston with his works, which, when placed 
 on exhibition, created a genuine enthusiasm among the artists. 
 
 Vinton now settled down to portrait-painting, and received a 
 number of commissions ; among the most important being 
 those of Prof A. P. Peabody, Judge Otis P. Lord, and Judge 
 Geo. F. Choate. Both of the latter hang in the Salem Court 
 House, that of Lord hanging beside Hunt's portrait of Judge 
 Shaw. Is it not interesting, just here, to note what a man may 
 do if he has anything in him, and he toils vigorously from day 
 to day to reach his ambitions ? Hunt was Vinton's first master, 
 and Vinton, by slow degrees, struggles up the steps his master 
 trod, and, in time, finds himself in his studio, to take his mantle, 
 and is tnen honored by having his work hung beside that of 
 
FREDERICK PORTER V/XTOX, A. X. A., S. A. A. 183 
 
 his deatl frientl aiitl master. X'iiiton is a worthy successor of 
 this trreat thinker and ambitious artist. X'inton has painted 
 Gen. Charles Devens. possil)Iy his best work thus far; also, 
 Senator Geo. F. Hoar, which hancrs in the Worcester Law 
 Librar)-, and many intluential merchants and society people of 
 our cit)', notable among the former being James H. Beal, b^sq. 
 
 It is thirteen years since X'inton made the first exhibition of 
 his works in the Art Club galleries, and, in the interxal, lie has 
 more than redeemed the promise which was predicted for his 
 future. At the time of his exhibition in 1875, the art critics of 
 that date were few, yet discerninir, and, in referrino- to the 
 mention of his work, the)- seemed to feel that the artist's color 
 was "rich and harmonious," and that his " interblending " 
 was "subdued, yet full of light." Both expressions hold good 
 to-day. 
 
 Vinton is a man of marked characteristics. He is full of 
 vigor, aggressive, firm, yet judicial in his convictions, and recog- 
 nizes truth and genius as readily in Ruysdael's tender painting 
 as in Velasquez' striking force and magnetic style. There is 
 also in his composition an undercurrent of genuine kind-heart- 
 edness and loyalty to the brother artists, as many an artist, if 
 called upon, would readily attest. Vinton as a painter possesses 
 the susceptibility of genius, and comprehends the largeness of 
 his art. Out-of-doors or in his studio, he takes in the charms 
 of nature, still or animated ; all there is he feels, and the more 
 he discovers the happier he is, and the more likelihood, when 
 he paints it. of a grand result. It is exhilarating to study his 
 portrait of Judge Devens, it is so complete and noble, so distin- 
 guished and permanently satisfying. It not only represents a 
 countenance and a form, it gives you the subject's best traits, 
 his feelings and excellence of mind, and the unhidden force of 
 his real nature. His color, too, is evident ; like Rembrandt's in 
 
1 84 FREDERICK PORTER VINTON, A. N A., S. A. A. 
 
 some of his portraits, it can command or smile just as the indi- 
 vidual may care to control it. His strength of color is not by 
 fragmentary contrasts ; Knaus makes his shadow, in his "Swine" 
 picture, strong and marked in drawing, and forces the sunlight 
 into his greens and yellows in the upland clearing ; Vinton illumi- 
 nates the whole face and shadow evenly ; Delacroix and Velas- 
 quez welded and riveted their colors where they belonged, where 
 they would be affected by internal changes of the mind ; they 
 were both tremendous, alike in the handling of light and shade, 
 yet you never see either ; Vinton is of this same order of 
 painters. The vitality of flesh tints he paints with mental and 
 physical strength, and inspires his work with a manly, not 
 effeminate or emotional spirituality. The more wine and beef 
 or the fat of good living there is in his subject, coupled, of 
 course, with distinguished characteristics, the more scope there 
 is for Vinton's mechanism of color, and the more room for his 
 thoughts. Vandyck's work shows him to be the master of 
 luminosity, quiet, rich, and warm in color, and as polite in style 
 as the court subject made it ; his draperies amaze you with their 
 simplicity of treatment, grace of fold, and subtlety of texture ; 
 Vinton appeals to your common-sense as well as feeling, and is 
 developed in his work by the amount of intelligence there is in 
 his subject. The gray cells of his brain exert their energy, not in 
 the same way that a sensitized plate is impressed with an image, 
 which receives only that which is presented to its surface, but, — 
 
 "As if, as Gothland's sage has told, 
 The hidden life, the man witiiin, 
 Dissevered from its frame and mould, 
 By mortal eye were seen." 
 
