Show IThe rl e Blakelock I The Tragic 1 try of the ric an Painter Made Ma Mad by Failure Fail Fail- ure to Ito in k His Gen GenKa u r o at A u sC y t tY V y Y V F n t I w r r r i rg s II I kl y f a aX X I 1 tx H. H r r r a p r ar I Autumn Sunrise another Characteristic study indicating that the painters painter's artistic sense at least l ast is quite normal By EDW EDWARD R H. H SMITH has remarked the pathetic pathetic path path- S SOMEONE eUc destiny of ot the native man of genius that America has f pro produced d two literary workmen o of international international international in in- rank Poe rank Foe e who died in the gutter and Whitman who could not live lve down the buffoon It becomes my Y melancholy lY office to enlarge this brief but bitter record MacDowell McDowell whom no other composer compose of his nation approaches ap ap- descended into the night of unreason at the he height of 1 his powers Now nv comes come still another perhaps a aJ J sadder instance than these all brought poignantly to mind the other day through an art auction At the sale salet 1 of f the Catholina Lamber t p pictures pictures' es at the he Plaza a 3 canvas toy Eby Ralph Albert Blakelock la elock brought the s second cond Highest b st price ever paid for the work bof of ol an American Twenty thousand dollars 1 A mocking figure as applied applied I to o this unschooled genius who literally literally literally liter liter- ally hungered all his life until until his sensitive mind and body broke under privation tion denial and defeat Here surely i Is one of the truest of the innumerable innumerable in- in j numerable and unspeakable tragedies a bf art Perhaps P of creators haun their ennobled creatures sometimes after life How else is one to reconcile reconcile recon recon- himself to these cile the thought of P Promethean men who have filched the fire re of beauty for mankind and been een rewarded with th rocks of ravens of utter adversity How else is one to I find nd satisfaction in the great recognition recognition tion and price of a work of the starving StarvIng ing fag Blakelock There Is yet however something Inspiring inspiring inspiring In in- in- in about the story of ot this man r that shines shines' through the dark record like e his pale moonlight gi through his midnight leaves The Nietzsche-Hun- Nietzsche pathos of at distance lies flea softly about him bim like a a. pure anci and grateful pall Let us review briefly the stark tark facts of him The father of Ralph Albert Blakelock Blakelock Blakelock Blake- Blake lock was a struggling homeopathic physician of English birth and the theartist theartist theartist artist himself himself- was born in old Greenwich Greenwich Greenwich Green Green- Street treet New w York in 1847 1517 Like young Keats Blakelock was was' early apprenticed apprenticed ap ap- prenticed pr to medicine but th the materia medica held beld no allure for him and he turned inevitably to music and paint paint- paint painting i ing jag which which seem to to have be been completely com c I ins instinctive tastes l He q had no schooling in either and only very limited limited lim Urn education in any direction so far faras faras i is as s can ean be determined at this date All that constitutes constitutes constitutes' his life a and d his art I Ic c came me from y within and w was s' s I. I by the painful method of l long ong and bitter application n As a young man Blakelock contrived I fl r ra a trip West spending most mos of his of-his his his time with the Southwestern Southwestern Indians in Arizona Arizona Arizona Ari Ari- zona California and and New ew Mexico Living Living Living Liv Liv- ing among these primitives he ab absorbed absorbed ab- ab their instinct for color and their b barbaric baric sympathy with nature These are the almost almost sole components of his art He n neve never ve tried portraiture and there is almost no literary connotation connotation connotation con con- notation in anything he lie has done doni donEl I Color was pure music si to him and i nature the the only fitt q setting for his I. I harmonies J From the Western trip the aspiring artist came back ba k to New York land established established es eSt- es- es himself fn in n one of the poor little studios on on th the lower west side with his young wife and increasing family family- By this period of his life he had through years of what must have haves been the most most s severe application fin finally finally fin fin- n ally brought himself to considerable rab proficiency It is doubtful ful if he ever received a days day's instruction in his art even at the hands of those more more for fortunate for for- artistic friends