A collection of paintings

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A Collection of Paintings

JULES MERSFELDER

Reproduced from those on exhibition in
his Studios at^SbAHBASE^
San Francisco, California.

Copyright
1914

3ubs Jfcsfelter

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GIFT OP
-A-F Morrison

JULES MERSFELDER AND HIS WORK.

By Mrs. W. C. MORROW

The paintings shown in this exhibit of Mr.
Mersfelder's work are all saturated with the
life and colour of golden California,

"The land where summers never cease
Their sunny psalms of light and peace;
Where sunlight, poured for years untold,
Has drifted down in dust of gold."

Mr. Jules Mersfelder began his art studies
under Mr. Virgil Williams, who was the Pro-
fessor in The School of Design in Pine Street.
He was a mere lad when he began to study, and
after three years he went to New York. On
his way thither he stopped at Philadelphia to
call upon Mr. Stephen Parrish, the great Amer-
ican etcher. Mr. Parrish looked over the
sketches of the youthful artist, and advised him
to open a studio in New York and go direct
to Nature for a preceptor and for inspiration.

Upon his arrival in New York, Mr. Mersfelder
immediately opened a studio, and as evidence
that his work was good the following Autumn
found his pictures among those presented at
the first annual exhibition of the Society of
American Artists. His first canvas was
accepted, and was hung Honourary by the
jury, he being the youngest artist to exhibit.
His work bears evidence that he was strongly
impressed bv Corot. Diaz, Rousseau, Jules
Dupre and Millet. His work was all strong
Nature work. While in New York, Mr. Mers-
felder enjoyed the hospitality and criticism of
George Inness, A. H. Wyant and Robert Minor.
Later he exhibited in Boston, Philadelphia, Bal-
timore and Chicago, and all of the prominent
cities of the East and of the Middle West. .

M113089

Mr. Mersfelder won a medal at the St. Louis
Exposition and was awarded the Klio Associa-
tion Prize at the annual exhibition held at the
Chicago Art Institute, where eighteen of his
canvasses were accepted by the jury.

Mr. Charles H. Caffin and Mr. Charles Kurtz
of New York, the well-known critics; Mr.
James William Pattison of Chicago, and Mr.
Wolfe of Boston, have from time to time
reviewed Mr. Mersfelder's work.

Two large paintings of California oaks,
owned by Mr. H. E. Huntington, were exhibited
at the Hopkins' Art Loan Exhibit in San Fran-
cisco, and were the work of Mr. Mersfelder.

Fine examples of Mr. Mersfelder's work can
be found in many of the homes and galleries
of prominent art collectors in all parts of the
country.

Mr. Mersfelder is a true lover of Nature — as
what artist is not? — and he depicts the rugged,
huge old oaks of California, and the clear, cloud-
less sky, and the green dimpled hills of Marin
County, and the bold slopes of fire-scarred
Tamalpais, with a sure and unerring touch. He
is an earnest worker, dipping his brush in the
inspiration and bloom of the golden sunshine of
California and its magic days. With a true,
artistic sense he has adhered to first principles—
the axiom of all true artists. What he early
achieved he still paints in maturer, riper years.
As California gave him his first inspiration and
fervour — from the oaks and the scenery about
San Francisco, the gorgeous flaming sunsets
with their aureole of gold and pearl — he hopes
to devote his life to the portrayal of the oaks.
As he began his career with them — the youngest
artist to have his first canvas hung honourary — -
so, in his riper years he limns them with his
maturer powers but his early love.

A VIGIL OF TAMALPAIS.

Who does not love grand, old, rugged Tamalpais?
Shrouded with dense undergrowth, wrapped in fleecy
clouds, it is a theme that artists love. In this picture
Tamalpais stands boldly outlined. Every shade that
the master palette of all can blend is thrown over it
in one gorgeous broidered tapestry — the colour gifts
of God. The mountain has revealed itself to this
artist and every stick and stone is done with fidelity
to art. His versatility is shown with wonderful
strength. Devotion and art go hand in hand. In
striking contrast to the amethystine tints is the golden
gleam of the sunshine on the dimpled hills, where
quiet cows are grazing. The artist has made them
life-like in motion. There is a glowing golden quality
in the wooded slope which is full of vitality and colour.
The artist has followed the star and has evinced re-
markable tonal quality and unusual technique.

