Inside a Master's Studio

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Added: Tue. Aug 05, 2008 3:15pm
Posted in: Arts

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This blog is excerpted from Ruth Hamilton's autobiography, "The Hamilton Saga," which she wrote at the age of 90.  In part 1, we shared Ruth's chapter on meeting the son of the famous artist Paul Gauguin during a trip to Denmark in the summer of 1937.  In part 2, Ruth has been invited to the studio of Jean Rene Gauguin, a sculptor for the famous Danish porcelain factory, Bing and Grondle.

Up early, a good breakfast as only the Danes know how to make and at ten, I hailed a taxi and soon to see the humble little studio, a mess.  With movie camera in tow and little film left, there I was presenting myself again with another, “Thank you for the wonderful meal and visit.” “How do you feel? No hangover?”

He had one but Ruthie in excellent shape as sipping and slow swallows and coffee save the gross effects of any alcoholic beverage.  My trip was to gain knowledge and was it ever coming forth. I was still in awed excitement, standing beside this great son of a famous artist and in his own right a fine sculptor. 

The shack was perfect for his messy work.  Huge tubs of native red clay along one wall – easels, pedestals all with unfinished clay figures of people and animals, later to sell at the famous B and G store. 

He was working on a deer head while smoking a cigar and my camera shot him a view of the tools along the wall.  I got so close to him I stepped on his foot but he did not mind and kept on pinching and stroking deer head lines (GB Note: The photo on the right is one of Jean's deer statues). 

I was thrilled beyond words and again I pleaded for a book.  He was deserving, I thought, and self-taught and a famous porcelain factory selling his pieces at fabulous prices.  And not one in any museum was what hurt him.

He marveled, as did the others, how I could travel without my man and could not understand even when I told of being on radio, because for a woman that was something else. I seemed to fascinate him as he did me.  He said when the taxi man called for me, “I shall send you some glossies of my work to your hotel and I hope you like them.” I was leaving in two days for Germany. He kissed my hand and almost made my cheek. I promised to help him as chapters will reveal.

The next morning, a message brought ten beautiful glossies and I was reeling with what to do with them when I got home, so little of the art world enfolded me.  But what a gift and hundreds have looked at them.

I became a mini authority on the Gauguins and what a hobby that has been. Once, on a visit to the top of Norway on a little mail ship called the North Star, in the dining room was a lovely sculpture of a fish and guess whose name under it, Jean Rene Gauguin. There will be lots more about him in my Hollywood chapter. I was ready to hurry home but had two more countries to visit, Germany and France.  I had sent my summer things to Paris and was not packed to get to Berlin and Hitler and more excitement that would be, as always unexpected.

Coming next week: Ruth takes a train to Germany and finds out firsthand how intimidating the Nazi soldiers can be.