 I think Vinton would not be able to paint a child or lady as 
 well as a warrior, statesman, or man of great intellect ; he needs 
 mind in his matter to bring him out. I doubt not he can 
 
fredi:r/ck port/'r r/.v/vx, ,i. x. ./ . .v. a. 1S5 
 
 paint an okl l;ul\ . lor \\v has wncraiion well ilcvclopctl. and feels 
 insi)ircil with the a^^cii lace, knowinj,^ that it has weathered the 
 vicissitikles of threescore years ami ten, in which, no matter 
 how peaceful and trantjuil the life might have been, there have 
 occurreil events enough to make character. He feels his 
 wa\ toward his suliject with intense tlelight and an.xiety, but 
 iu)t \\ ith timitlii\- ; he interprets for himself, in a careful wa)-, 
 how to fit the nature of his subject to his canvas, and composes 
 with a view to getting all then- is out of his subject. Like a 
 sculptor, he wouKl create a man. 1 lis nature is more remark- 
 able for its dignity than conventional refinement. While one 
 sees in his work a certain moral energy, yet one can be surer to 
 find his power best e.xampled in a fiery Phillips than a woman 
 of society. He must possess admiration for his sitter, he must 
 look up to his work in hand ; he cannot furnish brains for his 
 subjects if the)- have them not, even though lie be i)aid for it; 
 he would drown in a pond and swim in an ocean. He might be 
 sustained by his imagination, he possesses enough; his intuition, 
 indomitable will, and intellectual force will carr) liim safely 
 through his career ; what he has been taught was good for him, 
 but he would have been a painter if there had never been one 
 before. 
 
 Vinton shows splendid technique, pronounced and correct 
 drawing, and a knowledge of anatomy. Nor are these all the fine 
 qualities one can find in his portraits ; he displays great facilit)- 
 in execution, and a heartiness of style as well as originality, and 
 his color is substantial, sensitive, elastic, singularly clear and full 
 of life, and normal in warmth. The breadth of \'inton's art is 
 his grasp of his subject and completeness of finish, and the 
 depth of it is his ability to give weight and likeness of feature 
 and nature. He has studied, as \'elasquez did, the Flemish and 
 Italian masters, and has made alive a style quite his own, and 
 
iS6 FREDERICK PORTER VINTON, A. N A., S. A. A. 
 
 about which there is but one opinion, i. e., that it is permanent 
 and abiding. 
 
 Vinton's new studio, on Exeter Street, is simple yet elegant, 
 and, from what one hears and sees, he is kept quite busy the 
 year round ; no more than his due, for he should be recognized 
 and deeply appreciated while he is among us. Vinton will take 
 his place among the portrait-painters of the century as one of 
 the most vigorous of his time. 
 
MARCUS WATERMAN, A. N. A. 
 
 If there is ever to be any local pride in the hearts of Amer- 
 ican citizens over the fact that a master painter was born in 
 their midst, then Providence, R. I., will some day boast of 
 her claim on Waterman's nativity. It was in her public schools 
 he received his education, and fitted for Brown University, of 
 which college he is a graduate. From his earliest days he has 
 possessed natural instincts for art and decoration, and his 
 apprenticeship and service in interior work, with distemper 
 colors, aided him in his facilities for handling the more subtle 
 pigments. His art career really started in New York, where he 
 passed thirteen years of his life, and the remainder, save several 
 years abroad, he has lived in this city. 
 
 Waterman has never studied under a master, except those of 
 the Venetian and Dutch schools, as exampled in the galleries of 
 Europe, and by the study of these men he has acquired his 
 trade, and slowl)-, yet surely, has he strengthened his power of 
 perception, and developed his scheme of the work. 
 
 Waterman, as an artist, is both analytic and synthetic, and, 
 as a painter, comprehends the chemistry and relations of color ; 
 hence the actual tones and light always evident in his work, and 
 
 187 
 
i88 
 
 MARCUS WATERMAN. 
 
 hence its beautiful decorative qualities. Such a colorist would 
 naturally be very fond of Peter de Hooge, Titian, and all of the 
 early Italian, Flemish, and Dutch painters. 
 
