WOMAN IN ART
as pure as seen in the flowers themselves: calendula, giving the pure orange, the varying shades of cobalt and cerulean represented by masses of larkspur, while perennial phlox and the stately hollyhocks, in all their gamut of shades, give the reds, pinks, lavendar and purple. In the midst of such riotous color (for the gate had been left open) waddle the dignified, snow-white geese, the leader with neck craned, eye alert, proudly surveying his flock and their environment. Expressive of his enjoyment and freedom, the uplifted wings fluff the down beneath, so exquisitely accomplished you forget all about paint.
Any and all water-fowl or birds of gorgeous plumage tempt the brush of this artist, as do the unusual white peacocks, painted with consummate skill. Perhaps these subjects come more to her notice since making her home in California.
The art of Mrs. Botke just naturally led her to mural painting, and one of her most ambitious murals she has called "The Masque of Youth." It lines the long entertainment or dancing hall in the "Ida Noyes Hall," the building erected to her memory by her husband, LaVergne Noyes, on the campus of Chicago University, for the exclusive use of the university women. It is a magnificent structure finished and furnished in the dark wood and carving of the seventeenth century in England, and into this rich interior Jessie Arms Botke introduced young life in its various vivacious moods, from fairy-like little folk to the veiled bride. In groups they are linked with ribbons and garlands of flowers, tripping the light fantastic on the flowery greensward. The figures are graceful, the colors soft and harmonious, a pleasing contrast to the structural beauty of the hall.
A group of younger mural painters are working their way toward broader and more significant conceptions for mural decoration. Realizing that fact, we mention a few names that give promise of fuller knowledge and preferment in coming years.
Caroline Haywood has composed a most unusual design for a mural in the Manayunk National Bank, Philadelphia—a central square with a long narrow panel on either side. The central panel is an authentic map of Manayunk and vicinity, showing the Schuylkill river, canal, and Wissahickon creek and Fairmount Park. Superimposed on the map is a drawing based on an old photograph of the present site of the Bank. The side panels represent scenes from the little old settlement on the canal. It is of local interest and unique as a decoration.
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