about him In all his work there is no suggestion even of an an n Inness Wyant and Homer Martin whom he knew intimately Intimately in intimately In- In and with whom he now easily takes rank I W What 1 t obstacles he alone insulted and fortune fortune for for- discouraged ged by men wen tune His early pictures reveal that thal he had bad not even real aptitude His Hh powers powers of observation and reproduction tion appear I to to have been less than normal An All this he had to overcome by that divine capacity for infinite pains pain that pains that that only ohly sure g re sesame to the golden gold n region of true art To a man manI I removed from the necessity of all material material ma ma- considerations tion such handicaps handicap present an Augean ugean labor What must it have be n to Blakelock whom every dawn daw faced w with wilh h the the new pr problems almere of al mere subsistence Like V whose best bes canvases brought a few florins in his own day dayan an and now co command and or more this man was f forced by the Ule imperative hunger of his numerous children to go gc plodding g about the streets offering his despised marvels here and there pawning t them eln for fr food and fuel selling selling selling sell sell- ing them wholesale for fur the money monet that represented represent d his liis delinquent rent 1 E Elliott Daingerfield records that he pe once saw a number of paint paintings ings and panels in the place of a Third Avenue e dealer scattered about among cheap chr mos and obscure banalities The curio man told him that there were three thirty-three in a all l and that he had bought them from theartist the theartist theartist artist for How How like the Green- Green it 3 v with Village sa saloon oon keeper who c covered coy cov v- v ered pred red his walls with the works of an another another other uther painter painter- of eventual eventual- high repute I in return for meals and arid drink drink This is not the only bitter t testimony of tile the stress ss and privation pf of this sensitive child chUd of beauty On his hla wedding wedding wed wed- ding trip he painted the now famous Boulder and th the Flume from the f 15 15 f. f k 5 r id I I l Af gib Aft 1 r 2 y 1 1 r 1 Ik 4 E I 1 j o. o II oi f. f 1 i 0 r I I 2 t f h I id A re t l I u i i 4 r II Ii rs 7 t r l it if i d. d r f s r. r ol LI I i t it I. I r. r r Ihm T- T TI 0 I i F If g Yi 2 12 11 v x Y t J i. i or jJ C CI w Q r i c 7 J 1 vit vi l J. j S' S f f. f O Et I I a H fJ 1 Y 1 vitt v l 14 r J i v J V f h I j j I 27 1 v f. f 1 1 E 1 t v f T IF 1 r w. w if QS r iii I t. t ff i I ocr t J i A i f vI l i a b Sr r if I 14 eRR J Jl i w i J f c t ij r u J 1 C 1 r t I 1 M. M t f lS Ii l' l I ik 5 N- N 1 0 Q j it II la f I Jv I i I R g v I 1 q r j L it 1 pj 0 Y I J j w ft r 3 6 I 5 t I tI 1 I j r A i f R v. v l n i. i I PI n d- d 1 1 I 1 w t i h tt y 4 4 jf l I Ji E rt t 1 d f f it r. r J. J j. j 1 t r 1 iu rr t v c i a. a Ci g 1 i i J t r. r m I ViE IJ a 1 p If f rI g W r. r ir t I i I. I r t Ig 1 r l'- l' 1 t 0 1 vI v- v J i J. J 1 It o IJ n fi r i i 1 0 w IJ i dI J 0 t 7 fi n 11 r V ef 1 c A ii J f if f r I 0 di I 0 ON j if tSo r-F- r f ti Sf a. a ft 6 E l. l c. c e h g i j C. C iiI fyi f i t i 1 i q i I Jt I II 71 il 1 fi J. J t f W j 1 iI q I M E. E i fJ i. i j 1 W i q I J i I i ii i JIe Ie J k lI PJ is' is 1 r i 9 I. I I I J. J ri- ri g. g t r 1 1 ti tib s 1 Vi tl r il t v I i 1 I ii JJ d R S f I i I Y 1 p. p c i r i I II hi h- h I M I t i t 4 b 3 h. h I t f I J r A r I 1 ii Y w I 3 II 11 W f w f Ii J W I V tP L Y t I u d I Wt t I r oo pijp l. l i I c. c 1 fk c I I i s f f i F t zv tv 3 4 p f a rr fJ r i m 7 1 C c t 11 iIa iI 4 ii 1 Fl ci I I k 10 t p J if f r t if f J U i i I m W h i r gJ D i I Vil pC n 1 f I ii it i J J I I c r IJ n 1 4 4 I r h A q P f This his picture painted painted- by Ralph Albert Alb rt Iak lock in the Middletown Insane Insana Asylum where lie Is now in Incarcerated T might be figuratively ely entitled The Awakening marking the re urn from shadow land of the artist whose favorite subjects were of twilight moonrise and glimmering I j dawn daun It is one df several recent productions which liis his friends believe to to-be to be b hopeful signs of the near restoration of this r f r ill fated genius genins to reason to Ills his art and to his nf afflicted family Blakelock's early masterpiece the wonderful 1 be I sell for brought at the Moonlight which in ill in his liis of poverty ho was glad to I t 1 recent Lambert auction n sale t t. t r j v J i j I 1 t i I I r I picturesque sq e d-C d I at t Fra I Notch N. N H H. since destroyed destro d bY toy by a a a. a a- a e i y e. e i id ff 4 e a I c i Y L j 3 y f-y yn p H G r. r 