Arthur Hoeber

“ Traditions reach us—examples too—from the great civilizations of Egypt, Assyria, Greece, Rome, in Europe; while on our own continent there remain records of art in the way of wall decorations in Mexico and Central America, of beauty, taste, and invention, that baffle all efforts to classify as to their age. Says a great art writer, “No society, however rudimentary, has altogether ignored art.” ”

“ Sargent, perhaps the most prominent figure in the modern world of art, a man whose success has rarely been duplicated, a painter of the portrait above all, has confined his mural work to the decorations in the Boston Public Library. ”

“ The decorative scheme at Chicago was a remarkable achievement, all things considered, and the grounds were referred to as “The White City,” “The Fair City,” “The City of Dreams,” and finally, alas! as “The Vanishing City” ”

“ These are of such superlative quality as to cause regret that the man, in the course of a most active artistic life, could not have found time to do more. Mr. Sargent’s parents were Americans. They are his sole claim to nationality; for he was born in Italy, received his art education in France, and has resided for many years in England. Sargent, in short, is thoroughly cosmopolitan in himself and in his art. His Boston Library decorations are singularly original, of profound symbolism, disclosing deep intellectuality and serious study. ”

“ So mural painting differs materially from a picture painted on an easel. The easel picture has more detail, is placed in a frame when finished, and is destined to make a decorative spot on the walls. The modern mural painter now executes his design directly upon canvas in his studio, and when it is completed it is applied to the wall space by a composition of glue and white lead. ”

“ Before we come to the group of present workers in mural painting it is necessary that we consider an earlier man, again one of the pioneers, the artist William M. Hunt of Boston, who in 1878 obtained the commission to decorate the New York state capitol at Albany. ”

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“ The parents of many artists of genius have attempted to dissuade their sons from becoming painters. On the contrary, however, Sargent’s parents encouraged him to draw from the canvases of Veronese, Titian, and Tintoretto. ”

“ Harriman, “Famous Women,” is a happy arrangement of the many celebrated feminists. The work of Albert Herter is specially noteworthy. Hugo Ballin has executed large decorative work, and Howard G. Cushing has made strikingly original panels. Other men are Taber Sears, with altar pieces, Joseph Lauber, Charles M. Shean, Douglas Volk, and William B. Van Ingen. Walter Shirlaw occupied himself at times with decorations, and Abbott H. Thayer has likewise executed a few notable mural paintings. ”

“ He draped this figure in an American flag; a hard problem, but cleverly worked out. The side panels to the right represent the Three Fates; those to the left, Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity.
Then came the commission for decorating the Congressional Library at Washington. He chose as his subject the nine muses.
Following this he received many commissions for work in private residences, and for a series of paintings for the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, New York City.
Simmons was one of the original members of the Ten American Painters, and is a member of the National Institute of Arts and Letters. ”

“ Within the last few years prehistoric paintings by men who probably lived on reindeer flesh have been discovered in caves of the Pyrenees, paintings of no little artistic merit and surely artistic instinct. ”

“ At one time Blashfield was president of the Society of American Artists. He is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and many other societies. He makes his home in New York City.
Blashfield has received many honors and medals, including a bronze medal at the Paris Exposition in 1900, a gold medal at the St. ”

“ Garnsey, who planned the color scheme; while prominent among the decorations are the works of Elihu Vedder,—six large panels representing Government in its various phases, good and corrupt, of much invention in their allegorical way; for the artist is a highly imaginative man. ”