Victor Mindeleff’s Paintings 
Geological Survey) he became intimately acquainted 
with primitive architecture, and aboriginal sim¬ 
plicity and symbolism. In the capacity of explorer, 
modeler, chronicler and illustrator, his horizon 
widened and art became to him something more 
than a specialty—something bigger and broader 
than buildings, or pictures, or decorations, or handi¬ 
craft. This he demonstrated later in his paintings, 
his models and his buildings, giving to the last de¬ 
tail of each its proportionate, individual thought. 
He has stamped the houses he has designed 
strongly with his own individuality, but he has at 
the same time adapted them peculiarly well to the 
purpose for which they were called into exist¬ 
ence. 
For sometime, in a desultory way, he studied 
water-color painting with Mr. William H. Holmes, 
chief of the Bureau of Ethnology, one time president 
of the Washington Water-Color Club, and a bril¬ 
liant technician, and to his instruction he acknowl¬ 
edges great and lasting indebtedness. 
These are the external factors which have been 
instrumental in his development and without which 
his inherent skill would have failed to find adequate 
expression, but it must be remembered that with 
him as with other men the entire sum of his train¬ 
ing would have been utterly without avail had he 
not had in himself that sacred fire which in its 
varying degrees is termed indifferently, individu¬ 
ality—talent—genius. 
SWAMP MAGNOLIAS 