1 pa l n Ny bi r T k I V t q a al b balph 4 I rr V alph Albert Blakelock New York a t and misfortune I artist of genius as he lie appeared in his Ills prime He was Tras pi J Jorn orn rn in 1817 and is now an inmate Water color color landscape in best manner done lone within the tiie last year lear and signed sh-nM with hIs Ids newly adopted of the tIle Insane Asylum cryptogram Al AI I- I t J i a f Jr Jf 1 j 1 f r a. a storm Years r Years rs afterward rd this i inspiring inspiring spir i ing g pl picture tUi w was s recovered e ered r from o a rit man n in Rhode Rhode- Island to wh m it had llad been delivered i 1 return lora for a piti pitiable ble f few dollars got to cover c coyer er extreme eme need These are are but but instances instances instances' of the th day day- d y- y lout day and In ut trials of the the man man With Witha a wife and eight ig t O or nine growing children chil chil- dra dren n about him crowded crowded into Into into pooi quarters dependent entirely on his unrecognized g genius Blakelock made mad the supreme sacr sacrifice fic of ot the artist He painted with fierce and uncaring rapidity rapidity rap oft often n du duplicating his his best work often turning out pictures of pitiable mediocrity that the wail of the woh might be toe stilled Delicate Delf te and responsive rOo re ro by nature of tho the dreamy mystical and poetical spirit which bears titanic burdens and snaps be beneath beneath be- be neath neath nath t them em in the the m moment ment of the last Jast stress s he lie he finally oo collapsed and nd was borne off to asylum by t the e pitying hands of the few who knew and recognized recognized recognized rec rec- kim him a a distrait distrait spirit calling I down the tangled ways of 01 his mental wilderness I rho he aerie almost unearthly spirit which was was was' thus brought to annihilation I J l' l U tion shines through h all h his best work wor i t J his favorite faVorite favorite fa fa- Twilight and moonlight w were subjects and he handled them I with with- tenderness tenderness' and effect ef ef- A wraith of of subjective melan melancholy melancholy choly holY fi floats ats' ats canvases canvases His Hi fairylands are areas as some one has bas aug- aug sug suggested Ug- Ug I e t d fae faery y lands forlorn r And d yetI yet the pictures pi tu es of themselves are no not I I sad sad- Th The haunting 1 beauty of 01 them themI precludes it Only Only- Only the artist behind them looks along his vistas vistas' with moist a and introspective eyes I Four Four of of of this mans mang mo most t worthy worthy pic pictures pictures pia tures are of moonlight One Oner r spiritual thing which in-which in which an almost almoSt impossible I composition is treated treated with nigh perfect per per- feet technique t was as as bought by Senator Clark at at a great price and and hangs in his collection A second is in the Evans collection The third b belongs bolonga to Frederick Fairchild sQ Sherman Sherman-a a canvas of slight comp composition yet a di divine divine divine di- di vine liturgy gy of or the mystical darkness and its faultless depths That That leaves s us s this mat matchlessly hesslY melancholy melancholy mel mel- fourth in which the tragedy 1 1 of of th the artist a b i is' is apotheosized a It was I bought toy Iby Mr Nr Lambert ata a comparatively campara I lively s small all price price r It will wUI tan hang h hereafter in the Toledo Museum o oJ ot Art a a. mentor reminder mentor and reminder of this painters painter's triumphant defeat d Blakelock Blakelock Blakelock Blake Blake- by Moon Albon- on- on lock called called it it The Brook light Through a fi fillet et of ot dark swaying swaying sway sway- ing leaves leaves bl blackly kly luminous ll floats ats the subdued moon moon shedding upon the night and u upon On the spirit of the beholder beholder beholder be be- holder a a radiance in which which- seems ensorcelled lI d the dead beauty of haunted haunt haunt- ed woods I st stood d b before fore it and and thought of the kindred Verlaine Tho The melancholy moonlight sweet arid and l llone lone i 1 That makes birds birds the birds to dream upon the tree And in n their polished basins of ot white whitestone stone The fountains tan tall to sob with ec staw It was worth to Toledo Toledo Toledo-in in 1916 1916 i Twenty years ago aeo New York did not not find fint it it worth worth th the th e food and lu fuel r of Blakelock's wife and d children eight of whom survive to witness the posthumous posthumous posthumous post post- glory of their father even aa as they shared his pathetic life Quotation from The Masker tr trans trene translated ns ted by r Gertrude HalL HaU q |