FOREWORD ON THE NEW MURAL PAINTINGS IN THE 

 AMERICAN MUSEUM 



Till'", first l;ii'U(> coniniissioii for iiiiiimI dccornt ion in lliis couiilrv \v;i,s 

 ui\(ii for 'I'riiiily (liiii-cli, l)ostoii. Tliiit was in IS70 and tlic 

 artist \vas .lolni La I'ai'u'c. \vi>rkin<;- in ('{xiixTation willi II. H. 

 Kii'lianlsoii. ai'cliitcct. Since that time and particnlai'ly in tlic past ten 

 years tlu-rc has Ix'cn ui-cat aiKaiuc in nun'al paiiitiny- in Ainci'ica. (Ircat 

 jtnlilic liiiildiniis arc no Ioniser hnilt for ntility only, lint arc li'ixcn lic.-inty 

 and a character fitting their jjiirposc l»y the codpci'at ion of the artist with 

 the architect. In a Miiscnni, as a |)nlilic hnilding which entertains and 

 educates the million or inor<' peoi)lc who \isit it annually, there is oppor- 

 tiniity for ji high standard in the aichitectin-e and decoration of its halls, 

 harmonizing (lesign and color with the spirit as well as with the details of 

 each accompanying exhihit. In this, nmral decoration is fitted to i)lay a 

 large part, for the imtral i)ainting can often perform forcefnlly and \\ith an 

 efi'ect of heanty what can be accom])lishe(l in no ether way: it can \ital- 

 ize an exhihit hy setting foi'th the life and the conntry that the cxhiliit 

 represents. 



In the sunnncr and fall of H)(M) the American Mnsemn sent an expedition 

 to the Nortii Pacific ('oast, with Mi. Harlan I. Smith, ethnologist in charge, 

 and Mr. Will S. Taylor, artist. On this expedition Mr. Taylor made studies 

 for a series of mural panels to rej)resent the North Pacific Indians as they 

 were one hnndi'cd years ago when nninfhicnccd hy white men. Sketches 

 of landscapes were obtained, color notes on the difl'eient tribes and many 

 photographs. Most of the old industries had disappeared however — as 

 had also the old costiunes — so that with all I'H'oi't these innral |)aintings 

 ha\e had to be largely restorations. This has entailed tedious study of 

 museiuu material and the literatm-e of th(> subject on the part of the artist 

 siticc his I'ctnrn. His study has been icwardcd howe\-er; the ethnological 

 staff of the Museiuu and Lieutenant Lnunous, who has geiKM'ously hcljx'd 

 in the work of .scientific sui)ervision, pronounce" these i)aintings rarely accu- 

 rate presentations. Landscapes although idealized gixc the color and 

 feeling of particular spots which a visitor to this northern country can 

 locate, while each canvas shows good type portraits of the tribe represented. 



The fonr panels from north Xn sonth in the Hall ai'c in series, with color 

 graded from the cool country of the northern part of the coast to the warmer 

 country tf)ward the south, and with design n-gulated in rhytlunic se(|uence 

 a.s in a mural frieze. The com])osition in each panel is simple and the 

 action is readily understooil. There is an e\i(lent center of interest and 



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