Women in the fine arts, from the Seventh Century B.C. to the Twentieth Century A.D.Waters, Clara Erskine Clement
History
Women in the fine arts, from the Seventh Century B.C. to the Twentieth Century A.D.
Waters, Clara Erskine Clement
Women artists -- Biography
Her portraits are numerous. In 1894 she exhibited a portrait of a child
at the Exhibition of the Society of American Artists, which was much
admired and noticed in the _Century Magazine_, September, 1894, as
follows: "Few artists have the fresh touch which the child needs and the
firm and rapid execution which allows the painter to catch the fleeting
expression and the half-forms which make child portraits at once the
longing and the despair of portrait painters. Miss Beaux's technique is
altogether French, sometimes reminding me a little of Carolus Duran and
of Sargent; but her individuality has triumphed over all suggestions of
her foreign masters, and the combination of refinement and strength is
altogether her own."
Seven years later, in the _International Studio_, September, 1901, we
read: "The mention of style suggests a reference to the portraits by Miss
Cecilia Beaux, while the allusion to characterization suggests at the
same time their limitation. The oftener one sees her 'Mother and
Daughter,' which gained the gold medal at Pittsburg in 1899 and the gold
medal also at last year's Paris Exposition, the less one feels inclined
to accept it as a satisfactory example of portraiture. Magnificent
assurance of method it certainly has, controlled also by a fine sobriety
of feeling, so that no part of the ensemble impinges upon the due
importance of the other parts; it is a balanced, dignified picture. But
in its lack of intimacy it is positively callous. One has met these
ladies on many occasions, but with no increase of acquaintanceship or
interest on either side--our meetings are sterile of any human interest.
So one turns with relief to Miss Beaux's other picture of 'Dorothea and
Francesca'--an older girl leading a younger one in the steps of a dance.
They are not concerned with us, but at least interested in one another;
and we can attach ourselves, if only as outsiders, to the human interest
involved.
"These pictures suggest a moment's consideration of the true meaning of
the term 'style' as applied to painting. Is it not more than the mere
ableness of method, still more than the audacity of brush work, that
often passes for style? Is it possible to dissociate the manner of a
picture from its embodiment of some fact or idea? For it to have style in
the full sense of the word, surely it must embody an expression of life
as serious and thorough as the method of record."--_Charles H. Caffin_.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account