,,stories ,,pictures ,,tell ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,decoration ,,stories ,,pictures ,,tell ,,book ,,seven ,by ,,flora ,l4 ,,carpenter ,instructor in drawing at ,waite ,high ,school1 ,toledo1 ,ohio ,formerly supervisor of drawing1 ,bloomington1 ,illinois ,illustrated with ,half ,tones from ,original ,photographs ,,rand ,mc,n,a,l,l,y ,,company ,,chicago ,,new ,,york ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,copyright1 #aiah ,,by ,,rand ,,mcnally ,,co4 ,illustration ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,the ,,contents ,,september ,,and ,,october ,,page 8,the ,fighting ,tmraire0 ,turner #a 8,joan of ,arc0 ,lepage #aa ,,november1 ,,december1 ,,and ,,january 8,the ,syndics of the ,cloth ,rembrandt #bc ,hall0 8,the ,last ,supper0 ,da ,vinci #cc ,,february ,,and ,,march 8,alexander and ,diogenes0 ,landseer #de 8,rubens's ,sons0 ,rubens #ei ,,april1 ,,may1 ,,and ,,june 8,song of the ,lark0 ,breton #fi 8,beata ,beatrix0 ,rossetti #gg ,review of ,pictures and ,artists ,studied ,the ,suggestions to ,teachers #ic ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,the ,,preface ,art supervisors in the public schools assign picture-study work in each grade1 recommending the study of certain pictures by well-known masters4 ,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 material4 ,recourse to a great many books was necessary and often while much information could usually be found about the artist1 very little was available about his pictures4 ,hence ,i began collecting information about the pictures and preparing the lessons for the teachers just as ,i would give them myself to pupils of their grade4 ,my plan does not include many pictures during the year1 as this is to be only a part of the art work and is not intended to take the place of drawing4 ,the lessons in this grade may be used for the usual drawing period of from twenty to thirty minutes1 and have been successfully given in that time4 ,however1 the most satisfactory way of using the books is as supplementary readers1 thus permitting each child to study the pictures and read the stories himself4 ,,flora ,l4 ,,carpenter ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,stories ,,pictures ,,tell ,illustration ,,the ,,fighting ,t,m,,raire ,questions to arouse interest4 ,what is represented in this picture8 ,which boat is the ,tmraire8 ,what smaller boat is towing it8 ,why do you think it needs to be towed8 ,what is the time of day8 ,what makes you think so8 ,is the ship moving or stationary8 ,why does it float so high in the water8 ,what other boats can you see in this picture8 ,what can you see in the background8 ,what is the condition of the water8 ,what kind of a feeling does this picture give you8 ,why do you like the picture8 ,original ,picture3 ,national ,gallery1 ,london1 ,england4 ,artist3 ,joseph ,mallord ,william ,turner4 ,birthplace3 ,london1 ,england4 ,dates3 ,born1 #agge2 died1 #ahea4 ,the story of the picture4 ,one evening when the artist1 ,mr4 ,turner1 and a party of friends were sailing down the river ,thames in ,london1 there suddenly loomed before their astonished gaze the dark hull of the famous ship called the ,tmraire4 ,they had heard and read of the many great victories won by this noble vessel1 and the glory it had brought to ,england4 ,its name ,tmraire means 8the one who dares40 ,now its days of usefulness were over1 and it was being towed to its last place of anchor to be broken up4 ,at first they gazed in silence1 for it was a sad and solemn sight to watch this feeble old boat creeping along like a disabled soldier1 its former glories fading like the setting sun4 ,the silence was broken by the exclamation of one of the young men1 8,ah1 what a subject for a picture60 ,and yet we must remember that at the time ,turner painted this picture it was considered just as commonplace and uninteresting to paint a sailing vessel as it would be for our artists to paint a bicycle or a wagon4 ,but ,turner painted something more than a picture of a boat4 ,he has made us feel not only the sadness in this parting scene but also all the glories of the splendid victories won in former days4 ,again we recall the ,battle of the ,nile1 when the ,english commander1 ,lord ,nelson1 won the victory over ,napoleon's fleet and captured the ,tmraire from the ,french4 ,we remember how ,nelson1 then a young man but having already lost an arm and an eye in battle1 was put in command of the ,english fleet and sent against the ,french2 how after a severe storm the two fleets1 going in opposite directions1 passed each other in the fog1 ,nelson reaching ,italy and ,napoleon landing in ,egypt4 ,then the older naval officers in ,england1 who thought they should have been appointed to this important command1 said all they could about the folly of sending so young a man as ,nelson1 and told how much better they could have done4 ,so the people were dissatisfied and finally the order for extra supplies and provisions was countermanded just as ,nelson heard where ,napoleon was and wanted to start out4 ,then ,lady ,hamilton1 the wife of the ,english minister to ,italy1 used her influence in his behalf1 and the provisions were furnished secretly4 ,we do not care to dwell long on that fierce ,battle of the ,nile1 which began after six o'clock in the evening and lasted all night4 ,only the flashes of the guns told the positions of the different boats until the burning of the ,french flagship made a more terrible illumination4 ,it was a great victory for the ,english4 ,for forty years after this the ,tmraire remained in active service4 ,it took part in the famous victory at the ,battle of ,trafalgar2 it was the second ship in line1 and the first to catch ,nelson's well-known words1 8,england expects that every man will do his duty40 ,many lives were lost in this battle1 among them that of the great commander4 ,at length the good old ship was considered unfit for active service4 ,then for several years it was used as a training ship for cadets4 ,now1 no longer fit for that either1 it was to be broken up for lumber4 ,at the time when the ,tmraire was captured all war vessels used sails1 but less than twenty-five years later they began to use steam4 ,that1 too1 was a reason why the ,tmraire was to be destroyed4 ,to ,turner1 who was born near the river ,thames and grew up among boats and sailors1 the sight of this old boat made a strong appeal1 not only because he was an artist1 but because he was also a patriotic ,englishman full of pride in the ship's great victories4 ,the setting sun casts a parting glow upon the great1 empty vessel as it stands high out of the water4 ,the sky is ablaze with rosy light1 which is reflected in the quiet surface of the ,thames1 but our eyes are drawn at once to the great ,tmraire4 ,we glance at the long1 dark shadows and reflections of the two vessels1 but soon find our eyes wandering to the brilliantly lighted masts1 to the gorgeous sunset sky1 and back again to the proud old boat4 ,in the dark smoke of the tug there is a touch of brilliant red4 ,the small boats scattered here and there help to bring out the distance from that faraway shore so unconscious of the passing of the great ship4 ,at least three fourths of the picture is sky4 ,all of ,turner's first paintings were in tones of blues and grays1 so soft and delicate they were often indistinct4 ,it was not until after he had traveled through ,italy1 and spent many days in ,venice1 where all is brilliant color1 that he began to make his pictures blaze with color4 ,he had completely mastered the pale shades1 so it needed but a touch of brilliant color here and there to make his whole picture glow4 ,in 8,the ,fighting ,tmraire0 more than half the picture is painted in the soft gray colors of dusk1 but the sunset and the touch of red in the smoke of the tug seem to set the whole picture aflame4 ,a gentleman once said to ,turner1 after looking at this picture1 8,i never saw a sunset like that40 ,turner replied1 8,no1 but don't you wish you could80 ,in ,turner's day water colors were very popular1 and ,turner painted a great many of them4 ,his water colors are much better preserved than his oil paintings4 ,the 8,tmraire0 was painted in oils4 ,the sky has faded considerably in the original picture1 and others of his oil paintings have become indistinct4 ,it is believed that this is because he so often used poor materials4 ,turner himself considered this picture1 8,the ,fighting ,tmraire ,tugged to ,her ,last ,berth to be ,broken ,up10 as he called it1 his best work1 and bequeathed it to the ,national ,gallery in ,london1 refusing to sell it for any price4 ,you will remember that later1 when ,america proposed a similar fate for our battleship1 ,constitution1 the people raised a protest and the plan was given up4 ,it was then that ,holmes wrote his famous 8,old ,ironsides10 which might have applied equally well to the ,tmraire4 8,oh1 better that her shattered hulk ,should sink beneath the wave2 ,her thunders shook the mighty deep1 ,and there should be her grave4 ,nail to the mast her holy flag1 ,set every threadbare sail1 ,and give her to the god of storms1 ,the lightning and the gale60 ,questions to help the pupil understand the picture4 ,how did the artist happen to see this ship8 ,what does the name 8,tmraire0 mean8 ,for what was this vessel famous8 ,tell about ,lord ,nelson and the ,battle of the ,nile4 ,from whom did he capture the ,tmraire8 ,when was this battle fought8 ,tell about the ,battle of ,trafalgar4 ,what saying of ,nelson's has become famous8 ,who won the victory8 ,what became of the ,tmraire then8 ,why was it now to be broken to pieces8 ,before the use of steam1 how were vessels propelled8 ,how was the ,tmraire propelled8 ,to what did ,turner compare this old ship8 ,why was it a sad sight to him8 ,what colors did he use in this picture8 ,how did the artist consider this painting8 ,to whom did he leave it8 ,why did ,americans object when it was proposed that the battleship ,constitution be broken up8 ,to the ,teacher3 ,a description of the picture may be prepared by a pupil and given orally to the class4 ,this may be followed by a written description of the picture and a short biography of the artist1 as a class exercise in connection with the ,english composition work4 ,there's a far bell ringing ,at the setting of the sun1 ,and a phantom voice is singing ,of the great days done4 ,there's a far bell ringing1 ,and a phantom voice is singing1 ,to the great days done4 ,now1 the sunset breezes shiver ,tmraire6 ,tmraire6 ,and she's fading down the river1 ,tmraire6 ,tmraire6 ,now the sunset breezes shiver1 ,and she's fading down the river1 ,but in ,england's song forever ,she's the 8,fighting ,tmraire40 --,henry ,newbolt ,the story of the artist4 ,joseph ,mallord ,william ,turner was born1 lived1 and died in ,london4 ,his father was a jolly little barber who curled wigs and dressed the hair of ,english dandies1 as did all the barbers in those days4 ,he was very popular because he was so good-natured and full of fun4 ,he was also very ambitious for his little son1 who had been left to his care by the death of the mother4 ,the story is told that one day1 when ,joseph was six years old1 his father was called to the home of a wealthy patron1 and1 having no one with whom to leave the child1 he took the boy with him4 ,at the patron's home the little boy climbed up into a big chair and waited patiently1 but it seemed a very long time indeed before his father could satisfy the exacting customer4 ,finally the boy became interested in studying a carved lion on a silver