Flora L. Carpenter

“ Even when the stories were written, these bards were in great favor, for the Greeks preferred to hear the music of verse recited, and to feel the thrill of enthusiasm which could be aroused by the human voice, and not by a lifeless tablet or book.
The swaying form of the reader, his rapt expression, his flashing eye, his musical voice rising and falling like the sea,—these were the result of inspiration and had power to arouse men to noble actions. In our picture we see such a reader giving an interpretation or reading, much as our best elocutionists do now. ”

“ Look at this picture, then close your eyes and open them slowly, and you yourself can see just such an awakening to life.
Is it any wonder then that, as Corot sat, pencil in hand, this lovely spring morning and watched the trees gradually take shape against the slowly lightening sky, and listened to the birds singing their morning greeting, he should fancy he saw the fairy wood nymphs come out from their secret hiding places and dance joyously about in the bright morning sunlight? It seems most natural indeed that they should be there, and dancing, too. ”

“ The vision which so inspired Joan is partly visible to us amid the tangle of the trees and shrubbery. The figures of the three saints silhouetted against the rude peasant hut add to the confusing details of the background, and yet by them our eyes are led back to the one restful part of the picture—Joan herself. She is not beautiful, only earnest and good, and we feel a great pity for this girl who is so soon to suffer a dreadful fate for an ungrateful king and people. ”

“ It is interesting to note the manner in which the artist has grouped his figures in the foreground. We can separate them into at least three distinct groups, each complete in itself, yet held together by the direction of their gaze and the position of their bodies. For a moment these brave men have forgotten, in grief at the loss of a beloved companion and hero, even the joy of victory for a great cause.
The interest is centered about the dying general in many different ways—the light, the position of other figures, the direction of their gaze, and his position in the picture. ”

“ The sheep are turned away from us here, and it is not necessary for the shepherd and his dog to hold them back. There is no young and tender grass to tempt them, and they are going home. There are many young lambs with the flock now, born since their mothers went out to pasture, and they lag behind the rest as if the journey were a long one. We can almost hear the shrill bleating of the little lambs mingled with the deeper calls of the sheep as they move along the road. ”

“ But in all lives must come some stormy days. In our picture we can see the clouds gathering, feel the warning stillness in the air, and know that the storm will break soon. The strange calm keeps the water still and lifeless, the sails of the boat hang flat and unruffled, the trees are without motion, and the great arms of the windmill wait to catch the first faint breeze. ”

“ It was due to this greater knowledge that Millet became something more than a mere peasant. It was this that gave him such perfect sympathy with and keen insight into the peasants' lives. His own knowledge of the world made him more conscious of the great contrast between their narrow, hard-working lives so full of privation, and those of the men and women in the great world outside so full of opportunity and promise. Yet even in so great a city as Paris, men could starve, as he had found out by his own experience. ”

“ In our picture the simple, straight lines of the figure of Joshua are suggestive of the determined, forceful character of the man. They give an impression of great strength. Notice how the light falls upon his upraised arm and the straight folds of his garment. It seems to come directly from the wings of the figure of Moses, as if to acknowledge the wisdom and inspiration which Joshua received from the great leader. The face of Joshua, half hidden under his hood, is thoughtful yet determined. ”

“ With its fruit trees, flowers, and vegetables, the French garden represented in the picture was painted from nature. In the distance we see a suggestion of the great forest in which Joan used to wander in solitude and prayer. A simple peasant girl, poorly dressed, there is little about her to please or attract us until we look at the eyes. Then we begin to understand why this picture is considered a masterpiece. Those great, far-seeing, melancholy eyes seem to look far beyond us, and their ecstatic gaze inspires us with some of that same confidence in her which so possessed her soldiers. ”

“ Whenever he went to court to see the king and queen he was just like a prince in a fairy story. About fifty of these poorer artists and friends always went with him to show everybody how much they loved and admired him. It was just like a parade.
One day the Pope—Pope Julius—sent for him and told him that he wanted him to paint some good pictures on the walls of four of the rooms in his palace, the Vatican. On these walls pictures had been painted which the Pope did not like, and he thought Raphael would know just what to do to make his palace the most beautiful in the world. ”

