Cecilia Beaux, Art School

"Man with the Cat: Portrait of Henry
Sturgis Drinker" by Cecilia Beaux

Cecilia Beaux wrote: "At seventeen life begins to open up very perceptibly. Horizons broaden, consciousness appears, and more of this than desired. Even without brusque changes of circumstance or important events, one might say that the day was altered. One development, however, was clearly marked. I began going to Art School.

It was not a school that became permanent in Philadelphia, though it promised well and was the only one of its kind. A Dutch artist, Van der Whelen, being obliged just as his career was opening, to give up painting on account of eye trouble that threatened blindness, had come to America and under responsible patronage, opened a school. My uncle, who decided, and with great generosity gave me everything that related to my art education, one day escorted me thither.

After a preliminary conversation with my uncle, Van der Whelen asked me if I had ever 'enlairrchet' anything. This turned out to be the Dutch pronunciation of 'enlarged.' I did not know what he meant but thought it safe to say I had not. A small-sized lithography of a bearded old man was then produced, and I was told that I was to begin by making a life-size copy of it in crayon.

The difficulties to be met in the change of scale and the effort of mastering the loose hair and beard gave a zest to the task, which turned out to be not so dull after all, and I got quite a thrill from the tufts of hair around the ears and the shadow of an eyelid upon the pupil. In a day or two the study was finished. Mr. Van der Whelen gave me a sharp look, and said that I need do no more 'enlairrching,' and I passed into the next square."

To be continued

(Excerpts from Cecilia Beaux' autobiography "Background with Figures.")