tray lying on the table near by4 ,he studied this lion so carefully that when they reached home1 and while his father was preparing their supper1 he drew a lion in full action1 and brought the drawing to show his father4 ,it was decided then and there that ,joseph should be an artist4 ,the father also wished that his son might receive an education4 ,but ,turner did not learn much at school1 for as soon as the boys and girls found he could draw wonderful pictures they offered to do his sums for him and helped him with his lessons while he drew pictures for them in return4 ,the jolly little barber was so pleased with his son's drawings that he put them up in his shop4 ,his patrons began to inquire about the little artist1 and when the proud father put a price mark on the drawings1 they were soon sold4 ,later1 ,turner was apprenticed to an architect to learn architectural drawing1 but he was not successful4 ,he did not seem to be able to understand the theory of perspective or even the first steps in geometry4 ,however1 he finally must have mastered these subjects1 for some years later he became ,professor of ,perspective at the ,royal ,academy4 ,later in life ,turner traveled in ,france1 ,germany1 and ,italy1 and it was then he began to use those brilliant colors which we always associate with his work4 ,turner rarely sold any of his paintings4 ,he called them his 8children10 and was unwilling to part with them4 ,but his engravings and illustrations made him very wealthy4 ,of ,turner's many pictures of the sea1 perhaps the best known is 8,the ,slave ,ship40 ,other famous pictures by ,turner are 8,rain1 ,steam1 and ,speed1 the ,great ,western ,railway10 8,steamer off ,harbour's ,mouth ,making ,signals10 8,approach to ,venice10 8,ulysses ,deriding ,polyphemus10 8,sun ,rising in a ,mist10 and 8,shade and ,darkness--,the ,evening of the ,deluge40 ,questions about the artist4 ,where was the artist born8 ,what did his father do for a living8 ,how did ,turner happen to draw his first picture8 ,why did he not learn much at school8 ,what did his father do with his drawings8 ,what subject proved difficult for the boy artist to learn8 ,was he ever able to master it8 ,where did ,turner travel8 ,what colors did he use in his paintings8 ,why would he not sell his pictures8 ,how did he become wealthy8 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,illustration ,,joan ,,of ,,arc ,questions to arouse interest4 ,what is represented in this picture8 ,where is it supposed to be8 ,what is the girl doing8 ,how many figures can you see faintly suggested against the trees and the house8 ,why do you think they are not real like the girl8 ,what can you see in the distance8 ,what can you tell about ,joan of ,arc8 ,where does she seem to be looking8 ,how is she dressed8 ,what is there about her that makes you think she is used to hard work8 that she is serious and thoughtful8 that she must be very much in earnest8 that she is forgetful of self8 ,where does the light in the picture seem to come from8 ,original ,picture3 ,metropolitan ,art ,museum1 ,new ,york ,city4 ,artist3 ,jules ,bastien-,lepage 7bs tya,n-l pzh74 ,birthplace3 ,damvillers1 ,france4 ,dates3 ,born1 #ahdh2 died1 #ahhd4 ,the story of the picture4 ,far away among the wild hills of ,france1 in the village of ,domremy1 lived ,joan of ,arc1 the 8,maid of ,orleans40 ,her father was a small farmer1 and all her people were working people4 ,joan's life was not an idle one1 for we are told that she was an expert at sewing and spinning1 that she tended the sheep and cattle1 and rode the horses to and from the watering places4 ,but she could neither read nor write1 as she had received no education4 ,when she wished to send a letter she would dictate it to some one who could write1 and then make the mark of a cross at the top4 ,as she was of an intensely religious nature1 she often wandered off by herself and remained in prayer for hours1 sometimes in the fields or the great forest near by1 and sometimes in the village church4 ,about this time ,france was frequently invaded by the ,english1 and even the small village in which ,joan lived had been entered and plundered4 ,there had been so many intermarriages between the royal houses of ,france and ,england that it was doubtful who was the rightful heir to the throne4 ,france was divided into two factions1 yet all agreed in their hatred of the ,english who had taken possession of the northern part of the country4 ,worst of all1 the queen mother ,isabella supported the claims of her grandson1 an ,englishman1 against those of her own son1 ,charles1 the ,french prince4 ,this agreed with an old prophecy known to the country people1 that ,france should be lost by a woman and saved by a woman4 ,the queen1 ,isabella1 who finally secured the crown for her ,english grandson1 was regarded as the woman who lost ,france2 and later it became generally believed that ,joan of ,arc was the woman who saved ,france4 ,joan prayed constantly for the deliverance of her country from the ,english4 ,at last one day she told her father that she had seen an unearthly light and heard a voice telling her that she was to go and help the ,french prince4 ,again the vision appeared1 and this time she said she had seen ,st4 ,michael1 ,st4 ,catherine1 and ,st4 ,margaret1 who told her that she was appointed by heaven to go to the aid of ,prince ,charles4 ,her father tried to laugh her out of her 8fancy10 as he called it1 and did all he could to dissuade her1 but ,joan was resolute and declared she must go4 ,the village people were very superstitious1 and when they heard of ,joan's wonderful visions they were immediately convinced4 ,an uncle of ,joan's1 who was a wheelwright and cartmaker1 offered to take her to a high nobleman who1 according to the vision1 should bring her before the prince4 ,this nobleman laughed at her1 but later on became sufficiently convinced to give her a horse1 a suit of armor1 and two guards to escort her to ,prince ,charles4 ,after traveling eleven days through a wild country1 constantly on the watch for the enemy1 she finally reached ,chinon1 where ,charles was staying4 ,although he was dressed exactly like the men about him1 ,joan picked him out immediately1 and told him she had been sent by heaven to conquer his enemies and see him crowned king at ,rheims4 ,she also told him several things supposed to be secret1 known only to himself1 and so she was able to gain his confidence4 ,she told him too that in the ,cathedral of ,st4 ,catherine1 some distance away1 he would find an old sword1 marked on the blade with five crosses1 which the vision had told her she should wear4 ,no one had ever heard of this old sword1 and it seemed very wonderful that ,joan should know about it2 but it was found in the cathedral just as she had said4 ,charles then asked the opinion of all the wise men about him1 and all agreed that ,joan was inspired by heaven4 ,this put new life into the ,french soldiers1 but discouraged the ,english1 who thought ,joan was a witch4 ,and then it was that ,joan rode on to the ,siege of ,orleans in which1 as we know1 the ,french were victorious4 ,she rode on a beautiful white war horse1 her armor glittering so in the sun that she could be seen for a great distance1 and she carried a white flag4 ,twice she was wounded during the terrible battle which followed1 but each time she was soon up and at the head of the ,french again1 the ,english fleeing before them4 ,we know how the ,french fought their way to ,rheims1 where ,charles ,,vii was crowned2 and how ,joan then declared her work completed and begged to be allowed to return to her home2 but ,king ,charles would not consent4 ,we do not like to think of how this weak king did nothing to help her when she was finally taken prisoner and sold by the ,duke of ,burgundy to the ,english1 who burned her at the stake as a heretic and witch4 ,it was not until ten years later that ,charles ,,vii publicly recognized the service she had done1 and declared her 8a martyr to her religion1 her country1 and her king40 ,in the picture we see the 8,maid of ,orleans0 listening to the voices4 ,as she sat in the shade of the great apple tree winding yarn1 she had suddenly heard voices1 and then a vision of ,st4 ,michael1 ,st4 ,margaret1 and ,st4 ,catherine1 the saints to whom she had prayed so often in the little church1 appeared before her4 ,she trembled1 and rising1 walked forward4 ,now1 leaning against a tree1 she gazes at the vision4 ,she imagines herself clad in armor and presented with a sword by the saints1 who tell her that heaven commands her to free ,france from the ,english4 ,with its fruit trees1 flowers1 and vegetables1 the ,french garden represented in the picture was painted from nature4 ,in the distance we see a suggestion of the great forest in which ,joan used to wander in solitude and prayer4 ,a simple peasant girl1 poorly dressed1 there is little about her to please or attract us until we look at the eyes4 ,then we begin to understand why this picture is considered a masterpiece4 ,those great1 far-seeing1 melancholy eyes seem to look far beyond us1 and their ecstatic gaze inspires us with some of that same confidence in her which so possessed her soldiers4 ,the vision which so inspired ,joan is partly visible to us amid the tangle of the trees and shrubbery4 ,the figures of the three saints silhouetted against the rude peasant hut add to the confusing details of the background1 and yet by them our eyes are led back to the one restful part of the picture--,joan herself4 ,she is not beautiful1 only earnest and good1 and we feel a great pity for this girl who is so soon to suffer a dreadful fate for an ungrateful king and people4 ,the sunlight falls full upon her face and outstretched arm4 ,the curve of this arm harmonizes with the branches of the trees above1 and her upright figure with the straight tree trunks4 ,her firm chin tells us something of the determination and courage which carried her through to the end4 ,we are told that she had a deep1 strong voice which was capable of great sweetness1 and that her honesty and goodness compelled the respect of even the rudest soldiers4 ,questions to help the pupil understand the picture4 ,who was ,joan of ,arc8 ,why was she called 8,the ,maid of ,orleans08 ,tell something of her life4 ,in what country did she live8 ,what were her duties8 ,what education had she received8 ,what was her nature8 ,for what did she pray constantly8 ,what vision did she have8 ,what did her father say8 ,how did the village people feel about it8 ,who helped her go to ,prince ,charles8 ,how did the nobleman receive her at first8 ,what were some of the difficulties of her journey8 ,what did she do that made ,prince ,charles believe in her8 ,how did ,joan's coming affect the ,french soldiers8 the ,english soldiers8 ,tell about the ,siege of ,orleans4 ,when did ,joan consider her work done8 ,why would not ,king ,charles ,,vii let her go home8 ,what became of ,joan8 ,what has the artist represented ,joan as doing in this picture8 ,what vision appeared to her8 ,what does she lean against8 ,what else can you see in this garden8 ,how does the tangled1 somewhat confusing background bring out the figure of ,joan8 ,what kind of a voice had ,joan8 ,why did all the soldiers respect her8 ,to the ,teacher3 ,different pupils may be asked to study this lesson under the following topics3 ,i4 ,joan of ,arc as ,represented in ,history4 ,,ii4 ,joan of ,arc as ,represented in ,this ,picture4 ,,iii4 ,this ,picture as ,true to ,history4 ,,iv4 ,this ,picture as a ,composition4 ,v4 ,the ,artist4 ,the story of the artist4 ,jules ,bastien-,lepage was born in ,damvillers1 ,france4 ,his parents were people of means1 and as his father was an artist he received his first art instructions from him4 ,as a young man ,jules held a position in the post office1 and his duties there kept him busy every morning4 ,but all his afternoons were devoted to study under an artist who lived near by4 ,then during the ,franco-,prussian war he joined the army in the defense of ,paris4 ,he was never very strong1 and the constant exposure and hardships forced him to return home on sick leave2 that was the end of his experience as a soldier4 ,his health somewhat recovered1 he began painting in earnest4 ,he desired above all things to be a great historical painter and1 if possible1 to paint these pictures at the very places where the historical events occurred4 ,he had a very fine studio fitted up on the second floor at home1 but most of his painting was done out of doors4 ,we cannot read much of his life without finding some mention of his grandfather1 for it was the old man's delight to work or sit beside his grandson while the young man was painting4 ,the grandfather is usually described as wearing a brown skull cap and spectacles1 and carrying his snuffbox and large checked handkerchief much in evidence4 ,he took care of their garden and orchard1 and one of the very first pictures ,lepage painted that caused most favorable comment was a portrait of his grandfather in a corner of the garden4 ,this picture1 together with another of a young peasant girl1 exhibited at the same time1 marked the beginning of the artist's popularity4 ,born in the same country as ,millet and like him understanding the religious enthusiasm and the superstitions of the peasants1 we are not surprised that he should love to paint the ,french peasant and that ,joan of ,arc's life and history should have appealed to him so strongly4 ,this subject had been a favorite theme for painters for several hundred years1 and most of the artists had represented ,joan as a saint or as a maid of great beauty4 ,lepage1 however1 represented her as a simple peasant girl1 dressed as such1 and showing evidence in her face and her coarse hands of the rough farm work she had been doing4 ,this painting of ,joan of ,arc is considered the artist's masterpiece4 ,another noted picture by him is 8,the ,hay ,makers40 ,bastien-,lepage became very popular indeed1 and the people vied with each other to obtain his paintings and to get an opportunity to work in his studio4 ,he worked very hard1 and this1 with the excitement of so much publicity1 finally wore him out4 ,he died at the age of thirty-six years4 ,questions about the artist4 ,who painted this picture1 and where was he born8 ,where is the original painting8 ,tell about ,jules ,bastien-,lepage and his early training4 ,why did he not remain in the army8 ,what kind of a painter did he most desire to be8 ,where did he usually paint8 ,who went with him8 ,describe the old grandfather4 ,what picture marked the beginning of the artist's popularity8 ,why did the life of ,joan of ,arc appeal to him so strongly8 ,in what way did his representation of ,joan differ from that of other artists8 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,illustration ,,the ,,syndics ,,of ,,the ,,cloth ,,hall ,questions to arouse interest4 ,what are these men doing8 ,how are they dressed8 ,what makes you think some one has interrupted them8 ,at whom are they looking8 ,why do you suppose the one syndic has risen8 ,why do you think the man standing behind the others wears no hat8 ,what do you think his duties were8 ,which man looks the oldest8 the youngest8 ,how has the artist avoided a stiff arrangement of the figures in this painting8 ,original ,picture3 ,ryks ,museum1 ,amsterdam1 the ,netherlands4 ,artist3 ,rembrandt van ,rijn 7rm brnt vn rn74 ,birthplace3 ,leiden1 the ,netherlands4 ,dates3 ,born1 #afjf2 died1 #affi4 ,the story of the picture4 ,this picture represents the syndics of the ,cloth ,merchants' ,guild1 in a room of their ,guild ,house1 busy going over their accounts4 ,in these days of great corporations and societies of all kinds1 it is easy for us to understand what a ,cloth ,merchants' ,guild might be4 ,history tells us that as far back as the time of the ,romans there were what were called merchants' corporations or guilds organized for mutual aid and protection4 ,among the very first known was a fishermen's guild1 in which all the members met and decided the rights of the various members to use the water front1 and also1 no doubt1 planned to take away the privilege from all who were not members4 ,in the ,netherlands the guilds were many and very influential4 ,besides the general officers usually appointed by the king1 there were a certain number of officers whom the members themselves chose1 called masters1 deans1 wardens1 or syndics4 ,it was the duty of these syndics to visit the workshops and salesrooms of all members of the guild1 at all hours1 to see that the rules were enforced4 ,they were also expected to examine candidates for apprenticeship and mastership4 ,each guild had its own costume or uniform4 ,even to this day a remnant of these old customs remains1 and in ,england every twenty years a few of the cities celebrate1 by a very important and imposing parade1 what is known as 8guild day40 ,many cities still have the old ,guild ,houses where these meetings were held1 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 monument4 ,and so it is little wonder that ,rembrandt should paint such a picture as this4 ,it is as if we opened the door suddenly upon the syndics1 who look up to see what has disturbed them4 ,one man has half risen from his chair4 ,all five are dressed in the uniform of the guild--black coats1 broad white collars1 and large black felt hats4 ,each figure is a complete portrait in itself and bears1 it is said1 a speaking likeness to the syndic painted4 ,some time before this1 ,rembrandt had had an unfortunate experience4 ,he had painted a wonderful picture called the 8,night ,watch40 ,but in that great painting he had allowed his feelings as an artist1 and his love of a fine composition1 to make him forget man's vanity4 ,so1 although a great many prominent men had posed for this picture1 he had neglected to paint them all in conspicuous positions4 ,those upon whom the bright light fell were delighted with the picture1 but the majority1 who were in the shadow1 did not like it at all and so refused to pay any money toward buying it4 ,the truth is they had each expected a good portrait1 and instead he had painted a masterpiece in composition4 ,so in this later picture he was careful to make a good likeness of each of the syndics1 as well as to make an interesting composition4 ,these five syndics are gathered around a table covered with a rich oriental cloth woven on a dark red ground4 ,the plain paneled walls of the room are brown1 filling the picture with that rich golden-brown tone for which ,rembrandt is famous and which gives to his pictures their mysterious and peculiar charm4 ,it is said that the other portraits in the ,ryks ,museum1 ,amsterdam1 where this picture is hung1 look dull and lifeless beside it4 ,and1 strange to say1 it was painted when ,rembrandt was fast losing his eyesight and when1 too1 he was in great financial difficulties4 ,the order for the picture was given him by an old friend who thought first of his need1 but later of his great genius4 ,it was ,rembrandt's last important order before his death in #affi4 ,although these men are looking toward us1 no two are in exactly the same position4 ,the light from the window falls full on the face of each syndic2 even the servant is not placed in the shadow4 ,suppose these men had been represented as of exactly the same height2 that would have given us a straight horizontal line across the picture even straighter than that of the wainscoting above1 which is broken by the corner of the room4 ,thus we would have had a stiff1 uninteresting arrangement4 ,art students from all over the world go to the ,art ,museum to study and copy parts of this wonderful painting4 ,joseph ,israels tells us he made a copy of his favorite figure1 which was 8the man in the left-hand corner with the soft gray hair under the steeple hat40 ,questions to help the pupil understand the picture4 ,where are these men8 ,why have they met here8 ,what is their trade8 ,for what purpose were the guilds formed8 ,tell about the first guilds and their purpose4 ,in what country were these guilds most popular8 ,where do they still exist8 ,who were the syndics8 ,what were some of their duties8 ,what was the place called where they met8 ,what do we have in our country in the place of syndics and guilds8 ,of what benefit are they8 ,how are the syndics in this picture dressed8 ,at whom are they looking8 ,what can you say of the man standing behind the syndics8 ,which syndic seems to be the most important8 ,what unpleasant experience had the artist had that influenced him in painting this picture8 ,in what ways do the positions of the six men differ8 ,what can you say of the composition of this picture8 the light and shade8 ,what qualities of greatness do you find in this picture8 ,how did ,rembrandt happen to paint it8 ,what colors did he use8 ,where is the original painting8 ,the story of the artist4 ,rembrandt was born in ,leiden1 the ,netherlands1 in #afjf4 ,in those days1 when there were no newspapers and no one cared to set down the daily events in the lives of great men1 it was only what the man actually accomplished that was recorded4 ,so we know very little of the early life of ,rembrandt4 ,some authorities declare he was born in a windmill1 but most agree that as his father was a prosperous miller1 the son was no doubt born in a very comfortable if not elegant home4 ,however that may be1 we know that ,rembrandt spent many happy hours with his brothers and sisters high up in this windmill1 and here it is believed he first studied the effect of light and shade on objects4 ,from the small window in the tiny room at the top of the mill little light could be expected1 and as he did much of his painting here his studies were mostly in shadow4 ,often he must have looked from this little window down upon the quaint city of ,leiden1 built upon its ninety islands joined by at least a hundred and fifty bridges2 upon its wide streets1 rose-bordered canals1 houses built in rows1 each with its own windmill1 and the picturesque rows of trees4 ,the largest building of all was the ,university1 for which ,leiden is still famous4 ,rembrandt attended this university1 we are told1 and as he looked at it he must have recalled its history and how bravely the ,dutch people fought when the ,spanish army tried to capture the city--how they braved famine and pestilence as they awaited the arrival of ,prince ,william of ,orange4 ,as a reward for their courage1 ,william offered his people either a great gift of gold or a university2 and1 although the people needed the money to rebuild their houses1 they chose the university4 ,rembrandt is one of the great artists who is known to the world by his first name4 ,his father's name was ,gerrit ,harmens and he was called ,harmens van ,rijn 7by the ,rhine74 ,according to a custom of those days the name frequently told where the man lived4 ,his son was called ,rembrandt ,harmenszoon van ,rijn1 meaning ,rembrandt1 son of ,harmens by the ,rhine4 ,rembrandt's great love for good pictures1 and his desire to draw1 caused his parents to send him to an artist to study4 ,he studied with this teacher at home for three years4 ,then