THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS Friday, July 18, 1975 21 Michigan Jewish Artists Included in Wayne State U. Press Volume EDITOR'S NOTE: The Wayne State University Press has just published a major reference work cov- ering the careers of 1,800 Michigan artists during the last 200 years, entitled "Artists of Early Michi- gan" by Arthur Hopkin Gibson. In the following article, Irving I. Katz, ex- ecutive director of Temple Beth El, reviews the lives of two of the major Jewish artists mentioned in the new WSU publication. _ By IRVING I. KATZ Myron G. Barlow was born in Ionia. Michigan, in 1873. His father, was born in Bresa u. Ger- many, in 1845, and came with his parents, Morris and Pauline (Schlesinger) to Detroit at an early age. When the Civil War broke out, Adolph enlisted at the age of 16 with the 5th Michi- gan Infantry, Company C,• and served throughout the war, attaining the rank of sergeant. He was married in De- troit. to Fanny Einstein on November 24, 1867, and lived for a number of years in Ionia and Flint and then returned to Detroit. The first of their nine children was Myron. Myron became an inter- nationally known painter, starting his career in De- troit about 1890 as a news- paper artist. He studied under Joseph Gies at the Detroit Museum Art School, and later at the Art Institute of Chicago. In 1894 he went to Paris and was a pupil of Gerome at the Ecole des Beaux Arts. He also studied under Whis- tler, and was a protege of Bougereau. In 1907, he was the only. American artist elected to the Societe Nationale de Beaux Arts. In 1932 he was made a Knight of the Legion of Honor by the French Gov- ernment. Although he es- tablished his residence at Etaples, France, he made frequent visits to Detroit. Barlow painted much of the peasantry and country- side of Northern France. His paintings in Detroit are to be found at the Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit Historical Museum, and many public and private col- lections. Of special Jewish inter- est are his four murals at the former synagogue building of Temple Beth El on Woodward and Glad- stone. America as their land of promise. He is also represented by his paintings in Paris, Eta- ples, France; and Milan, It- aly. Barlow received awards at exhibitions in Paris, Lon- don, San Francisco and St. Louis. He was a member of prestigious art societies in Paris, London, Philadelphia and an honorary member of the Fine Arts Society of Detroit. Barlow died on August 14, 1937, at Etaples. Frederick Elmore Cohen was born in England in 1818 and came to Detroit from Canada during the 1837 "Patriot" War. Being of an adventurous disposi- tion, he enlisted in the Canadian Militia. It was not his nature, however, to take military discipline seriously and he spent most of his time during the war in the jail of Sandwich Township (Windsor). Imprisonment seemed in no way to have dampened_ his spirits, for the hours spent in his cell were most enjoyably passed in adorn- These murals represent ing the walls with sketches, "The Patriarch" — depict- • comic and serious, with not ing the spiritual hospitality a few questionable cartoons of the Jewigfi people from in which he lampooned his the beginning of'its history; fellow soldiers and the offi- "Prophet and Priest" — de-• cers most unmercifully. picting the spiritual and cer- These drawings were AL emonial aspects of Judaism; source of merriment to the "The Student" — portraying visitors and inmates of the the hopefulness with which jail for man years. When peace came to the our forefathers looked to UM Supports Those in Need DUE TO INFLATION THE COST OFABOORB/N6 A 6'011 /ET /A4M/GRANT __FAMILY /N /8RAEL c St 60,000 area, Cohen settled in De- troit. The decorating firm of Godfrey, Atkinson and God- frey, appreciating Cohen's ability, gave him the use of a room for a studio and also employment at painting decorative panels for pas- senger boats, this being quite a feature of their busi- ness. His talents as a portrait painter were soon recog: nized and he had many com- missions from citizens of prominence. Sometimes these pictures failed to sat- isfy the sitters and payment for them was long delayed. or entirely ignored. Cohen was always equal to the emergency and many are the stories of his practical jokes, not always relished by his victims. One of the stories told about Cohen is of his painting the portraits.of a prominent Detroit stone contractor and his popular daughter who were not satisfied with thee work when completed and re- fused to pay. Cohen said nothing, but took the portraits to his stu- dio, where he painted a huge pair of asses' ears on the man's head, while on the lower part of his daughter's face he painted a beard, giv- ing her the appearance of a bearded woman of the cir- cus. He then hung the por- traits in the corridor of the post office, the general meeting place of all the townspeople. Needless to say, the portraits were quickly paid for and re- moved from public exhibi- tion. Cohen was a handsome, genial, witty and kindly man, well liked by'every- body. He was considered quite a dandy, sporting a blue swallowtail coat trimmed with brass but- tons, a buff waistcoat and a vaimamor high white beaver hat, and was rarely 'seen without a cane. He was an artist of wide range and versatility, painting portraits, land- scapes, historical and bibl- ical scenes, . and many other types of work as was usual among early 19th Century painters. In the late 1840's and early 1850's, the Detroit Fire Department conducted many a parade with ban- ners attesting to Cohen's skill as a painter. He was the teacher of Robert Hopkin, prominent Detroit marine painter, and Lewis T. Ives, famous Mich- igan portrait painter. The Detroit Institute of Arts has a number of paintings by Cohen, including his self- portrait. The Burton Historical Collection of the Detroit Public Library and the De- troit Historical Museum posses several, including the famous "Meeting of the Michigan State Agricultural Society: Reading the Prem- iums at the First State Fair, 1849" in which every face is a portrait. Cohen married Maria Louisa Roberts in 1850 and they had- two daughters. About 1855 he moved with his family to Mt. Vernon, Ohio. He also spent a great deal of time in Mansfield, Ohio, where he had - many commissions. Cohen exhibited his paint- ings at the Fine Art Exhibi- tion at Firemen's Hall in Detroit in 1852 and 1853, at several Michigan State Fairs, and at the American Art Union. His self-portrait and a considerable number of paintings are at the Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit Historical' Museum, public institutions and Collectors in Detroit and Ohio. Cohen died in 1858 and was buried in Mt. Vernon, Ohio. JOE MILLER and HIS ORCHESTRA Music For All Occasions LI 5-1244 It's Nice To Deal- With Joe Slatkin's DEXTER CHEVROLET 20811 W. 8 Mile between Southfieli, Tsiereph 534-1400 Our Promise To You: 13EFTER SERVICE! ?vallSOODCAISCANKAID(XiiKAIIKMN.:10Z.:4•X>asn: ATERING :24ere FOR ALL OCCASIONS Seating Up to 400 Call Our Banquet Manager tf . 682-4300 Shenandoah Country Club -,......4400,1rommetstatesitow..., Milt's 9 Mile & Coolidge Standard Servicecenter Milt Gorelick Moe Caplan Nationally Certified Mechanic USING THE LATEST EQUIPMENT • Electronic Front End Alignment • Electronic Engine Analysis Equipment ( With Infra-Red for All the Latest Emission Checks) • Disc Brake Specialist • All Foreign Cars Serviced 4 Mechanics on Duty 7 a.m. - 9 p.m. LI 7-4250 .