 Endowed with a remarkably active and technical mind, and 
 being a careful student in all things, we find Waterman an able 
 critic of literature, an original writer, a keen observer of the 
 exterior and interior relations of human affairs, measuring out 
 common-sense and wholesome love in his art and conversation. 
 
 He never jumps at conclusions ; as in affairs of life, so in 
 his art: he tarries, he waits for proof, he waits for the time when 
 he shall say, " With this painting I am satisfied, though I ought 
 to do better if I paint another." This is progressive art, and 
 its sentiment might well be applied to the efforts of all think- 
 ing men. 
 
 Waterman's ideas of art in language, as well as in his paint- 
 ings, are interesting, and it may be as well just here to quote 
 some of his expressions. 
 
 "Art," he says, "is not the imitation of nature; it is the 
 representation of nature, which is a very different matter. 
 Take music, for example. When a musician takes the singing 
 of birds for a theme, as very many of them have, he doesn't 
 content himself by imitating with his instrument the half-dozen 
 phrases that are all that the bird can utter. The lowest savage, 
 who cannot count beyond his ten fingers, who can't conceive 
 any idea beyond his daily wants, he will imitate the notes of a 
 bird so perfectly as to deceive the birds themselves. But when 
 the artist makes his bird-song, when he excites your imagi- 
 nation with the beautiful harmonies that play about his theme, 
 when, by the power of his genius, he calls up in your memory 
 the beauty of summer, the glory of golden light, the tinkling of 
 little brooks in shady places, and dominant above all the joyful 
 ringing notes of the bird, the expression of wild, uncontrollable 
 
J/AKC'l'S WATJiRMAN. 189 
 
 happiness, yoii don't say any lono^er. ' That is just like the sinjrincT 
 ot birds," — you sa\', ' I ne\ er knew before how beautiful the sinj^- 
 int:^ of birds was ; ' and this is because it is not nature that you 
 have been listenins^ to. but one little stave of the great song 
 of art." 
 
 " Do )"ou think 1 am asking too much of tin; painter if I 
 rc(|uire that when )()u look at his can\as. instead of crying out. 
 
 ' This is just like nature,' you shall say, ' How beautiful nature 
 is ' ? That, at least, is m)' idea of the province of art." 
 
 Again, in speaking of " realism," he says : " Realism, fortu- 
 nately, does not exist, the realists to the contrary notwith- 
 standing. People have persuaded themselves that to represent 
 common and vile things is to be realistic ; but if realism did or 
 could exist, I think art would die out in a generation." 
 
 Let us now look over Waterman's paintings, and note his 
 interpretations or representations, and selections of subjects. 
 
igo 
 
 MARCUS WATERMAN. 
 
 We shall not discover any " pot-boilers ; " he has never been 
 able to paint them, though he has tried. They always ended 
 by being as good as he could make them. We find him paint- 
 ing the peaceful and poetic drama of animal and human life, of 
 fiction and tradition, of the silent woods and the unspeakable 
 glory and wonderful color scheme of the sky and earth. In all 
 of these he counts with rhythmic cadence the symbolical utter- 
 ances of creation, and fixes his anatomy with spiritual force as 
 well as knowledge. He never leads you astray; he illuminates 
 his shadows with color, paints with repose and ease, and lets in 
 an atmosphere vital and clear around and over his objects. 
 
 Here is Maroof standing alone in the desert. The hot white 
 sand at his feet extends to the horizon, and above him the blue 
 sky vibrates with sunlight. Overhead are seen the vultures, 
 watching the lone Arab. Despite the fact that Maroof is alone, 
 abandoned, you feel that he will some day come to you, and tell 
 the stories of his adventures. Though forsaken, the artist gives 
 him a future. Here is another picture, wherein a lioness, with 
 closed eyes, is lying outside her den, in the glare of the high- 
 noon sun. Peeping from the rocks are two little cubs' heads. 
 What color, what perception is here shown in the animal life ! 
 The lioness, in her serene enjoyment, has forgotten the feather 
 she has played with, and which lies under her claws. Sleek 
 and innocent, one would not dream there lurked ferocity in 
 every joint, so well all is defined. The menagerie is forgotten, 
 the artist has brought us to the lair by his great power and 
 imagination. Here is the elephant, which, by the way. Water- 
 man models in wax with great truth and spirit, with human 
 expression in all his lines and movements. And here, again, is 
 the history of the dingy yet interesting walls of the Arab's habi- 
 tation. In another picture we see the camels moving over the 
 desert, with their old-time patience ; and again we see a caravan 
 
Af.-f A' CI 'S I VA I'ERMA X. 
 