he spent several months in ,amsterdam studying1 but finally decided that nature should be his teacher4 ,he was then only sixteen years old1 but he fitted up the little room in the mill as a studio1 and here he continued his study4 ,he painted his father1 his mother1 and his brothers and sisters many times4 ,then he painted his own portrait by looking in a mirror1 and1 by assuming various attitudes and different expressions1 he received much valuable practice which1 later on1 helped him greatly4 ,his first great work was a portrait of his mother1 painted when he was twenty-three years old4 ,two years later he went to ,amsterdam1 where his pictures brought large prices and pupils flocked to him from all parts of ,europe4 ,once he painted a window with a servant standing near it that was so real it deceived every one4 ,about this time he married the beautiful ,saskia1 whose picture he has painted so many times4 ,his home was furnished extravagantly1 and nothing was too good to give ,saskia4 ,there are three great paintings by ,rembrandt which mark three epochs in his life4 ,the first was 8,the ,anatomy ,lesson10 painted for ,doctor ,tulp1 representing the ,professor of ,anatomy lecturing to his class4 ,it is said that ,rembrandt hid behind a curtain and1 without their knowledge1 observed the class during several lessons that he might secure natural expressions and positions4 ,this picture was painted shortly after his marriage to ,saskia1 and through it he became famous4 ,it marks the beginning of the happiest part of his life4 ,the second great painting was the 8,night ,watch10 which was not appreciated because he failed to give all the figures equal prominence4 ,this picture marks the beginning of his fall from favor1 and it was about this time that his wife1 ,saskia1 died4 ,crushed by both sorrow and misfortune1 ,rembrandt still continued to paint4 ,his choice of subjects1 however1 changed noticeably4 ,he now painted more of the sorrow1 poverty1 and distress of life4 ,his house1 with all its beautiful furnishings1 was sold4 ,then came his great painting1 8,the ,syndics of the ,cloth ,hall10 in which he seems to have concentrated all his wonderful genius4 ,but1 masterpiece that it is1 the picture won no popularity1 and so the last years of ,rembrandt's life were spent in increasing poverty and sadness4 ,other noted pictures by ,rembrandt are3 8,christ ,blessing ,little ,children10 8,sacrifice of ,abraham10 8,portrait of an ,old ,woman10 8,the ,mill10 8,saskia10 and 8,supper at ,emmaus40 ,questions about the artist4 ,who painted this picture8 ,why was he so named8 ,why do we know so little about him8 ,where is it believed that ,rembrandt first studied light and shade8 ,what other training did he have8 ,how did he paint his own portrait8 ,what was his first great painting8 ,tell something which illustrates how well he could paint4 ,was the greatness of 8,the ,syndics of the ,cloth ,hall0 appreciated when it appeared8 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,illustration ,,the ,,last ,,supper ,questions to arouse interest4 ,what does this picture represent8 ,where do the figures seem to be8 ,why do you suppose the artist placed all his figures on one side of the table8 ,what makes you think the disciples are excited8 ,how many do not look excited8 ,which is the central figure8 ,how is our attention directed toward the central figure8 ,how does the position of the hands aid in this8 ,which one is ,judas8 ,why do you think so8 ,which one is ,john8 ,what expressions do you see upon the different faces8 ,original ,picture3 ,convent ,santa ,maria delle ,grazie1 ,milan1 ,italy4 ,artist3 ,leonardo da ,vinci 7l nrd d vnch74 ,birthplace3 ,near ,florence1 ,italy4 ,dates3 ,born1 #adeb2 died1 #aeai4 ,the story of the picture4 ,beatrice1 the good and beautiful wife of the ,duke of ,milan1 had visited most of the many convents in ,italy1 but her favorite among them all was the ,santa ,maria delle ,grazie in ,milan4 ,when the great dining room of this beautiful convent was being finished1 the monks felt that it lacked nothing except a suitable decoration for the end wall2 so they appealed to the duke and his wife for at least one fine painting by the most popular artist of the time1 ,leonardo da ,vinci4 ,and so it came about that ,leonardo began this great work1 which was to be his masterpiece4 ,it was so placed that the monks seated at their meals could see the long table as if it were in their own room and but slightly raised above the rest4 ,many stories are told of the artist while working on this great painting4 ,often he worked from early morning until dusk1 quite unconscious of the flight of time1 of his meals1 or of the hushed voices of the monks and visitors who came to watch him paint4 ,then again he would not paint for several days1 but would sit for hours quietly studying his painting4 ,the prior of the monastery began to think he would never finish the picture1 and at last he appealed to the duke to speak to ,leonardo about it4 ,the artist told the duke that while he sat thinking he was doing his best work1 for it was necessary for him to have a complete picture in his mind before he could paint one4 ,of course he was told to do it in his own way4 ,he completed the painting in two years1 which was an unusually short time for so great a masterpiece1 when we consider how much study was necessary1 and that the figures were larger than life4 ,leonardo also had other work which had to be done4 ,mr4 ,william ,wetmore ,story has given us the prior's complaint to the duke in verse1 from which we have selected these extracts3 8',tis twenty months since first upon the wall ,this ,leonardo smoothed his plaster2 then ,he spent two months ere he began to scrawl ,his figures1 which were scarcely outlined1 when1 ,seized by some mad whim1 he erased them all4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 8,ah6 there he is now--,would your ,highness look ,behind that pillar in the farthest nook8 ,that is his velvet cap and flowing robe4 ,see how he pulls his beard1 as up and down ,he seems to count the stones he treads upon6 ',t would irk the patience of the good man ,job ,to see him idling thus his time away1 ,as if our ,lord and ,judas were both done1 ,and there were naught to do but muse and stray ,along the cloisters4 ,may ,i dare to pray ,your ,highness would vouchsafe one word to say2 ,for when ,i speak he only answers me1 #8,i am not idle1 though ,i seem to be4' 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 8#8,not idle6 ,well1 ,i know not what you do6 ,you do not paint our picture1 that ,i see4' ,to which he said1 8,a picture is not wrought ,by hands alone1 good ,padre1 but by thought4 ,in the interior life it first must start1 ,and grow to form and color in the soul2 ,while ,i seem idle1 then my soul creates2 ,while ,i am painting1 then my hand translates4'0 ,it is said that ,leonardo threatened to paint the face of the complaining prior as the ,judas in his picture1 but we know that he did not4 ,he has chosen for his subject the moment following the words of ,christ to his disciples3 8,one of you shall betray me40 ,on their faces he has shown the surprise1 consternation1 and distress which would naturally follow the realization that there is a traitor among them4 ,we recognize at once the calm1 beautiful face of the figure in the center as that of the ,christ4 ,leonardo spent more time on this head than on any other part of the picture4 ,he made a great many sketches1 and in each he tried to represent ,christ as looking at us1 but all his efforts failed to satisfy him4 ,at last he consulted a friend1 who advised him to give up trying to paint the expression of the eyes1 but to represent ,christ looking down2 and this seems to have been the last touch needed to make the face perfect4 ,on both sides we see the disciples in four groups of three each4 ,if we study any one of these groups we will find it complete in itself1 yet all four groups are held together by the expression on the faces and especially by the position of the hands4 ,so wonderfully have the hands been painted that some critics have spoken of this picture as 8a study of hands40 ,if we begin at the left-hand side of the picture we see ,bartholomew standing at the end4 ,in his astonishment1 he has risen so quickly that his feet are still crossed as they were when he was seated4 ,he looks toward ,christ as if he thought his ears must have deceived him4 ,next to ,bartholomew is ,james 7the less71 who reaches behind ,andrew to touch the arm of ,peter and urge him to ask the meaning of it all4 ,andrew's uplifted hands express horror1 while his face is turned anxiously toward the ,master4 ,peter is greatly excited1 but feels that ,john is the one to ask the question2 so we see him leaning toward ,john1 his hand resting on ,john's shoulder as he eagerly urges him to ask who it is of whom ,christ spoke4 ,in his right hand ,peter grasps his knife ready to defend his ,lord4 ,between ,peter and ,john we see the traitor ,judas1 vainly attempting to appear innocent and unconcerned4 ,as he leans forward1 he clasps his money bag tighter1 but at the first sudden movement of alarm he has overturned the salt upon the table4 ,it is said that after the face of the ,christ1 ,leonardo found that of ,judas the most difficult to paint4 ,it was hard to imagine a man so wicked4 ,the gentle1 sorrowful face of ,john seated next to the ,christ is in strong contrast to the startled1 guilty look on the dark face of ,judas4 ,to the right of the ,master1 we see ,james 7the great71 whose arms are outstretched as he looks at the ,master and eagerly asks1 8,lord1 is it ,i80 ,just behind ,james is ,thomas1 with one finger lifted threateningly as if he must know who the traitor is that he may cast him out at once4 ,philip1 standing beside ,james1 places his hands on his heart as he says1 8,thou knowest1 dear ,lord1 it is not ,i40 ,the three disciples at the end of the table are in earnest conversation4 ,matthew points with his arms to the ,saviour as if explaining to the elder disciple1 ,simon1 what has just been said4 ,his face asks a question and expresses wonder1 while that of ,thaddeus1 next to him1 is worried and troubled4 ,simon holds his hands out and looks appealingly to ,christ for an explanation4 ,the table itself was like that used in the dining room of the convent2 even the tablecloth and china were the same4 ,three windows form a background for the picture1 and the middle one frames the face of the ,christ4 ,but the picture was painted in tempera upon damp walls1 and it soon began to fade and even to peel off4 ,if it had not been for an ,italian who made an engraving of this picture shortly after it was finished1 we should have little idea of the real beauty of the original4 ,at one time the convent was used as a stable1 and a door was cut right through the middle and lower part of the picture4 ,naturally1 in the course of time1 the picture lost most of its original splendor4 ,many attempts were made to preserve it1 but without success4 ,then1 not many years ago1 an artist was found who succeeded in restoring the picture to some degree of perfection4 ,the painting is twenty-eight feet long1 and the figures are all larger than life4 ,questions to help the pupil understand the picture4 ,where is the original painting8 ,why was this convent chosen8 ,in what room is it8 ,in what way did it become a part of the furniture of the room8 ,how long did it take ,leonardo to paint this picture8 ,why did the prior feel so anxious8 ,what reply did the artist make to him8 ,what does the picture