30x40

A THOUSAND OAKS.

The Thousand Oaks of Berkeley lend them-
selves to pictorial effects. This canvas shows
them vitally alive, redundant with colour,
warmth, atmosphere and all else that artists
love. The oaks are remote and reserved and
cover themselves with a green panoply of
colour, and add their beautiful message to the
peaceful landscape. This is a true Nature scene.
The late beams of light strike the clouds piled
high in masses beyond the Gate of Gold. Broad
and massive, almost poster-like in effect in com-
position, there is yet a softness and regal beauty
in this picture that enthrals. The sky is like a
mirrored lake. Soft colours are thrown upon
the oaks by the ever-changing clouds. The
romantic charm is enhanced and the contrast of
values brought out vividly by the group of stiff
eucalyptus trees at the right. The picture is
classic in its dignity and beauty.

22x28

AT THE EDGE OF THE FOREST.

The title of this painting appeals with fond
allure. It hints of mystery and unknown charm.
Beyond the wide stretches of open spaces
cradled in the sunlight that gilds this elfin land
of enchantment, lie deeply hidden sylvan
glades, leafy dells and shaded vales. Pale
shadows lurk beyond the sun-covered path and
sunbeams flit among the cloistered trees. The
sun sends a warm shaft of light upon the girl
as she strolls beside the sleek cattle. The man
beside the prostrate tree indolently watches the
girl. The huge oak scintillates in the blazing
light. Touches of colour like the soft flush in
a bride's cheeks illumine tree and flower. Dark
brown and russet-hued grasses are rank under
the shadows. Birds trill out a roundelay and
flowers give forth sweet perfume. The fore-
shortening of the branches is well done by the
artist and the tonal quality is well delineated.

22x28

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THE HEART OF THE OAKS.

Deeply sequestered in the woods is the giant
of its kind which is the very heart of the Oaks.
It is warm in colour, rich in the sun. The spot
is one of repose and pensive thought. Full
shadows lurk in the distance, but the path is
bright with the sun. Nature is enfolded in the
sun's genial warmth. Its rays shimmer on grass,
trees and foliage. The artist has shown both
power and skill in bringing out the colour quali-
ties. Loitering slowly through the woods, and
paying small heed to the cattle that crop the
luxuriant grass, the girl seems wrapped in brood-
ing thought. All about her is the restful, sombre
gloom of this cathedral of the oaks. Tall trees
sentinel the spot. The composition is full of
warm tonal quality. The velvety quality of the
foliage is well depicted, and the canvas shows
dignity and repose.

20x30

A REVERIE.

There is a poetic charm in this garden of
dreams. The leafy trees, in strong contrast to
the rugged bark, the texture of the soft, fleecy
clouds and the dim suggestion of golden colour
in the sky shimmering on the tiny village in the
distance, are all contemplative and reflective.
Even the two figures slowly sauntering through
the glade are touched and transfigured into a
peace and serenity of heart and mind. The
picture suggests a dream and a vision — a
glimpse into that world where none are sick and
none are sad, but all are good and true. This
canvas might be called "Compensation," for it
reflects peace, contentment, harmony and com-
fort with just a faint touch of mystery and
sorrow. The tonal quality is remarkable for its
devotion to reality, and the picture has a sym-
pathetic and reposeful lure for the tired and
jaded. It is appealing and haunting in its
charm.

22x28

THE SHEPHERD.

