Flora L. Carpenter

“ Little was known about the enchanted castle, where the king and his men were held in the power of the spell, but 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, the stainless knight, who succeeds in his quest of the Holy Grail. ”

“ See how the first two fellows seem to be keeping step with the man and the music, as they move with that soft, cautious tread of the wild animal.
With the artist, La Farge, this picture was purely imaginative. He delighted in all subjects dealing with fairyland or witchcraft.
In this picture we are left to guess what sort of a man this is, and where he is going. Some critics speak of him as a sort of centaur, only instead of being half horse and half man, he is half wolf and half man. However that may be, he is able to control these animals through the power of music. ”

“ 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. ”

“ When all were gathered at Mount Carmel, the king in his royal purple robes, the false prophets in their white robes and high pointed caps, and all the attendants, officers, and servants, the great figure of Elijah loomed up before them, demanding in a loud voice how long they were going to take to decide whether to serve God or Baal. None dared reply. He told them to bring two oxen; one, the prophets of Baal should prepare for sacrifice, the other he should prepare. Each should call upon his God, and the God that answered by fire should be supreme. ”

“ 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 imagine him seated thus, drawing the weird yet sweet notes from his pipe, as first one pair of shiny eyes peered through the leaves or around the rocks, then another, and another, until gradually the creatures surrounded him? That music has charms has never been disputed. ”

“ The time of day is shown by the two candles at the altar which have been burning all night and are now burned low in their sockets, and by the faint early light of dawn which comes stealing in through the small windows at the left of the picture. Just behind the knights stand a group of nuns, holding tall candles which light up the dark room and reflect on the white robes and shining armor. ”

“ Abbey has represented these maidens as most beautiful in form and feature. They are dressed in pale colors such as blue, white, rose, and lilac, richly embroidered with gold. Our hero is turned away from us as he humbly receives the shyly offered gratitude of the fair maidens. His helmet and shield may be seen on the floor beside him. In size and importance this large picture is a sort of companion picture to the one on the opposite side of the room, “The Round Table of King Arthur.” Both are beautiful in color and symmetry. ”

“ 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. ”

“ The wings crossed so stiffly make the figure seem all the more erect, while the feathers seem to send out rays of light over the entire picture. The earnest face with its deep-set eyes suggests the strength and courage of that great leader who felt that upon him lay the responsibility for the restless, ignorant idolaters whom he was to lead.
When we read the story of the prophet’s life we are filled with wonder. From the very first it was unusual. Moses was born at the time when the wicked king of Egypt commanded that all boy babies of the Israelites should be drowned. ”

“ All is angry commotion when the door of the chancel opens and Father Felician, whom all revere, stands before them commanding their silence. He appeals to their faith, and their reverence for the house of God, and by his wise counsel succeeds in quieting his people. Meanwhile the women wait outside in the churchyard, fearful when the tumult is greatest but reassured when all is quiet again. Hour after hour passes by and still they wait.
At length the door of the meetinghouse opens and a soldier appears. ”

“ In fresco painting a damp plaster ground is prepared on the wall, upon which the moist colors are painted. These colors become fixed as they dry, and appear to be a part of the wall. The work must be done while the plaster is damp, so the painter prepares only that part of the wall which he expects to cover that day. As it cannot be used after it is dry, he must scrape away all that is left and prepare a new background the next day. If the artist wishes to change any part of his picture, he must scrape off the ground and repaint the entire picture. ”

“ Now our best cartoonists would not stoop to secure recognition by such means; they are more considerate, and we are allowed to appreciate their clever representations without feeling the sting of resentment, even though our sympathies are on the other side. But our cartoonists of to-day do not spend all their time representing the political issues; they also deal with the affairs of everyday life.
We are told that the word cartoon originally meant a design or model for a large picture in fresco, oil, tapestry, statuary, glass, or mosaic. ”

“ Until his time all art had followed the Greek ideas, the artists using the Greek costumes for figures of men of all periods. West believed we should paint people just as they are, so he dressed his people in the costumes of the day. At first, of course, he was criticized severely, but soon all the artists were following his example. Benjamin West became the founder of a school of his own, to which young artists from both America and England went for help and encouragement. Although he spent the last years of his life in England, Benjamin West always remained a patriotic American. ”

“ Although the picture does not even suggest the strange and adventurous future before her, still it is all the more pleasing because it gives us a glimpse of Evangeline in the hour of peace and happiness. We are made to feel the secret of the reserve strength of our heroine who, thus fortified, will be equal to all that must befall her. ”