represent8 ,which is the central figure8 ,how is it made to appear the most important8 ,how are the disciples arranged8 ,which is ,john8 ,which is ,judas8 ,what has ,christ just said that causes such excitement8 ,what expressions do you see on the different faces8 ,what can you say of the composition of this picture8 ,how do the hands of each disciple express his feelings8 ,what has become of this painting8 ,about how large is it8 ,to the ,teacher3 ,,subjects ,,for ,,composition ,the ,story ,represented in ,this ,picture4 ,how 8,the ,last ,supper0 ,was ,painted4 ,the ,composition of ,this ,picture4 ,the ,boyhood of ,leonardo da ,vinci4 ,leonardo and ,his ,pets4 ,talents of ,leonardo4 ,manhood of ,leonardo4 ,the story of the artist4 ,leonardo da ,vinci was born in the little village called ,vinci1 about twenty miles from ,florence1 ,italy4 ,his father was a country lawyer of considerable wealth4 ,very little is known of ,leonardo's boyhood1 except that he grew up on his father's estate and early displayed remarkable talents4 ,he was good-looking1 strong1 energetic1 and an excellent student4 ,he was especially good in arithmetic1 and liked to make up problems of his own which even his teacher found interesting and difficult4 ,above all he loved to wander out in the great forest near the palace and to tame lizards1 snakes1 and many kinds of animals4 ,here he invented a lute upon which he played wonderful music of his own composing4 ,then1 too1 he sang his own songs and recited his own poems4 ,he loved to draw and paint because he could both represent the things he loved and use his inventive genius as well4 ,he seemed to be gifted along so many lines1 and was of such an inquiring mind1 that it was difficult for him to work long enough at one thing to finish it4 ,we read of him as musician1 poet1 inventor1 scientist1 philosopher1 and last1 but most important to us--as artist4 ,when he was fifteen years old he made some sketches which were so very clever that his father took them to a great artist1 ,verrocchio1 who was delighted with them and was glad to take ,leonardo as his pupil4 ,the story is told that when ,verrocchio was painting a large picture he asked ,leonardo to paint one of the angels in the background4 ,the boy spent much time and study on this work1 and finally succeeded in painting an angel which was so beautiful that the rest of the picture seemed commonplace4 ,it is said that ,verrocchio felt very sad at the thought that a mere boy could surpass him1 and declared he would paint no more pictures1 but would devote his life to design and sculpture4 ,one time one of the servants of the castle brought ,leonardo's father a round piece of wood and asked him to have his son paint something on it that would make it suitable for a shield1 like the real shields that hung in the castle hall4 ,leonardo wanted to surprise his father4 ,so he made a collection of all the lizards1 snakes1 bats1 dragonflies1 and toads that he could find and painted a picture1 in which he combined their various parts1 making a fearful dragon breathing out flame and just ready to spring from the shield4 ,coming suddenly upon the shield on his son's easel1 the father was indeed startled4 ,studying the picture carefully1 he declared it was far too valuable a present for the servant2 so another shield had to be painted and the first was sold at a great price4 ,no one knows what finally became of it4 ,leonardo spent seven years with ,verrocchio2 then he opened a studio of his own in ,florence1 ,italy4 ,later ,pope ,leo ,x invited him to ,rome to paint for him1 but most of his work there was left unfinished4 ,the story is told of how one day the pope found him busily engaged in making a new kind of varnish with which to finish his picture4 8,alas10 said the pope1 8this man will do nothing1 for he thinks of finishing his picture before he begins it40 ,from ,rome1 ,leonardo went to ,milan1 where1 with the ,duke of ,milan as patron1 he painted his masterpiece1 8,the ,last ,supper40 ,he also made a model for an equestrian statue which1 though never executed1 was regarded as equal to anything the ,greeks had ever done4 ,leonardo da ,vinci proved to be a great addition to the duke's court2 his fine appearance and his many talents made him very popular indeed4 ,he played skillfully on a beautiful silver lyre and charmed the people with his music and songs4 ,he also helped the duke found and direct the ,academy at ,milan1 and gave lectures there on art and science4 ,so his time was divided1 as usual1 among his many interests4 ,when the duke was driven out of ,milan by the new ,french king1 ,leonardo spent several years in ,florence1 where he painted the famous 8,mona ,lisa10 and other portraits4 ,then followed a few years of travel through ,italy4 ,at the request of the ,french king1 ,francis ,i1 ,leonardo joined his court in ,france1 and there he spent the last years of his life1 regarded with great reverence and respect1 and loved by all4 ,among the other great pictures painted by ,leonardo da ,vinci are3 8,mona ,lisa10 8,the ,christ10 8,madonna of the ,rocks10 8,st4 ,anne10 and 8,john the ,baptist40 ,questions about the artist4 ,tell what you can of the boyhood of ,leonardo da ,vinci4 ,what talents did he have8 ,how did these sometimes prevent his completing his work8 ,tell the legend about the angel he painted for ,verrocchio2 the wooden shield4 ,what did the pope say of ,leonardo8 why8 ,where was 8,the ,last ,supper0 painted8 ,in what way was ,leonardo an addition to the duke's court8 ,how was ,leonardo regarded as a sculptor8 ,what are some of his most famous paintings8 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,illustration ,,alexander ,,and ,,diogenes ,questions to arouse interest4 ,where are these dogs8 ,which one seems at home8 ,in what is he lying8 ,what makes you think the sun is shining brightly8 ,which dog looks the best cared for8 ,how does he seem to feel toward the first dog8 ,to which class do the other dogs in the picture belong8 ,what seems to be their attitude toward the two principal dogs8 ,which dog looks the proudest8 the most content8 the vainest8 ,what different kinds of dogs are represented in this picture8 ,how many know the story about ,alexander and ,diogenes8 ,why was this picture so named8 ,original ,picture3 ,national ,gallery1 ,london1 ,england ,artist3 ,sir ,edwin ,landseer 7lndsr74 ,birthplace3 ,london1 ,england4 ,dates3 ,born1 #ahjb2 died1 #ahgc4 ,the story of the picture4 ,into the streets of ,athens1 bright with the life and brilliant colors of its gayly dressed people1 came the uncouth figure of the philosopher ,diogenes1 ridiculing all that the ,athenian held most dear4 ,on his head he carried the tub in which he ate and slept4 ,at first he also carried a cup1 but after seeing a boy drink from the hollow of his hand1 he broke his cup on the pavement1 preferring the 8simpler way40 ,his ugly1 cynical face1 awkward figure1 bare feet1 and ragged clothing made him an object of astonishment and ridicule4 ,independent1 surly1 and ill-natured1 he continued to be an outcast throughout his long life4 ,he taught in the streets as did many of the philosophers in those days1 and spoke so plainly and so contemptuously of the life of the people that but for his ready wit he must have been driven out of the city4 ,he himself cared nothing for abuse and insult1 and went so far in showing his contempt for pride in others that he acquired the same fault himself1 and grew proud of his contempt for pride4 ,he loved to show the contempt he felt for all the little courtesies of polite society4 ,the story is told that ,diogenes came1 uninvited and unannounced1 to a dinner which ,plato1 a great philosopher1 was giving to a select number of his friends1 and1 rubbing his dirty feet on the rich carpets1 called out1 8,thus ,i trample on the pride of ,plato40 ,to which that philosopher quickly retorted1 8,but with greater pride1 ,o ,diogenes40 ,one day he went about the streets carrying a lantern1 though the sun was shining brightly4 ,he seemed to be looking earnestly for something1 and when asked what he was searching for he replied1 8,i am searching for an honest man40 ,plato gave lectures to his pupils in the ,academic ,gardens1 and one day ,diogenes was present4 ,plato defined man as 8a two-legged animal without feathers40 ,diogenes immediately seized a chicken and1 having plucked its feathers1 he threw it among ,plato's pupils1 declaring it to be 8one of ,plato's men40 ,once he was captured by pirates and sold as a slave1 but even this did not subdue him1 for on being asked what he could do he declared he could 8govern men10 and urged the crier to ask1 8,who wants to buy a master80 ,the man who bought him set him free1 and afterwards employed him to teach his children4 ,that is how ,diogenes happened to be in ,corinth when ,alexander the ,great was passing that way4 ,to that great ,macedonian king1 who considered himself the 8son of a god0 and to whom all had knelt in homage almost worship1 the visit to ,diogenes was something of a shock4 ,he found him in one of the poorer streets1 seated in his tub1 enjoying the sun and utterly indifferent as to who his visitor might be4 ,astonished1 the king said1 8,i am ,alexander40 ,the answer came as proudly1 8,and ,i am ,diogenes40 ,alexander then said1 8,have you no favor to ask of me80 8,yes10 ,diogenes replied1 8to get out of my sunlight40 ,far from being angry with him1 ,alexander seemed to respect and admire a man strong enough to be indifferent to his presence1 and said1 8,were ,i not ,alexander1 ,i would be ,diogenes40 ,it happened one day that the artist1 ,sir ,edwin ,landseer1 passing along one of the narrower streets of ,london1 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 dog4 ,the well-kept dog was surveying the tramp with looks of mingled haughtiness and annoyance because of his lack of respect4 ,immediately the thought came to the artist that here were another ,alexander and ,diogenes4 ,the well-fed and carefully cared-for pet1 with his fine collar and snow-white coat1 sniffs with disgust at the dirt and poverty of the tramp dog1 yet is held in spite of himself by the look of indifference and disrespect on the other's face4 ,he1 the envied dog of the neighborhood1 upon whom all honors have been showered1 has found here for the first time a dog who dares to disregard him4 ,and what a dog6 ,he is amazed1 yet held1 waiting to see what the tramp dog will do4 ,those smaller dogs do not share the indifference of ,diogenes at the presence of this great personage4 ,they seem ready to run at the first sign of danger1 yet they remain near enough to see and hear all that might happen4 ,the two hounds in the background1 waiting so solemnly for the master1 hold their heads high in the air as if the neighborhood were not good enough for them1 and they of course could have no interest in what is going on4 ,probably ,sir ,edwin ,landseer meant this picture to call attention to the vanities of human nature1 and to make us smile at them4 ,the expressions on the faces of these dogs are almost human1 so well do they tell their story4 ,the hammer and nails lying on the rough pavement near the barrel would indicate that this is not a permanent home for the tramp dog1 but rather a temporary place of shelter into which he has strayed4 ,notice how ,landseer has centered our attention on the more important dog1 by color1 size1 and position in the picture4 ,the other spots of light1 even that on the edge of the barrel1 draw our eyes back to the proud ,alexander4 ,we might not discover ,diogenes so soon if we did not