International studio (52.1914)

Two Etchings by Katharine Merritt


PORTRAIT OF ALEXANDER
HUMPHRIES, ESQ.

BY JOHN W. ALEXANDER

Loaned by Countess Santa Eulalia
PORTRAIT BY EARL STETSON CRAWFORD



PORTRAIT

BY FRANK W. BENSON

TWO ETCHINGS BY KATHARINE
MERRILL
When the Society of American Etch¬

ers held their first NewYork Exhibition

a year ago in the gallery of the Salmagundi
Club, much attention was paid to the young
artistwho etched the path of theCivil War. Daugh-
ter of a veteran, Katharine Merrill found it no
difficult matter to feel enthusiasm at Gettysburg,
and so strongly did this battlefield obsess her that
an etching trip was at once set on foot, resulting
in the series of plates exhibited. General Meade’s
headquarters, a little whitewashed cottage sur-
rounded by iris, illustrated Gettysburg; the tiny
village of Sharpsburg on the slopes of the Potomac
yielded the Antietam plate. Burnside Bridge and
Harper’s Ferry were further landmarks to be uti-
lized before encountering jiggers and midges in the
trenches of Vicksburg. Finally, Chattanooga,
with Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge
fell to Miss Merrill’s needle, and the series was
complete. This young artist, however, is not rest-
ing upon her Civil War laurels, and the next two
pages show two large plates which she has just
completed, the dimensions of the Milwaukee plate
being 15^ by 13^, and the Chicago one 18 by
iojY inches. These plateshave a great deal more
than mere size to recommend them. There is
richness and quality of line, along with individu-
ality. Katharine Merrill’s work will be on view
this year at the Brown-Robertson galleries.

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