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Show Negro Janitor's Picture Praised KANSAS CITT, Mo.. Aug. (By V. P. lnterost of art critics In an oil painting portraying tha "Birth of Christ" which hangs tn ths Union station sta-tion her led todsy to th discovery of ths "unknown artist, Albert Jackson, negro janitor and former coal minor. A group of critical art lovri, gathered gath-ered about tho painting, exchanged comments of wonder that awn a first, class origin I csnvas should sppesr In such com pa rat I v commonplace setting. Such paintings ar rarely found outside th walls of th best art galleries, they agread. Jackson, in his grease -covered overalls, over-alls, with a monkey wrench In on hand, cam up from his workshop In th baaeraont at th request of tho station master, and told ths critics briefly his lov for art. and tha. worts ha had dope In oil paintings sfter hours tn his little horaa la ths colored section her. i "Ton might call this my masterpiece." master-piece." ssld th negro. I have dons many small painting", but this la my host. 1 worked on this canvas svery night; after working hours, for four montht." i Jackson told his audi ones hs had I nevVr studied art. although several of thm Insisted boforo thy met tha K Inter that th canvas was "old Ital-n" Ital-n" or ths work of an artist who had rsrolvde his training from ths old Latin masters, f have always aspired to be fatnUr. th negro continued. 'Pt hsv not studied art and th abiln ( havs comes natural. I get ida from visiting the srt galleries and from talking with art 1st a - X Tha critics aarood th painting, bar. ring a few minor technlcaj faults wss well done. The figures, depicting th Christ child lying m th manger watched vr by tha knllng virgin lary, war almost pcrfsct, as wss th accuracy In shading and proportion of th foliage and other background. |