follow the gaze of ,alexander4 ,landseer delighted in telling stories in his pictures of animals4 ,rosa ,bonheur and other animal painters aimed to make the animals appear natural and lifelike1 but ,landseer wished most of all to show their relation to human beings4 ,this picture hangs in the ,national ,gallery1 ,london1 ,england4 ,questions to help the pupil understand the picture4 ,who was ,alexander the ,great8 ,who was ,diogenes8 ,tell about the life and philosophy of ,diogenes4 ,describe his personal appearance2 ,plato's dinner and his reply to ,diogenes4 ,why did ,diogenes carry a lantern in the daytime8 ,what happened after he was captured by the pirates8 ,how did he happen to be in ,corinth when ,alexander the ,great was there8 ,what opinion did ,alexander have of himself8 ,where did he find ,diogenes8 ,what conversation did they have8 ,why was this picture called 8,alexander and ,diogenes08 ,why is the name appropriate8 ,to which class do the other dogs in the picture belong8 ,what are they doing8 ,where is the scene of this picture laid8 ,why is this appropriate8 ,what is there unusual about this picture8 ,what impression do you think the artist wished to leave with us8 ,what devices has he used to center our attention upon the more important dog8 upon ,diogenes8 ,where is the original painting8 ,the story of the artist4 ,sir ,edwin ,landseer's grandfather was a jeweler1 and his father also learned the jeweler's trade4 ,the jewelers of that day were often asked to engrave the copper plates that were used in printing pictures4 ,sir ,edwin's father soon decided he would rather engrave pictures than sell jewels1 and he became a very skillful engraver4 ,at that time few people realized what an art it was to be able to cut a picture in copper so that a great many copies of it could be made from one plate4 ,they did not even consider it an art as we do1 and so engravers were not allowed to exhibit at the ,royal ,academy and were given no honors at all4 ,edwin's father thought this was not right1 and gave several lectures in defense of the art4 ,engraving1 he said1 was a kind of 8sculpture performed by incision40 ,his talks seemed to be of no avail at the time1 but in the year following his death1 engravers at last received the recognition due them4 ,his eldest son1 ,thomas1 also became famous as an engraver1 and it is to him we are indebted for so many good prints of ,sir ,edwin ,landseer's paintings4 ,this son is the one who made the engraving of the 8,horse ,fair0 for ,rosa ,bonheur4 ,few people can afford to own great paintings1 but the prints come within the means of almost all of us4 ,edwin's father taught him to draw1 and he learned so quickly that even when he was only five years old he could draw remarkably well4 ,edwin had three sisters and two brothers4 ,the family lived in the country1 and often the father went with his boys for a walk through the fields4 ,there were two very large fields separated from each other by a fence with an old-fashioned stile4 ,this stile had about four steps and was built high1 so that the sheep and cows pastured in the fields could not jump over4 ,one day ,edwin stopped here to admire these animals and asked his father to show him how to draw them4 ,his father took a piece of paper and a pencil from his pocket1 and showed ,edwin how to draw a cow4 ,this was the boy's first drawing lesson4 ,after this ,edwin came here nearly every day1 and his father called these two fields 8,edwin's studio40 ,when he was only thirteen years old two of his pictures were exhibited at the ,royal ,academy4 ,one was a painting of a mule1 the other of a dog and puppy4 ,edwin painted from real life always1 not caring to make copies from the work of others4 ,all the sketches he made when he was a little boy were carefully kept by his father1 and now1 if you go to ,england1 you may see them in the ,south ,kensington ,museum1 in ,london4 ,landseer was only sixteen years old when he exhibited his wonderful picture called 8,fighting ,dogs ,getting ,wind40 ,a very rich man1 whose praise meant a great deal at that time1 bought the picture1 and ,edwin's success was assured4 ,so many people brought their pets for him to paint that he had to keep a list and each was obliged to wait his turn4 ,it was about this time1 too1 that he painted an old white horse in the stable of another wealthy man4 ,after the picture was finished and ready to deliver1 it suddenly disappeared4 ,it was sought everywhere1 but it was not found until twenty-four years afterwards4 ,a servant had stolen it and hidden it away in a hayloft4 ,he was afraid to sell it1 or even to keep it in his home1 for every one would recognize the great artist's work4 ,for a number of years ,landseer lived and painted in his father's house in a poor little room without even a carpet4 ,all the furniture1 we are told1 consisted of three cheap chairs and an easel4 ,later he had a fine studio not far from ,regent's ,park4 ,there were a small house and garden1 and the barn was made over into a studio4 ,sir ,edwin was not a very good business man1 so he left all his financial affairs to his father1 who sold his pictures for him and kept his accounts4 ,at twenty-four ,landseer became a member of the ,royal ,academy1 which was an unusual honor for so young a man4 ,this story is told of him4 ,at a social gathering in the home of a well-known leader of society in ,london1 where ,landseer was present1 the company had been talking about skill with the hands1 when some one remarked that no one had ever been found who could draw two things at once4 ,landseer replied1 8,oh1 ,i can do that2 lend me two pencils and ,i will show you40 ,then with one hand he quickly drew the head of a horse1 at the same time drawing with the other hand a deer's head and antlers4 ,both sketches were so good that they might well have been drawn with the same hand and with much more care4 ,landseer made a special study of lions1 too4 ,a lion died at the park menagerie1 and ,landseer dissected its body and studied and drew every part4 ,he painted many pictures of lions4 ,he modeled the lions at the base of the ,nelson ,monument in ,trafalgar ,square1 ,london1 unveiled in #ahfg4 ,when ,sir ,edwin ,landseer went to visit ,scotland one of his fellow travelers was ,sir ,walter ,scott1 the great novelist4 ,the two became warm friends4 ,sir ,walter ,scott tells us3 8,landseer's dogs were the most magnificent things ,i ever saw1 leaping and bounding and grinning all over the canvas40 ,landseer painted ,sir ,walter ,scott's handsome dog1 8,maida ,vale10 many times1 and named his studio for the dog4 ,although ,landseer painted so many wild animals1 birds1 and hunting scenes1 he did not care to shoot animals or to hunt4 ,his sketchbook was his only weapon4 ,sometimes he would hire guides to take him into the wildest parts of the country in search of game4 ,but they felt quite disgusted with him when1 a great deer bounding toward them1 he would merely make a sketch of it in his book4 ,he knew how to use a gun1 though1 and sometimes did so with great success4 ,but it was the study of live animals that interested him most4 ,sir ,edwin ,landseer felt that animals understand1 feel1 and reason just like people1 so he painted them as happy1 sad1 gay1 dignified1 frivolous1 rich1 poor1 and in all ways1 just like human beings4 ,landseer did and said all he could against the custom of cutting1 or 8cropping10 the ears of dogs4 ,he held that nature intended to protect the ears of dogs that 8dig in the dirt10 and man should not interfere4 ,people paid attention to what he said1 and the custom lost favor4 ,in #ahej the honor of knighthood was conferred upon the artist4 ,landseer was popular alike with lovers of art and simple lovers of nature who had no knowledge of painting4 ,no ,english painter has ever been more appreciated in his own country4 ,he died in ,london in #ahgc1 at the age of seventy-one4 ,other noted pictures by ,landseer are3 8,the ,highland ,shepherd's ,chief ,mourner10 8,suspense10 8,the ,connoisseurs10 8,a ,distinguished ,member of the ,royal ,humane ,society10 8,saved10 8,my ,dog10 8,dignity and ,impudence10 8,sleeping ,bloodhound10 8,shoeing the ,bay ,mare10 8,monarch of the ,glen10 and 8,a ,deer ,family40 ,questions about the artist4 ,what did ,sir ,edwin ,landseer's father do for a living8 ,tell about ,edwin's boyhood and first 8studio40 ,for what did he name the studio 8,maida ,vale08 ,with whom did he travel through ,scotland8 ,what was ,sir ,edwin ,landseer's idea of hunting1 and why8 ,how did he feel about animals8 ,what skill did he have with his left hand8 ,name some of his paintings4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,illustration ,,rubens',s ,,sons ,questions to arouse interest4 ,of whom is this a portrait8 ,what are the boys doing8 ,what expressions do you see on their faces8 ,how does this picture show that the artist gave careful attention to details8 ,in what ways does the picture grow more attractive the longer you look at it8 ,how are we made to feel that the artist was in perfect sympathy with his subject8 ,what has the pillar in the background to do with balancing the composition8 ,where is the center of interest and how is it held8 ,what can you say of the light and shade8 of the variety and kind of lines8 ,original ,picture3 ,dresden1 ,germany4 ,artist3 ,peter ,paul ,rubens 7rbnz74 ,birthplace3 ,siegen1 ,germany4 ,dates3 ,born1 #aegg2 died1 #afdj4 ,the story of the picture4 ,the paintings of ,peter ,paul ,rubens were in such demand that he employed a great number of skilled assistants to help him paint them4 ,he himself worked some on each picture1 making the first sketch and adding the finishing touches1 but in many of them his carefully trained assistants put in the details of costume1 background1 and even the hands and faces4 ,rubens worked out a system of his own by which all were kept busy1 and a remarkably large number of pictures finished in a short time4 ,some critics have spoken of his studio as a 8manufactory for the production of religious and decorative pictures40 ,knowing this1 it can be readily understood how much more this picture1 called 8,rubens's ,sons10 is valued because the artist painted every stroke himself4 ,he would not allow any one else to touch it1 and later1 owing to its great popularity1 it is believed he made a copy of the painting1 as there are two in existence4 ,the brothers1 ,albert and ,nicholas1 are so lifelike that they almost seem to breathe and move4 ,the elder son1 ,albert1 was twelve years old when this picture was painted1 and his brother ,nicholas1 eight4 ,albert1 always a studious boy1 looks thoughtfully at us as he half leans against the pillar4 ,in his gloved right hand he holds a book1 while in his bare left hand1 resting on his brother's shoulder1 he holds the other fur-edged glove4 ,the younger boy1 ,nicholas1 is absorbed in his plaything1 a goldfinch fastened by a string to a wooden perch4 ,he shrewdly calculates the distance he must let out the string1 and his alert1 eager attention tells us much of the stirring1 restless life of this healthy1 active boy4 ,it is difficult to keep him standing still very long4 ,rubens delighted in painting rich velvets1 brocades1 silks1 and satins1 and especially in representing his wife and their children in beautiful clothes4 ,in this picture he has certainly satisfied that desire1 for the boys are dressed in most elaborate costumes even for that day1 and especially so if we compare them with the simple dark suits of boys of the same age to-day4 ,nicholas's suit is of gray and blue1 with puffs of