 101 
 
 of Aralis and camels, all at rest in the shadow of some t)lcl 
 wall. I heii there are future pictures and wood interiors, sand 
 dunes ami shore views, anil in them all there is someihinj^^ more 
 than the t)l)servation of the eye, there is tt) me more than 
 feelintj. The artist's miiul is cver) where movinj^ in and throuj^h 
 each i)icture. in the same sense that one knows that the Creator 
 is everywhere in his on-ai works. The artist is with \()U as you 
 watch his (iulliver, he is in ilu; slow procession windin^r around 
 the roc's e<rir ; he is looking' down 
 with \ou on the g^raves of the 
 Corsairs, and sees with you the 
 yfreat white flakes of sunlitrht that 
 rest on the earth. 
 
 How quiet and sunn\- was liis 
 "Fountain" at Mustapha Road, 
 Algiers ; how full of interest the 
 earl\- orchard and gray village 
 path, a starlight view of Moose- 
 head Lake, and a companion in 
 the " Harvest Moon at Wood- 
 ford." Then there is the bright 
 blue sky in the " Rue du Lion;" 
 though but a small patch, it gives 
 light and contrast, and the goats, wending their way up the 
 flag steps, enjoy the atmosphere. His warm lights mellow 
 the hues of the foliage, and lead your eyes into sympathy with 
 nature, and attune your heart to love the glories of creation. 
 These are a few of the impressions one retains in studying 
 Waterman's pictures. 
 
 You cannot see how he paints, nor can you separate the 
 unity of his incidents. The story is before you, and easy to 
 read. I am sure that Fromentin, Decamps, and the rest of the 
 
192 
 
 MARCUS WATERMAN. 
 
 famous dead school of French art, as well as die painters of the 
 sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, would appreciate Water- 
 man's paintings. 
 
 His art lies in his fidelity to nature and to himself. To him 
 an out-of-door sketch is simply memoranda ; his retentive eye 
 and creative mind will make a better work than the real — much 
 better. You will be more charmed with the picture than you 
 were with the original place or object ; it will put you into a 
 more poetic mood. He forces you to abandon the abstract form 
 and mere substance, and gives you in its stead a spirituality and 
 a conception of the beautiful which is never mystical, and all the 
 while you do not lose the central idea which the artist means to 
 convey. This is why his works are so easy to read, and why 
 they appeal to the highest intellectuality. 
 
 Waterman has not used his gift as a portrait-painter to any 
 great extent, though I have seen several which would be well 
 worth the study as comparisons with the work by professionals 
 in this specialty. His portraits do not remind one of sculptural 
 efforts, except in the low relief. The modelling is all clear and 
 well defined and the anatomy perfect ; but their chief qualities 
 lie in their color — living, flesh-like color, sensitive, pliable, and 
 open ; a shell of flesh and an energy beneath animating their 
 every muscular action. The same welded, unjointed, all-together 
 feeling is as noticeable in his portraits as in the faces of his 
 figure subjects. They are knowable and possible beings. 
 
 It would be possible, but difficult, to locate the many pictures 
 Waterman has painted and sold. They are, for the most part, 
 in the best collections in the country, and I doubt if there is 
 ever one of them offered at auction. 
 
 Socially Waterman enters seriously and quietly into the heart 
 of entertainment, and prefers a select circle rather than that of 
 the noisy, transitory ways of fluttering society, whose days are so 
 
MARCC S \\ A J HRMAX. 
 
 •93 
 
 full of phcnomcnn, ami whose \va)s an; so mcaninjrlcss. The 
 simple manners ami clcsun\' of tin- common people, ami the 
 color that o^oes to make up their existence, especially those of 
 the hot latitudes, attract his attention and j^ive him ample 
 material for the sincere ami cjuiet practice of his art. 
 
 Waterman is an associate of the National Academy, also a 
 member of the Artists' I'uiid anil American Water-Color socie- 
 ties, and the Paint and Cla\- Cluh of this city. lie is one of the; 
 few artists in this country who are in no sense attitudinarians. 
 
