RERAMIC STUDIO 
239 
A SUGGESTION FOR MINERAL PAINTERS 
A. G. Marshal/ 
WHILE collectors are paying for old plates, decorated with 
prints of historical buildings, more than the original 
cost of the whole service of which they are fragments, it seems 
a little singular that no one seems to have taken the hint and 
gone to painting similar subjects existing to-day. There is 
no lack of interesting and picturesque material for such pur- 
poses; and the work, if artistically and technically well done 
would possess a high value at once, a value certain to increase 
as years pass, and to render such pieces in time either precious 
heirlooms of intrinsic worth or treasures commanding high 
prices from future collectors. Many buildings already histo- 
rically famous will at once occur to the painter, the list start- 
ing of course with the National Capitol and the White House, 
Washington's Home, Mt. Vernon, Va., Independence Hall, 
Philadelphia, Faneuil Hall and the Old South Church, Boston, 
the City Hall and St. Paul's Church, New York, all stately 
and picturesque edifices. Besides these world renowned 
buildings scores of others, of almost as great celebrity, may 
easily be found. In this list would be Fraunce's Tavern and 
the Jumel Mansion in New York, Washington's Headquarters 
at Newburg, N. Y., the Witch House at Salem, Mass., the 
mysterious old "Stone Mill" at Newport, the birthplaces and 
homes of our earlier poets and statesmen, old Spanish missions 
in the south and west, revolutionary forts, aboriginal cave and 
cliff dwellings and other early structures or ruins, some of 
which are to be seen in almost every part of the country. 
Passing to the recent period, there are hundreds of beau- 
tiful buildings scattered through numberless cities and towns, 
which, though now lacking the romantic glamour of the past, 
will sometime become as interesting and rich in history as 
many that are now redolent with memories of thrilling events. 
Such are the new Library of Congress, the Boston Library, 
the Albany Capitol and City Hall, the permanent memorials 
of our great expositions, and many magnificent church and 
college buildings. Fine keramic paintings of these would 
surely grow in value with years almost like old wines. Then 
there are the local churches, the school houses, town halls, 
wayside inns and the old homesteads, all endeared by personal 
history. What a treasure to one's descendants would be 
plaques and plateaux, cups and vases, bearing in imperishable 
enamel the pictures of these? An interesting personal set 
could be made including one's birthplace, all other houses in 
which one has dwelt, the churches and schools one has at- 
tended, and even the barns, orchards and other familiar or 
favorite scenes and haunts. A family or ancestral set would 
show the birthplaces and dwellings of as many of one's for- 
bears and near relatives as possible. Again, a delightful 
memorial of travel could be compiled in china, of scenes and 
buildings visited in one's own and other lands. The possibili- 
ties in this way are not easily catalogued, but will readily 
suggest themselves after the hints given and the production 
of such works is well within the ability of any good mineral 
painter. If desired the frames of borders of the scenes could 
be designed from flowers gathered in each locality, or the 
favorites of the persons associated with the houses depicted. 
As to treatment: It should first be noted that by far the 
greater number of scenic porcelains, even though commanding 
fabulous prices by reason of rarity, are decidedly unworthy of 
imitation in the style of their decoration. Usually the scenes 
are treated realistically, and they are not always correctly 
drawn at that. The borders are often poorly adapted, imper- 
fectly matched "repeats" of realistic flowers and leaves; or 
perhaps banners, eagles, cannon and other insignia of national 
or warlike significance. Made at a period of the lowest deco- 
rative taste, they served their purpose at the time, and are 
now of great interest historically, but not as models of artistic 
treatment. 
The study of old Dutch, Spanish and Chinese pieces will 