yellow satin1 rosettes below his knees and on his shoes1 lace collar and cuffs1 and innumerable little buttons4 ,albert wears black satin slashed with white1 white ruched collars and cuffs1 and a soft black felt hat4 ,at a glance we would judge them to be the sons of a gentleman1 well brought up1 healthy1 happy1 and manly4 ,the great studio in which ,rubens worked was like a school1 for many young artists came there to learn how to draw and paint4 ,rubens worked away at his own easel while the students and helpers were seated about the room1 each carefully working out some part on the canvas before him4 ,occasionally he would stop his painting long enough to look at the others' work1 correct their mistakes1 and help them4 ,often1 as he worked1 ,rubens would have some one read aloud to him in ,latin1 for he was a fine scholar and liked to keep up his knowledge4 ,the boy ,albert loved to sit on a stool near his father1 watching and listening1 and as soon as he was able to write at all he could read and write in ,latin4 ,always fond of reading and studying1 he gained such a reputation for scholarship that when he was only sixteen years old the king of ,spain1 ,philip ,,iv1 appointed him to a very important position--secretary to the ,privy ,council4 ,whenever ,rubens went on a long journey he brought back many curios1 such as cameos1 jewels1 old coins1 and relics of all kinds4 ,soon he had so many collected he put them all in one room1 which he called the 8museum room40 ,albert loved to study the curious things in this room1 and spent hours alone here while ,nicholas was romping out in the great yard4 ,when ,albert grew up he wrote several books about antiquities and curios4 ,questions to help the pupil understand the picture4 ,who painted this picture8 ,how old were these two boys8 ,what were their names8 ,which one looks the more studious8 the more active8 ,how are they dressed8 ,tell something of ,rubens's studio and manner of working4 ,who helped him8 why8 ,in what did the elder son1 ,albert1 become proficient8 ,to what important position was he appointed8 ,what books did he write8 ,tell about the museum4 ,the story of the artist4 ,the great ,flemish painter1 ,peter ,paul ,rubens1 was born at ,siegen1 ,germany1 during the forced exile of his parents from their home in ,antwerp1 ,belgium4 ,but ,rubens always claimed citizenship at ,antwerp1 and spent most of his life there after the death of his father4 ,his mother sent him to a ,jesuit college1 where1 besides his religious training1 he gained a mastery of languages4 ,according to the customs of those times he was next sent as a page to the home of a great lady2 but this was not to his liking and he soon returned home4 ,his mother wished him to be a lawyer1 as his father had been1 but ,rubens persuaded her to help him in his ambition to be a painter4 ,the next ten years he spent at home1 studying under the direction of local artists1 until at the age of twenty-three he was so filled with the desire to visit ,italy that he set out for ,venice4 ,he spent much time copying the paintings of the ,venetian masters1 and it was while he was working on one of these copies that a gentleman belonging to the court of the ,duke of ,mantua found him1 and praised his work so highly to the duke that ,rubens was sent for4 ,then for eight years ,rubens held the position of court painter for the ,duke of ,mantua4 ,in appearance he was tall1 well built1 and good looking1 carrying himself with grace and an air of distinction4 ,cultured1 with pleasant manners and such unusual talent1 it is not strange that he made friends wherever he went4 ,the story is told that one day as he was painting a picture the subject of which he had chosen from ,virgil1 8,the ,struggle of ,turnus with neas10 he recited the ,latin aloud to himself4 ,the duke1 happening to pass that way1 heard him1 and coming into the studio spoke to him in ,latin1 not for an instant believing he would understand1 but ,rubens answered in perfect ,latin4 ,the duke was amazed1 for his idea of painters did not include their having a knowledge of the classics4 ,he then inquired about the artist's birth and education1 and so ,rubens1 with his great talent1 was held in even greater favor at court4 ,rubens made a journey to ,spain for the ,duke of ,mantua1 taking with him as presents copies of some of the celebrated ,italian paintings and a number of horses to be presented to ,king ,philip ,,iii and to the ,duke of ,lerma4 ,the ,duke of ,mantua was famous throughout ,europe for his fine horses1 and it is said that those appearing so often in ,rubens's paintings were chosen from among the duke's favorites4 ,on this journey ,rubens took the wrong road1 crossing the ,alps with great difficulty4 ,the baggage1 drawn by oxen over the steep mountain roads1 delayed him1 and the paintings were almost ruined by heavy rains1 which made it necessary for him to spend many days retouching them before they could be presented4 ,he was so successful in this task1 and the journey had given them such an appearance of age1 that the king thought they must be the 8genuine originals of the old masters40 ,the horses1 however1 arrived in fine condition1 for1 as the story goes1 they had been bathed in wine several times during the journey1 which greatly improved the glossiness of their coats4 ,after his return ,rubens continued his travels through ,italy1 whenever he could secure a leave of absence from the duke1 but was finally called back to ,antwerp by the death of his mother4 ,when he would have returned to the duke's court he was persuaded by the ,archduke ,albert and his wife to remain in ,antwerp1 where he was offered the position of court painter at a most generous salary4 ,he then built a magnificent home and married ,isabella ,brant1 whose portrait he has painted so often4 ,this house was so arranged that he could use part of it for his school1 to which students came from all parts of ,europe4 ,each student was taught to do a certain part of a picture well1 and most of them had their part in the great paintings1 which were first planned and then retouched by ,rubens4 ,for this work ,rubens always gave them credit1 and in his list of pictures he has permitted no deception4 ,thus we find among his notes3 8,a ,prometheus bound--with an eagle who gnaws his liver4 ,original by my hand1 eagle by ,snyder4 8,leopards1 painted from life1 with ,satyrs and ,nymphs4 ,original by my hand1 except a very beautiful landscape done by a very distinguished artist in that style4 8,the ,twelve ,apostles and ,christ1 painted by my pupils after originals by my hand--they could all be retouched by my hand40 ,such a great number of pictures are attributed to ,rubens and his helpers that some are to be found in every gallery in ,europe4 ,his paintings were in demand not only in the ,netherlands but in other countries4 ,in ,france1 ,maria de ,medici commissioned him to paint pictures illustrating the chief events in her life1 to be placed in the gallery of the ,luxembourg ,palace4 ,there were twenty-one of these pictures in all besides three portraits4 ,a beautiful friendship existed between the two artists1 ,rubens and ,velasquez1 although ,rubens was twenty-two years older than his young friend4 ,other paintings by ,rubens are3 8,adoration of the ,magi10 8,the ,garland of ,fruit10 8,the ,descent from the ,cross10 8,the ,last ,communion of ,st4 ,francis10 8,judgment of ,paris10 and 8,peace and ,war40 ,questions about the artist4 ,where was ,rubens born8 ,where did he claim citizenship8 why8 ,tell about his early education4 ,where did he study drawing and painting8 ,describe his personal appearance4 ,why was he such a favorite at court8 ,tell about his journey to ,spain and the paintings and horses he took with him4 ,tell something of his life after his return from this journey4 ,name some of his important paintings4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,illustration ,,song ,,of ,,the ,,lark ,questions to arouse interest4 ,what has the girl been doing8 ,why has she stopped8 ,what did she hear8 ,how does the girl seem to feel8 ,is she singing or listening8 ,why do you think so8 ,how is she dressed8 ,where is she going8 ,what has she in her hand8 ,what occupation would this suggest8 ,what time of day do you think it is8 ,what can you see in the distance8 ,what is the name of this picture8 ,original ,picture3 ,art ,institute1 ,chicago1 ,illinois4 ,artist3 ,jules ,adolphe ,breton 7br t,n74 ,birthplace3 ,courrires1 ,france4 ,dates3 ,born1 #ahbg2 died1 #aijf4 ,the story of the picture4 ,it is said that the artist1 ,jules ,breton1 was walking in the fields of ,france early one morning when suddenly there burst forth the joyous song of a lark singing high in the air4 ,as he looked about him1 trying to discover the bird1 he soon found it by following the rapt gaze of a peasant girl who had stopped to look and listen4 ,as you know1 an ,english lark sings while flying high in the air instead of in the treetops as other birds do4 ,its song1 too1 is longer and far more beautiful than that of our lark1 and has been the subject of many poems4 ,perhaps the best known are 8,hark1 ,hark1 the ,lark10 by ,shakespeare1 and 8,to a ,skylark10 by ,shelley4 ,the last line of this verse by ,shelley is often quoted3 8,higher still and higher ,from the earth thou springest ,like a cloud of fire2 ,the blue deep thou wingest1 ,and singing still dost soar1 and soaring ever singest40 ,jules ,breton has tried to show us what he saw that morning1 and to help us find the lark through the joyous expression on the girl's face4 ,her lips are parted as she listens breathlessly to the exquisite song of praise the lark is pouring forth4 ,the sun1 a huge1 fiery ball1 is rising just behind the trees of the distant village1 and all the earth is flooded with its golden light4 ,this sturdy1 healthy peasant girl1 sickle in hand1 is going forth to her work in the fields4 ,she walks along briskly in the narrow path1 her head thrown back1 breathing in the fresh morning air1 when suddenly her little friend1 the lark1 gives her the morning greeting4 ,as we look at her we do not feel that this is the first time she has heard his sweet song1 but rather that it is something she has learned to look and listen for each morning as she starts out to her day's work4 ,another ,frenchman1 ,millet1 painted the ,french peasant so that our feelings of pity are aroused1 but ,breton shows us such strong1 happy1 peasant girls that we are apt rather to envy them their life of outdoor freedom and healthful labor4 ,millet says of these peasants1 8,breton paints girls who are too beautiful to remain in the country40 ,other critics declare that ,breton's wonderful sunrises and sunsets would make any figure stand out transfigured1 and as he chooses as models only the most favored in strength and beauty1 of course the results are unusual4 ,this picture is so full of joy and song that it fills us with wonder and appreciation of all that is beautiful in nature4 ,first1 there is the bird with its wonderful power to soar so high and to so fill the air with its beautiful song4 ,then the sun1 and all that it makes possible for us in life and growth4 ,it seems indeed a privilege for this happy-hearted peasant girl to be permitted to go out in the fields on this bright1 fresh morning to do her little share in the work of the world4 ,her apron is caught up about her waist to hold the heads of wheat1 for1 as her sickle indicates1 she is going into the wheat field4 ,a large handkerchief is fastened about her hair to protect it from the dust and dirt of the field4 ,she