“ The trees, even the grass growing up beside the fence, seem sturdy and strong like the peasants to whom they belong.
We feel the strength of the father's extended arms, so ready and able to protect this baby. The mother, too, will do her share. Even the trees seem to bend toward these three as if to assure them of their protection.
This is a simple, homelike picture, whose chief beauty lies in its strong appeal to our feeling of sympathy with, and interest in, these honest country people. ”

“ A path leads away from the road to the picturesque little cottage or farmhouse at the right. Two peasants, a man and a woman, stand in the path talking. We do not doubt they will turn to greet our hunter, for it is a friendly countryside, where all are treated cordially.
We cannot see much on the extreme left of the picture except the trees which grow luxuriantly, and a flat meadow land which reaches almost to the village. It is a common, everyday sort of landscape, yet its charm seems to lie in this very fact. ”

“ Would it not be pleasant now to go with Rosa Bonheur out into the great field near that avenue of trees, and watch the men riding or leading those powerful French dray horses before the judges? Horses like these have been imported to our country, so we see them on our own streets drawing heavy loads, and we know how strong and powerful they are.
There are more than twenty horses in this picture that we can count, each in action, and yet no two are alike. The artist has made us feel the perfect control man has over them. ”

“ Then again many critics declare the picture might well be called “A Mother,” for it represents a type rather than an individual. The face seems to speak to each and every one of us in a language all can understand.
This dear old lady in her plain black dress, seated so comfortably with her hands in her lap and her feet on a footstool, has an air of peace and restfulness about her that is good to look upon. A feeling of stillness and perfect quiet comes to us, and we do not at first realize the skill of the artist in producing such an effect. ”

“ But in that great painting he had allowed his feelings as an artist, and his love of a fine composition, to make him forget man’s vanity. So, although a great many prominent men had posed for this picture, he had neglected to paint them all in conspicuous positions. Those upon whom the bright light fell were delighted with the picture, but the majority, who were in the shadow, did not like it at all and so refused to pay any money toward buying it. The truth is they had each expected a good portrait, and instead he had painted a masterpiece in composition. ”

“ No wonder, then, that this picture was one of Millet’s favorites, for it reminded him of his boyhood home and brought back memories of the thoughts and experiences of his childhood. Grown to manhood, and himself a peasant, he, too, had heard the Angelus sounded forth from the village church tower, and had dropped his work to bow his head in prayer. The quiet and peace of such moments had left a deep impression which he wished to share with us.
The long stretch of field suggests the industry of the peasants; the distant church and their bowed heads against the bright sky tell us of their faith. ”

“ As Offy told about the rock Sir Joshua Reynolds sketched it in the background of his picture, just as he thought it must have looked.
The little girl looks as if she had just started away with her basket of berries when we stopped her to take her picture. She is looking straight at us, with her head bent forward a little as she smiles shyly at us with her big eyes. Her basket, cap, and dress seem strange to us, for little girls do not dress that way now. She looks quaint and old-fashioned as she stands there, with her hands clasped so primly. ”

“ John the Baptist is bending over to drink from the shell which Jesus holds for him. The lamb watches them contentedly, while from the sky above the angels, with clasped hands and smiling faces, look down in silent adoration. Although he does not look at them, Jesus seems conscious of their presence, for he points toward them with his little hand. Light radiates from the clouds and the angels, while deep shadows at the left and the right serve to heighten the effectiveness of the central part of the picture. ”

“ Even then Dutch houses seem very damp to those who are not natives. The kitchen is usually built in the front part of the house instead of the back. The buildings we see in this picture, even the windmill itself, must have been built in just this way.
The calm and peace of this landscape are more impressive when we think of the great ocean outside the dike, pounding away in its ceaseless effort to claim its own. The picture seems to tell us something of the great effort, constant guard, and persistent struggle we must make if we would secure peace and contentment in our lives. ”

“ One day when he looked out through the window of his studio he saw a much prettier picture than the one he was painting. He saw three of his children sitting in a row on the doorstep, while the mother fed broth to each of them in turn from a wooden spoon. As they crowded close together they reminded him of some little birds he had been watching that morning. You know how little birds open their bills and crowd toward the edge of the nest when the mother bird feeds them? Millet thought he would paint this picture, and name it "Feeding Her Birds." ”