This pastoral scene is fortunate for its charm-
ing environment. It is simple in quality with
almost evening twilight tones, though a picture
of early dawn. The shepherd, after a night's
rest in green pastures, is guiding his gentle
charges down the slope to the still waters. It
is biblical in character. "He shall lead his flock
as a Shepherd." It is an allegory — the faint,
green dawn, the trust of the docile animals, the
placid attitude of the man, and the cup-shaded
valley, held as it were in the hollow of His
hand, the dense trees on either side of the road,
all make it a place of verdant, tranquil beauty.
This is a beautiful picture with its soft greys
and greens, the burnished leaves, the soft early
dawn effects of a foggy, wet morning are all
depicted with fidelity. The cloistered recesses of
the leafy woods are wrapped in mystery. Far,
far away one catches glimpses of infinity and
distance.

22x28

LE CONTE OAK.

The artist has chosen to paint this grand old
oak as it was in its pristine days of loveliness —
"Before decay's effacing fingers
Had marred the lines where beauty lingers."
The tree stands as it was once in all its
grandeur and glory. The great hoary old oak
has been treated with affection by the artist.
He has brought out its strong, elemental beauty
and touched it with the divine fire. Its rough,
scarred bark is gilded with sunshine. Like silver
it shines in the glancing yellow rays that are
deflected by the interlaced branches. His hand
lingered lovingly in bringing out the contrasts
of green, bronze and grey tones of the leaves.
The treatment is admirable and the character-
ization is vivid. The picture is all in perfect
key.

30x42

AN OLD ORCHARD.

An orchard in bloom. Grey, hoary old trees
revivified into new life by the touch of Spring.
Pink and white in the sunshine, luxuriant in
foliage and leaf, all the promise fulfilled and
flower and fruit yet to come. The day is re-
plete with sunshine, and its rays tinge the trees
with red and crimson. The tones of the clouds
are infinite in variety. The blossoms are daz-
zling in the reflected light. Fallen petals
brighten the rich grassy meadow. A covering
of prismatic hues carpet the earth. The trunks
and branches of the trees gleam in the sun-
light, and the earth is rose-coloured and pink
with the soft shades of the orchard in blossom
time. The rich, loose soil has a brown-earthy
quality, and a profound content reigns. The
value of the low tone effects is clearly brought
out in this exquisite bit of Nature study. There
is a restful serenity and peace in this painting
that shows Nature in her most receptive mood.

20x24

BERKELEY HILLS.

The Berkeley hills are a favourite theme of
artists. They call with an imperative insistence,
and yield themselves to wonderful effects. They
are an inspiration and an uplift. **I will lift
up mine eyes to the hills from whence cometh
my help." There is strength and character in
this picture. The soft pastel shades are well
wrought and the technique is more than clever.
It is a study in colour. It haunts and compels.
It draws and holds. Yet it is simple in com-
position, and the art of the painter does not
divert from the beauty of the landscape. The
oaks and eucalyptus trees are swathed in a
garment of green, brown and gold, cunningly
intermingled. The vista of purples, greens,
blues and reds, and the red-brown of the cot-
tages clinging to the hillsides is done with a
sureness of touch that demands admiration.

22x28

WINTER IN CALIFORNIA.

This picture is an appreciative interpretation
of Winter in California. Autumn still lingers,
yet plenteous foliage, grass and blooming
flowers, give colour and the suggestion of
fragrance. Winding to the right is a ribbon of
road fading away into mysterious silence be-
yond the russet-brown trees. The tints are full
of rich winter colourings, and the peculiar tone-
quality that is the happy possession of this ar-
tist is wondrously well shown. The cattle
browsing peacefully in the middle distance are
all that speak of life. Their presence breaks the
sombreness of the woodsy nook. A sky of
lurid red throws a high light on the trees. The
bronze-green tones of the grass show that ver-
dure really never dies, but merely takes on new
hues and tones. No one loves the oaks more
than the artist. There is strength and individ-
uality in his creation of pigments and brush,
and his tonal qualities are perfect.

20x30

THE BEND OF THE RIVER.