“ DANIEL Next to Elijah in the frieze stands Daniel, that stanch leader whom nothing could dismay, not even the fear of being placed in the lions’ den. He does not look as if he could easily be persuaded to turn aside from what he believed was right. ”

“ In this picture we see Galahad in the convent chapel, where he has just passed the night in prayer preparatory to his departure out into the world.
As he kneels at the altar, he is clad in the red robe which is worn by the hero throughout the series of pictures. Red is chosen as the color of spiritual purity and means the “spirit cleansed by fire.” “It stands for activity, conflict, human effort with the knowledge of good and evil that imparts the strength to achieve the good and resist the evil.” ”

“ To the Teacher: Pupils should be encouraged to bring good cartoons to school. These may be collected, and the best put up where all can see and be ready to discuss as to size, composition, variety, number, and color of lines used in expressing the idea.
History of caricature and cartoon. It is hard for us to realize that caricature is as old as man’s ability to express himself with chisel, pen, or ink. Away back in the time of the Assyrians and Egyptians we find certain caricatures representing grotesque figures drawn on papyrus. ”

“ We all know how the daughter of Pharaoh found the child and adopted him as her own son. She named him Moses, meaning “to draw out,” for, as she said, she had drawn him out of the water. Grown to manhood among the Egyptians, his open sympathy for his own people caused him to be banished. Then, in the vision of the burning bush, which burns yet never is consumed, the Lord appeared to him and told him that he was to deliver the people of Israel out of the hands of the Egyptians. ”

“ THE PREFACE Art supervisors in the public schools assign picture-study work in each grade, recommending the study of certain pictures by well-known masters. As Supervisor of Drawing I found that the children enjoyed this work but that the teachers felt incompetent to conduct the lessons as they lacked time to look up the subject and to gather adequate material. Recourse to a great many books was necessary and often while much information could usually be found about the artist, very little was available about his pictures. ”

“ We know little about his life until the time when he was sent as messenger to the palace of the wicked King Ahab. This king over the Israelites lived in a magnificent palace made of ivory and gold, with beautiful gardens about it. But his wife, Jezebel, was a wicked woman, and a worshiper of idols, and she persuaded Ahab to build a great temple to one of her gods, Baal, and to worship with her. ”

“ By this very simplicity, quiet, and repose, Whistler has made us feel the love and reverence he has for his mother. He leaves us to guess what the mother herself may be thinking as she looks back over the life now past. ”

“ He seems a strange, wild creature, indeed, and as we look at the picture it almost seems as if he were leaving the trees and the companionship of men to go with these wolves to their caves among the rocks. ”

“ Having been fully instructed in all the ways of the world by the good Gurnemanz, Sir Galahad starts out on his quest. First he goes to the Round Table of King Arthur and his knights in Camelot. He finds them holding a solemn meeting, their leader having just declared that this is the day when, according to prophecy, the stainless knight should come who should occupy the Siege Perilous. The Siege Perilous was a chair over which the magician, Merlin, had cast a spell, so that no man could sit in it without peril of death. ”

“ At the time most of our famous old masters were painting, photography was unknown and the first etchings and engravings were laboriously done by hand and usually by the artists themselves. Now, the time and expense of hand work are so great that, although the important lines are still put in by hand, yet the camera plays an essential part in most etchings and engravings. Originally the artist drew direct on the steel, copper, or wood block, but as the drawing must be reversed, it required a great deal of skill to do this. ”

“ Born, 1738; died, 1820 The story of the picture. It is little wonder that the artist, Benjamin West, who overcame so many obstacles to follow his chosen calling, should admire a man like General Wolfe, who also had a great many difficulties to overcome. Each was born with an overwhelming desire,—the one to be a great artist; the other to be a great soldier. Both achieved their desire through their own earnest and praiseworthy effort. Perhaps the greatest difficulty James Wolfe had to contend with was his poor constitution and constant ill health. ”

“ He showed an early talent for drawing, and when he was nineteen years old he went to Paris to become the pupil of some of the best artists.
Mr. Sargent is famous for his many portraits as well as for his mural decorations. He has traveled extensively and has visited the United States many times, painting and exhibiting his paintings here, but most of his life has been spent in London, where he is now living. In 1908 he was elected to the Royal Academy. He has won many medals of honor for his paintings, and is a member of the leading art societies of America and Europe. ”