J. HARX'RY YOUNG. 
 
 Tin-: irregularity of advance in the arts of Boston is more 
 ostensible than actual, and the apparent sudden growth of art 
 throughout our land is a result of years of patient industrj-, and 
 the accumulation of ideas slowly but carefully matured. The 
 pioneers in American art (or they may be termed martyrs, for 
 they suffered by their adherence to what they believed to be 
 truth) were men of sound minds, albeit the great commercial 
 world deem artists to be easily dispensable luxuries. Alexander, 
 Geo. Fuller, Hoyt, Pope, Seth Cheney, Staigg, Ames, Young, 
 and a host of others, had hard pulling in their earlier days, and 
 it is a wonder that they survived their struggles at all. The 
 stories of their privations have been told over and over again, 
 and are being repeated right in our midst to-day, despite the 
 fact that art facilities are greater than they were thirty or forty 
 years ago. 
 
 It is, therefore, an interesting event to talk over the early art 
 of Boston, with such an artist as Young, who has, since 1844, 
 
 195 
 
196 
 
 /. HARVEY YOUNG. 
 
 been identified with its varied and best interests. He was born 
 in Salem, Mass., in 1830, removed to Boston in 1842, at four- 
 teen entered John Pope's studio, in the old Tremont Temple, 
 and, later on, put out his own shingle as an artist. In 1848, 
 he visited Salem, where he painted several portraits, and upon 
 his return, feeling" a desire to perfect himself in drawing, 
 and having made the acquaintance of an able architect, he 
 entered his office as a draughtsman, and acquired a considerable 
 and useful knowledge in the use of the pencil. While thus 
 engaged he did not lose sight of his color work, and, at all 
 available moments, added to his revenues by painting portraits. 
 With the exception of a brief interval, when he assisted his 
 father in the management of a hotel in New Hampshire, he was 
 earnestly engaged in his studies. Upon his return from the 
 country, he established himself in a studio, over Leonard's 
 auction rooms, on Tremont Street, and executed portraits 
 in oil for the sum of five dollars each. The price was low 
 enough, but the patronage was too small for him to get a decent 
 living out of it, so he resolved to give up painting, but was 
 deterred from so doing by an offer from John Pope, who induced 
 him to take his studio, as he was going to New York, and try 
 his luck. Pc was a great risk to do this, but Young ventured ; 
 and his first commission amounted to eighty dollars, including 
 the frame. This was success; but he was obliged, however, to 
 spread his profits over many days, and, once more becoming 
 disheartened, was about to give up. Chancing, one day, to wit- 
 ness a parade of the Salem Cadets, and being struck with the 
 grand air and martial appearance of Major Foster, of that com- 
 mand, he resolved to paint the major, which resolve he acted 
 upon, and, soon after, reproduced the soldier on canvas, and 
 exhibited the work in Child's picture-frame store. This picture 
 started his reputation in the right direction, and attracted to his 
 
./. J/AKii-v yor.V(7. 197 
 
 studio Mr. John 1 )iilf. who commissioncil \ oiinj^j^ to paint his son's 
 jjortrait. The work was a j,^rcat success, and made of Mr. \ )u(( 
 an earnest advocate for Vounjr; indeed, Vounir never lias since 
 that ilate wanteil for employment in his art. Young's stu(ho. at 
 this time, was located in Mercantile Library Huildin*;, and he 
 there became intimate with W in. M. Hunt, who had a studio in 
 the same buildinu-. There he remained until the j^n-at fire of 
 1S72, when nearly all of his earthl\ posses.sions were consumed. 
 
 He did not mourn, thoucrh he sincerely regretted the catastrophe, 
 and soon after set up his easel at No. i 2 West Street, where he 
 is located at the present time. 
 
 Young has attained an enviable reputation as a jiortrait- 
 painter, and without any training at the academy or school. To 
 be sure, he has been watchful, and a learner in the, school of 
 obserwation, and has absorbed whatever was g{)od and whole- 
 some for his art. In his early career he had few advantages. 
 
