“It is well known that you spend much time in preparing the subjects of
your paintings,” I said, “but there aren’t many artists who worry about
the technical details as you do.”
“I won’t say that I worry about them,” replied Mr. Abbey. “An artist
should study for his profession just as a man should prepare for
the law or medicine, and should never consider that natural ability
is all that he requires for success. He should have a knowledge of
architecture and sculpture as well as of the principles of drawing; in
short, he should carefully learn what may be called ‘the grammar of his
profession.’
“When I am to paint a subject which is mythological, I am at pains to
absorb the atmosphere of the period, and to learn something of the
geography in which the legendary figures moved. I visit the scene of
the story, obtain every picture which will give me a knowledge of the
dress of the period, and I am not satisfied until I have exhausted
every possible source of information. It is well known that Sir
Frederick Leighton constantly refreshed his mind and memory by visiting
the classic scenes of his paintings.
“Some artists have been known to go so far as to paint a scene as an
artist living in the period of the story would have painted it. I
regard this as rather extreme. It is well to have the details perfect,
but modern art has some advantage of technique and color which are not
to be despised. I would not have you believe that technical efficiency
is the greatest essential in an artist’s qualifications, only it is
a valuable asset when added to natural ability and earnestness of
purpose.”