This canvas abounds in warm, rich shades of
colour. Even the masses of fleecy clouds are
full of colour and radiant glow. The spot is a
romantic, well-chosen one. The bend of the
river leads away from prosaic fields into a land
of conjecture and mystery. The picture is
one of wonderful combinations of earth,
sky and water, clouds and trees. The canvas
luxuriates in vivid blues, greens and rich browns.
It has a splendour and a richness that enthrall.
The sheen on the water is remarkably brought
out. Fleecy clouds like great balls of snow
soften the brilliance of the day. Although the
picture is strong and virile there are no dis-
cordant notes, no clash, and no conflict. There
is a rugged force in the very tree trunks and a
dominant note of rare technique.

20x30

THE TOUCH OF SPRING.

In this picture is portrayed the ineffable and
perennial beauty of the first touch of Spring.
The soft, wistful green of late Winter is slowly
yielding to the insistent, vivid green of opulent
Spring. The tender little spikes of grass are
thrusting up inquisitive heads to peep at the
glory. It is the season when the plowman turns
up the rich mellow earth, and faith is being vin-
dicated as the seeds germinate and put forth
leaves; when the birds return from Winter
quarters, and the hills are clothed anew. Such
a note the artist has struck. The trunks of the
trees are silvered with a translucent quality that
brings out the greyish-greens and golden-bronzes
with unerring fidelity. The little stream, the
lush grass, and the mild cattle all give a piquant
note to the riot of colour. This picture is one
of the gems of the collection.

30x52

THE DAY IS DONE.

This picture is a fine piece of realism. The
scene depicted is a humble rural home at the
close of a busy day. It speaks of domesticity
and contentment. The wife with the cow going
slowly down the grassy slope; the man, tending
his fire of fagots, yet with a tender glance for his
wife and their possessions, all breathe serenity
and content. There is great depth of feeling ex-
pressed in the soft twilight, the peaceful hour.
The busy vocations of the day are suspended.
The canvas presents a fine grasp of the oaks.
Note in the foreground the broken stump. It is
drawn with affluent fidelity. The hint of
storm-wracked clouds in the sky but accentuates
the serenity and peace of the home. There is
feeling and depth in the sky; and the tone-notes
between the trees give a silvery quality. The
artist has caught, not only the note of the wood-
land scene, but the very keynote of home and
family.

22x28

THE COMING OF THE STORM.

The portentous calm before a storm is
strongly shown in this picture which is pure un-
stained art. There is a weird, mysterious quality
in the atmosphere. The lurid sky, the earth,
waiting breathlessly, the sea lashed by puffs of
wind, the trees rustling, the grasses trembling,
the flowers cowering, and the birds seeking
shelter — all are dreading the storm. There is a
glow and radiancy in this canvas that are pe-
culiarly this artist's. There is dignified restraint,
yet the composition loses not a whit of its
quality. The thick sedgy grass, the water in the
dyke, which is of an angry green. The rustic
barn in the middle distance and the cattle feed-
ing near, and the figure of the man give virility
to the painting. The picture shows a rhythmic
quality and harmony.

22x28

THE SETTING SUN.

This picture fairly pulsates with life and
beauty. It is strikingly painted. There is a
radiant, luminous quality in the light and shades
that fall on the grassy path. The artist has
transcribed the beauty and peace of the sunset
hour. The gloaming light has transfigured
every blade of grass, twig and leaf. Beyond
the trees the sun still blazes. A bit of blue sky
erleams through the branches and soft yellows
and burnt-rane^e tints fill the woodland space
with colour. There is a glamour o'er land and
sea, and the canvas shows buoyancy and light-
ness. There is a decided correlation of hand
and eye in the use of brush, pigment and
oalette-knife in this painting. It has the ro-
mantic, mystical quality that comes with "Sun-
set and evening star." It is as if Nature had
stopped to rest a moment before the swift
transition of dav to night. Peace and tran-
quility pervade the glade.

22x28

EARLY TWILIGHT.