“ According to the story, Evangeline keeps house for her father, who is known as the wealthiest farmer of Grand-Pré. He is well on in years, genial, kindly, always looking on the bright side of life, and his home is known far and wide for its hospitality and cheer. The house is out a little way from the village and is built on the side of a hill, so that it commands a fine view of the ocean. Meadows, orchards, great barns with their dovecotes, beehives, a well with its moss-grown bucket, weathercocks, and sheepfolds complete the picture. ”

“ She must have been a fairylike little creature as she moved among her father’s guests, dressed in deep crimson, with a few beautiful ornaments which brought out her delicate coloring. At any rate she became the ideal of the small boy, Dante. He became a poet through this meeting and from that time on wrote verses to her. We probably never would have known there was such a person as Beatrice, if he had not told us about her in his poems. Now she will never be forgotten, for not only the poet Dante, but the artist Rossetti, made her name immortal. ”

“ The story of the picture. Constant Troyon delights in showing groups of animals coming toward us. No matter where we stand, they seem to be coming to meet us. We can almost hear the heavy tread of these oxen as they plod along over the uneven ground, their great heads held by the yokes.
We see so few oxen now, it makes us wonder why they were used so much in those days, but we know men did not then have the machinery for tilling the ground and sowing and planting grain that we now have. It is true they did have horses, but oxen are stronger, slower, and more steady and patient. ”

“ Since the village is almost surrounded by the North Sea, its high church tower is not only picturesque by day but useful at night as a lighthouse or beacon to guide the sailor to a safe port.
In our picture the sun is half hidden in a sky as full of fleecy clouds as the sky near the North Sea generally is.
We must expect no hills nor elevations of any kind in the Netherlands, a land lying lower than the ocean. The great protecting dikes and the many canals extending in every direction make it one of the most interesting of countries. ”

“ How dependent we are upon the men of whom he is a type! The fact that he is doing his own work and doing that work well compels our respect and admiration.
The light from the sun disappearing behind the hill brings out in silhouette the figure of the sower turned toward the dark and earthy field. This man is not posing for his picture. ”

“ A good cartoon must show the real characteristics of the original, exaggerated, yet easy to recognize. A picture that will tell its story at a glance can be understood by all, and will be remembered long after paragraphs are forgotten. So it is readily seen what a power for good may be found in the daily cartoon.
It is necessary that a good cartoonist have a clear sense of form, although great freedom is allowed in his drawing and no attempt is made for a studied or accurate representation. ”

“ Can you not see them on their homeward journey, the man pushing the wheelbarrow with its heavy load, while the woman carries the basket? It looks as if it would be a long, tiresome tramp across the uneven field to the village so dimly visible in the distance.
This is the time of year when the peasants’ work is hardest, for during the winter there is little farm work to do. We are told that the women spend their winter days in spinning, weaving cloth, and making clothes, while the men weave baskets, make their garden tools, and do what little work there is to do. ”

“ When we look at this picture, representing a scene at the mouth of a Dutch river, it is hard for us to realize that all of this little country is lower than the ocean, and would be flooded if it were not for the great dikes. These dikes are thick walls of stone and earth built near the shore, so high that the water of the North Sea cannot wash over them, and so wide across the top that they make excellent carriage roads. It is wonderful to think how men, by their skill and perseverance, have been able to preserve this country from the sea. ”

“ No wonder Sir Edwin Landseer loved to paint these noble animals. Their intelligent look and, better still, their brave and noble deeds render them almost human, lacking only the power of speech. It seems sometimes as if they really do talk, and the owners of such dogs declare that their actions prove that the dogs understand every word said to them.
Sir Edwin Landseer has painted another picture of a Newfoundland dog, called "A Member of the Royal Humane Society," which looks so much like this one that it might be the same dog. ”