198 
 
 J. HARVEY YOUNG. 
 
 The Boston Athenseum, of which he was at one time art direc- 
 tor, was the only resort for pictures and statuary, and, occasion- 
 ally, an artist would drift into town from Europe. Then there 
 were occasional sales of pictures at Leonard's auction rooms, 
 but there were very few if any portraits seen among them. 
 Healy's portraits of General Jackson, Winthrop, and Clay were, 
 at the time, considered fine examples of portraiture, and, doubt- 
 less, stimulated Young to keep on and do better, which he 
 certainly did in color ; in fact, all of the old school of portrait- 
 painters believed in the color sentiment, and, if they lacked in 
 drawing, they certainly made their subjects agreeable to live 
 with as likenesses and color decoration. Young's principles ' 
 in art have ever been the poetry of subject and color. His 
 portrait of Wm. Warren, the actor, painted in 1867, is an evi- 
 dence of this remark ; for it retains to-day a full, rich tone, and 
 gives the geniality and true characteristics of the man in every 
 aspect. The face is one of the speaking kind, it is manly; and, 
 as we look at it to-day, we feel a regret that such a type of 
 being should ever grow old. There is great vigor in the way in 
 which the color is applied, and a sure touch is evident in every 
 stroke of the brush. Then, too, the pose is natural, a feature 
 which is always noticeable in Young's portraits. Young felt his 
 subject when he painted Warren. He also felt a sympathy for 
 his subject when he painted the portrait of that lovable old 
 gentleman. Dr. Peabody, which now hangs in the Exeter 
 Academy. In fact, I feel that Young's greatest successes in por- 
 traiture may be found when he paints good and amiable subjects. 
 Temperaments on canvas are the same as temperaments in our 
 social life : we love those best which are the most kindly, and it 
 is not unnatural that an artist should be happiest when studying 
 a truly good face. I have seen a portrait of Master Cyrus 
 Brewer painted by Young, which gave the innocence and sweet- 
 
t 
 
J. JIARVEY YOrXC. 
 
 '99 
 
 ness of the youth as tenderly as if a woman had ihawn it. i It- 
 has posed the boy seated in a chair, with a ^reat picture l)t)()k in 
 his laj) ; he is restin*:^ for a moment, antl looks up into your face 
 with a smart, childlike t^aze, which fascinates one at siifht. \v>\\ 
 feel actjuainted with the lail, and the artist has jjainted him as 
 an ac(iuaintance. His portraits of Horace Mann, lulward 
 Mveri'tt, Win. 11. I'ascott. Krastus 1 k)pkins. (iov. Clallin's 
 father, and other well known men ha\e ailded to his rt'putation, 
 tor in them all are to be seen those ([ualities neetled in a por- 
 trait-painter, i. e., sincerity, affection, and a knowledj^e of hiiinan 
 nature. Of his portraits of women, that of Mrs. John 1 1. I lolmes 
 is one of the best e.xamples, and is used in this work as a full- 
 page illustration. One can readily see the artist's force and 
 power of portra) al in this picture. The face need not be seen 
 by those who know the lady, in order to recognize who she 
 may be. I he llesh color is like the life. i)ure and pearly, and he 
 has not lost one atom of the individualit)' of his subject. Little 
 need be said of the pose or composition or background; the 
 picture suggests these features. It is a work of art that will 
 stand among the best ever painted in Boston. 
 
 The list of Young's portraits is too long to specialize upon. 
 He has painted for upward of forty-four years, and his works 
 may be numbered by the hundreds. Besides portraits, he has 
 found time to paint his impressions of beauty, and in these 
 works may be noticed a strong intellectual feeling for ideality 
 and artistic arrangements of draperies. He keeps every thing in 
 his pictures very simple, and the most important part of the 
 canvas is usuall)' the most finished, though the eye may roam 
 over any part and find something that will hold it. He keeps 
 up the interest where the interest counts, and yet never neglects 
 to balance his drawing with color weights or objects. As time 
 goes on, he seems to grow more mellow in color, no deeper or 
 
200 
 
 /. HARVEY YOUNG. 
 
 richer in tone than twenty years ago, but more in quahty and 
 uniformity. The pubhc may not understand this remark, simply 
 because they have not had the opportunity to study his works in 
 pubHc, he having studiously avoided publicity ; but one at all 
 familiar with the vigor of the artist's mind can readily attest that 
 he is an even painter and that he is a natural artist. He retains 
 the freshness and spirit of his youth, is aggressive, that is, he 
 paints in no timid way, and his works stand the test of familiarity. 
 Because he has painted so many years, it may be said that we 
 know what he can do by what he has done. Young was one of 
 the founders of a club from which the Boston Art Club emerged, 
 and at one time was its vice-president. He is a member of the 
 Paint and Clay Club, and is personally one of the most esteemed 
 of Boston's artists. 
 
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