This canvas shows the earthly quality of the
very earth itself. The rich soil lies fallow under
the setting sun. The dull-leaden clouds flying
before the approaching battalions of the night
bring out the dense shadows under the trees.
The crescent moon enriches the brown earth-
tones. The last primrose rays of the sun glint
upon the peaceful home nestling under the trees.
The cattle, lazily snatching a few last mouthfuls
of luscious grass, are strong in contrast. The
solitary figure of the man gives the human touch
that relieves the feeling of remoteness and iso-
lation. There is a peculiar velvety quality in
the pigments that give a note of peace. The
golden clouds with their dash of red, carried as
it were in a chariot of fire, gild sky, earth and
sea with an unearthly light —

"The light that never was on land or sea."
22x28

A GREY DAY AMONG THE OAKS.

This picture is another striking example of
the artist's surpassing way of catching unusual
effects with his magic brush. It is crisp and
cool and decisive in its grey and browns inter-
mingled with cunning touches. The figure in
the middle distance, the gentle cows and the
gnarled and knotted tree trunks, evidence his
skill in making his effects harmonize, and in
bringing out the relative values in a blending
of colour, composition and tone. In this charm-
ing picture, which represents a type, there are
gathered all the warmth and beauty of a Cali-
fornia day. The artist has sensed Nature's
mood and transposed the dull, dust-covered
foliage and made it alive and glowing with
his surety of touch and his accuracy of vision.
The whole is harmonious and the grey sky ac-
centuates the silver tones of the clouds and
brings out the greenish-grey and bronze green
tones.

20x30

A DANCE AT DAWN.

Who has not heard the call of the Dawn?
The soft twitterings of the birds, the chirp of
insects, the lowing cattle, and not felt a re-
sponsive throb pulsate? The call becomes in-
sistent. Flowers send out their fragrance, and
the faint tints of dawn brighten, as the sun-god
mounts higher and higher. That is what the
artist has put into this picture. There is a
wistful tonal quality that appeals to the heart,
while the technique speaks to the mind. It is
not merely art, for the artist has put vision
and insight into the canvas. It is warm and
pulsates with life and colour, albeit the colours
be those of soft, subdued tints before the full
efflorescence of day has transmuted the silver
into gold. The treatment is clean-cut, exact
and sure. The artist has beatified the dawn
into actual, concrete life. He has worked a
miracle with paint and brush.

22x28

A BERKELEY NOOK.

In this picture the artist went to one of the
high places for inspiration. Assuredly his quest
was rewarded. The scene is one of the many
beautiful spots in which Berkeley abounds, and
is a veritable wonder-spot. It is taken from
a high point looking toward the Gate of Gold
and Tamalpais. It is a pageant of sky, sea,
woods, valleys and hills — all in one grand
kaleidoscopic ensemble. From such a coign of
vantage the weird and wonderful fog effects
with the very air dripping moisture are seen.
The fog-clouds are drifting in through the Gate
of Gold and obscuring the world. Tamalpais
stands erect and proud in the distance, its feet
bathed in fog, its crest touching the silvery
clouds shining in the sun above the fog. The
artist's wonderful technique is shown in his
fog effects and the mist and moisture that en-
velop earth, sky and sea.

22x28

MEDITATION.

This classically beautiful spot is a place to
rest one's soul. Its transcription in this picture
soothes and rests the spirit. There is a still-
ness and dignity about it. It has quality, tone,
values, and technique. It is not vain repetition
to sound this note in this artist's work. It is
merely emphasizing and expounding the truth
which is his just due. He has touched with a
master hand the common things of life and
made them beautiful, and vibrant with life and
joy and hope. The canvas is thoughtful and
careful and the technique is of that rare quality
so seldom seen. One can almost detect the
fragrance of hidden flowers in the copse. The
atmosphere of this picture is tense and quiet;
no sound disturbs the glades; the very cadence
of birds and the hum of bees is hushed. It is
a place to dream dreams, and to become acquaint
with one's soul.

22x28

M113089

ND£37

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