The Catlin collection of Indian paintings / by Washington Matthews.

  • Washington Matthews
Date:
1892
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The Catlin collection of Indian paintings / by Washington Matthews. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    brush which had scoured already a corner in mj affections, and I commenced reading the law for a profession under the direction of Reeve and Gould, of Connecticut . I attended the lectures of these learned judges fortWOJM* -was admitted to < he bar— and practiced the law as a.sort ofMmrodlcal lawj er, in my native land, for the term of two or three years ; when I very deliberately sold my law library and all (save mj riffe and fishing tackle), and converting thoir proceeds into brashes and paint pots, com- menced the art of painting in Philadelphia, without teacher or adviser. “I there closely applied my hand to the labors of the art for several year s; during which time my mind was continually reaching for some branch or enterprise of the art on which to devote a whole lifetime of enthusiasm ; when a delegation of some ten or fifteen noble and dignified-looking Indians, from the wilds of ibe “ 1 ar V est,” suddenly arrived in tbe city, arrayed and equipped in all tbeir classic beauty,—with shield aud helmet,—with tunic and manteau.—tinted and tasseled off, exactly ior iht| painter’s palette! •• In sileni aud stoic dignity these lords of the forest strutted about the City for ai few days, wrapped in their pictured robes, with their brows plumed x' Ufa the quids ol * ~ . f ,.I1 ...I.,. til..,,. K 41. XVyil viw l u; ■ — i the >var eagle, attracting t Lie gaze ami tbe admiration of ail • tl • :Aftei this, they took their leave lor \\ ashiugtou City, aud I was left to rc*k-- t and iegre.r which idid long and deeply, until I came to the following deductions and -ms; “Black aud blue cloth and civilization are destined, not only to veil, but to obliter- ate the grace and beauty of Nature. Man, in the simplicity aDd loftiness of his nature, unrestrained and unfettered by disguises of art, is surely the most beautiful model for tho painter,—aud the country from which he hails is unquestionably tbe best .-tud;, or school of the arts in the world: such, 1 am sure, from the models I have seen, is the wilderness of North America. And the history and customs of such a people, preserved by pictorial illustrations, are themes worthy the lifetime of oue man, am nothing short of the loss of my life, shall prevent me from visiting their country, anc of becoming their historian. “ There was something inexpressibly delightful in the above resolve, which was t. bring mo amidst living models for my brush: and at the same time to place in m\ hands again, for my living and protection, the objects of my heart, above named which had long been laid by to rust and decay in the city, without the remotest pros pect of again contributing to my amusement. “ I had fully resolved—I had opened my views to my friends and relations, but go not one advocate or abettor. I tried fairly and faithfully, but it was in vain It reason with those whose anxieties were ready to fabricate every difficulty and dauge: that could be imagined, without being able to understand or appreciate the extern or importance of my designs, aud 1 broke from them all,—from my wife aud my agee parents,—myself my only adviser aud protector.” Such is Ciitlin’s own rather flowery account of how he formed hit resolution; but the language in which he expresses it is only an evident* of tbe reality of his enthusiam. These paintings as works oi art 1 now often hear unfavorably criti cised; but criticism is an easy task for those who do not appreciate tht difficulties under which Gatlin labored. To-day our land is filled witt artists of both sexes, of all ages, and of every degree of fitness ant unfitness. The number of amateur aspirants in art has increased ai hundred fold in the last half century. To accommodate this growth of artistic demand, the conveniences ant appliances of art have improved and increas^l. The well equippet sketcher in oil of to day can not appreciate the difficulties of the travel ing artist in America fifty or sixty years ago. There were then no pateui
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