“ They seem ready to run at the first sign of danger, yet they remain near enough to see and hear all that might happen.
The two hounds in the background, waiting so solemnly for the master, hold their heads high in the air as if the neighborhood were not good enough for them, and they of course could have no interest in what is going on.
Probably Sir Edwin Landseer meant this picture to call attention to the vanities of human nature, and to make us smile at them. The expressions on the faces of these dogs are almost human, so well do they tell their story. ”

“ Whistler, pleased and delighted, would say he guessed it was rather good, and so the picture remained unfinished.
Many stories are told of the models he chose from the streets. Often some dirty, ragged little child would find itself taken kindly by the hand and led home to ask its mother whether it might pose for the great artist. After some difficulty the mother would be persuaded to let the child go just as it was, dirt and all. As soon as Whistler began to paint, he usually forgot everything else and so at last the child would cry out from sheer weariness. ”

“ Yet, although we feel all these things when looking at this picture of work, it is a picture of work done simply and good-naturedly and as if it were only a part of the daily task, a sort of habit of life. ”

“ It is easy to see the interest in the faces of the listeners in the picture. Partly robed in a rose-colored garment, the reader sits on a chair of marble, holding on his knees a roll of papyrus, from which he is reading to a group of four persons before him. A wreath of bay leaves crowns his head, and as he leans forward his face expresses enthusiasm while he tells the thrilling adventures of the hero of Homer’s story.
In the center of the background we see a woman. ”

“ Dante always speaks of Love as an actual person appearing to him in different forms. First he appeared as a traveler dressed in coarse clothes; then as a youth in white who came and sat on the edge of his bed and comforted him; and on those rare occasions when Dante saw Beatrice he was always present. Dressed in vermilion in this picture, he stands holding a flaming heart and pointing upward, as if he would beckon Dante to follow. Critics generally agree that the figure of Love in this picture represents the spiritual Beatrice, who beckons Dante to follow as she passes upward. ”

“ Thus they must remain and suffer until a knight should come, pure in body and soul, who should break the spell and set them free.
Many a young man began to plan the quest of the Grail. He must so live that by his good thoughts and deeds he might reach the enchanted castle, see the Holy Grail, and so set free the unhappy knights. He must be perfect, indeed, if he would achieve this, and full of courage, perseverance, and patience.
In our picture we see Sir Galahad all ready to mount his snow-white horse and start out on his search for the Holy Grail. He is in full armor. ”

“ Many cities still have the old Guild Houses where these meetings were held, and there is not a cathedral or church building of any importance in the Netherlands or Belgium in which some great event connected with these guilds is not represented by either a painting or a sculptured monument. And so it is little wonder that Rembrandt should paint such a picture as this.
It is as if we opened the door suddenly upon the syndics, who look up to see what has disturbed them. One man has half risen from his chair. ”

“ Troyon has told us these oxen are on the way to their work. We are left to decide what that work may be. No doubt they will soon reach the field, where they will be harnessed to plows, and their day’s work will begin. In the distance we can see fields, orchards, and, at the left, another peasant starting out with his teams of oxen.
The picture gives a pleasant feeling of vast, roomy space all around us. There is a feeling of energy and action, too, for the man and his oxen are on the way to their work. Our interest is centered on the oxen first of all, then on the man and the landscape. ”

“ Critics seem to vary as to the feeling with which this picture inspires them, although all agree upon its value as a masterpiece. Some declare there is a sort of hopelessness in the landscape which suggests the unhappy life of the artist, who often went hungry, and whose paintings were not appreciated until after his death. To them the scene is full of hopeless beauty, suggesting all kinds of joys which are never realized, yet continue just out of reach throughout a long and cheerless life. So it is a sad beauty, and gives one a feeling of desolation even in a land where all is prosperity. ”

“ Far from being angry with him, Alexander seemed to respect and admire a man strong enough to be indifferent to his presence, and said, “Were I not Alexander, I would be Diogenes.”
It happened one day that the artist, Sir Edwin Landseer, passing along one of the narrower streets of London, caught a glimpse of a dirty tramp dog resting comfortably in an empty barrel and looking up with an impish gaze at a well-cared-for dog. The well-kept dog was surveying the tramp with looks of mingled haughtiness and annoyance because of his lack of respect. ”