is dressed for a warm day in summer4 ,her large1 coarse hands and feet1 hardened by exposure and toil1 suggest health and strength and give us a feeling of admiration rather than of pity4 ,the details of the field and even of her dress are made secondary and unimportant compared with her face1 upon which is centered our chief interest and to which our eyes are continually drawn4 ,in the little village faintly seen in the distance we catch a glimpse of the homes of the peasants1--simple1 rude homes1 yet1 if we may judge by this girl's expression1 cheerful and happy homes4 ,breton has avoided all possibility of monotony in his picture by the unequal division of space4 ,had the figure of the girl been placed exactly in the center of the landscape1 or the earth and sky spaces been made equal1 the picture would have lost much in interest1 as you will soon discover if you cover up parts of the composition with a piece of paper4 ,although there is no rule stating that the center of interest should not be in the middle of a picture1 most artists seem to prefer centering their interest on some person or object a little to one side of the middle4 ,questions to help the pupil understand the picture4 ,how did the artist happen to paint this picture8 ,how does an ,english lark differ from the larks in our country8 ,what time of day is represented in this picture8 ,what is the girl doing8 ,compare the paintings of peasants by ,millet and ,breton4 ,how is this girl dressed8 ,how does she seem to feel8 ,what can you say of the composition of this picture as to3 7#a7 division of land and sky space2 7#b7 center of interest2 7#c7 placing of the figure2 7#d7 lack of detail--the simplicity8 ,the story of the artist4 ,jules ,adolphe ,breton was the son of cultured1 well-to-do parents4 ,when he was only four years old his mother died and he was brought up1 with other children1 by his father and an uncle who came to live with them at this time4 ,in the great yard or park about his father's house there were four statues representing the four seasons of the year--spring1 summer1 autumn1 and winter4 ,jules loved to look at these statues1 and when one day a painter came and repainted them a bright green1 he watched every movement of the brush with great delight4 ,he was only six years old1 but that night he announced to his father that he was going to be an artist4 ,when he was ten years old his father sent him to a religious school4 ,at this school there was a large black dog named ,coco1 a general favorite1 whose picture ,jules often drew4 ,one day he drew ,coco in a black gown like the priest's1 and standing on his hind feet1 holding a book in his paws4 ,he named his picture 8,the ,abb ,coco ,reads ,his ,breviary40 ,the priest1 his teacher1 happening to see this picture1 was much displeased1 and demanded1 8,did you do this through impiety or to laugh at your masters80 ,jules was frightened1 and not knowing exactly what 8impiety0 meant1 but feeling sure that to 8laugh at your masters0 would be a serious offense1 he answered tremblingly1 8,through impiety40 ,for this he was severely whipped1 much to the indignation of his father1 who promptly took him out of the school4 ,jules was then sent to another school1 where he was taught drawing1 and from that time on he painted pictures which won for him great popularity4 ,he has received medals and other honors in ,england1 ,france1 and ,america4 ,some of his best pictures are in the ,united ,states1 among them 8,the ,song of the ,lark10 which is usually considered his masterpiece4 ,other noted pictures are3 8,the ,vintagers10 8,return of the ,gleaners10 8,blessing the ,grain10 8,women ,weeding10 8,the ,turkey ,keeper10 and 8,the ,shepherd's ,star40 ,questions about the artist4 ,who painted this picture8 ,by whom was he brought up8 ,what helped him decide to be an artist8 ,how old was he when he made this resolve8 ,tell about the drawing of ,coco4 ,what happened because of this drawing8 ,what was the outcome of this happening8 ,how successful was he as an artist8 ,where is the original painting of the 8,song of the ,lark08 ,what else has ,breton painted8 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,illustration ,,beata ,,beatrix ,questions to arouse interest4 ,what is there about this picture that suggests a mystery8 ,where is this lady sitting8 ,what has been brought to her8 ,of what is the dove a symbol8 the poppy8 ,to what hour does the sundial point8 ,what can you see in the distance8 ,original picture3 ,national ,gallery of ,british ,art1 ,london4 ,artist3 ,dante ,gabriel ,rossetti4 ,birthplace3 ,portland ,place1 ,london1 ,england4 ,dates3 ,born1 #ahbh2 died1 #ahhb4 ,the story of the picture4 ,long ago1 in the age of chivalry1 there lived a beautiful ,florentine lady named ,beatrice ,portinari4 ,a great poet1 ,dante1 has described her to us from her childhood to her death4 ,in those days when all true knights served their ladies1 and even small boys were required to choose objects of devotion1 it was not strange that a boy of nine years should choose a little neighbor girl for this honor4 ,she was only a year younger than he when her father1 ,folco ,portinari1 a rich nobleman of ,florence1 gave a festival in her honor1 inviting all his neighbors and friends4 ,dante went with his father4 ,here for the first time he met ,beatrice1 whom he afterwards described as 8the youngest of the angels40 8#8,people called her ,beatrice then1' he explains1 #8without knowing how truly the name belonged to her1 for it means #8one who blesses4'0 ,the artist1 ,rossetti1 must have been thinking of this when he named his picture 8,beata ,beatrix10 which means 8happy or pleasing2 one who blesses40 ,beata sometimes has another meaning--8the elect of ,paradise0--and ,dante suggests this meaning as he tells us how the people remarked1 as she passed1 that 8she seemed not to be the daughter of a mortal man1 but of ,god40 ,indeed1 he tells us that whoever looked at her was made better1 for all ill thoughts must vanish before her1--8the destroyer of all evil1 and the queen of all good40 ,she must have been a fairylike little creature as she moved among her father's guests1 dressed in deep crimson1 with a few beautiful ornaments which brought out her delicate coloring4 ,at any rate she became the ideal of the small boy1 ,dante4 ,he became a poet through this meeting and from that time on wrote verses to her4 ,we probably never would have known there was such a person as ,beatrice1 if he had not told us about her in his poems4 ,now she will never be forgotten1 for not only the poet ,dante1 but the artist ,rossetti1 made her name immortal4 ,it was not until nine years after this first meeting that ,dante met ,beatrice face to face again4 ,she was walking on the street between two older women1 and turned to greet him pleasantly4 ,dressed in white this time1 she seemed to him the fairest and most beautiful lady in all ,florence4 ,this meeting had such an effect upon ,dante that he declared he felt as if he had reached the 8furthest limit of blessedness40 ,hurrying to his room1 he spent hours in thinking of ,beatrice2--finally he fell asleep and dreamed of her4 ,as soon as he awoke1 he commenced a sonnet1 which he addressed1 not to her1 but to his fellow-poets4 ,it was not until later that he ventured to address his verses to ,beatrice1 usually speaking of her as 8my lady40 ,after each meeting or new thought of ,beatrice1 ,dante wrote his poems1 until at last he put them all into a book which he called 8,vita ,nuova10 meaning 8new life40 ,he declared that from the time of his first meeting with ,beatrice he had begun a new life1 and this book would contain the record of it4 ,here he tells all his inmost thoughts and feelings1 for in those days it was the fashion for poets to tell of their loves4 ,so we hear how ,dante spent his days and nights thinking of the lovely ,beatrice1 until his health began to fail and his friends questioned1 even taunted him1 as to the cause4 ,he did not wish them to know who it was that so affected him1 and was wondering how to keep his secret when an accident showed him the way4 ,as he sat in church looking across to where his beloved ,beatrice sat unconscious of his presence1 his glance was returned by a lady sitting half way between4 ,she thought his glances were for her4 ,she looked around several times1 and other people1 noticing her1 soon decided she must be the lady ,dante loved4 ,dante then decided to use her as a screen1 and though he continued to write his verses to ,beatrice1 he did so in such a way that all believed they were directed to the screen lady4 ,this did very well for several years1 until the screen lady moved to another city4 ,then ,dante chose another screen lady1 but she got him into trouble4 ,false rumors spread rapidly and soon the gentle ,beatrice heard them4 ,so one day1 when she passed ,dante on the street1 she did not give him the customary greeting4 ,he was nearly heartbroken1 for this greeting was all the recompense he had ever had or hoped to have for his love4 ,he tells how much it meant to him1 how kindly it made him feel toward even his enemies1 and that it was the inspiration and hope of his life4 ,a friend took him to a wedding feast at which ,beatrice was one of the guests4 ,at the sight of her he grew faint and was obliged to return home4 ,as he passed a group of women1 they stopped him and inquired what kind of a love his was that made him numb and speechless in the mere presence of the loved one4 ,he told them that until the day when ,beatrice refused it1 the end and aim of his love had been 8her salutation02 but now his desire had changed to something that could not fail him3 ,his happiness now lay 8in the words which praise my lady40 ,is it any wonder then that one so gentle and beautiful as ,beatrice1 and to whom the attention of all ,florence was directed by the adoration of so beloved a poet as ,dante1 should become a kind of goddess or queen in that city8 ,dante tells us that people came to the corners of the streets to see her pass4 ,her companions1 too1 were honored for her sake1 and it seemed as if ,beatrice herself was 8the only creature in ,florence unaware of her own perfections40 ,it gave him the most exquisite pleasure to think that he had helped bring this about4 ,at the death of ,beatrice's father1 ,dante's grief was almost as deep as for his own father1 and he remained near the house in the vain hope that he might comfort his lady in some way4 ,shortly after this1 ,dante became very ill1 and as he thought of death1 he realized that some day his beloved ,beatrice must die4 ,the thought drove him into a frenzy of despair2 and when at last he fell asleep1 it was only to dream of her approaching death4 ,this dream proved to be a true omen1 for only once more was ,dante permitted to see his ,beatrice2 then one day as he was composing a sonnet to her1 the news of her death was brought to him4 ,he was prostrated with grief1 and it was some time before he could write again4 ,dante was then twenty-seven years old1 and left1 as he said1 8to ruminate on death1 and envy whomsoever dies40 ,to console himself he read religious philosophy1 and from thinking of ,beatrice as a saint upon earth1 he began to think of her in heaven in company with saints and angels4 ,and so almost before he knew it he had started to write his masterpiece1 8,the ,divine ,comedy40 ,in this1 ,beatrice1 still the object of his adoration1 leads him from circle to circle in ,paradise1 and for the first time we hear her speak4 ,it is strange how very little is known of ,beatrice from other sources4 ,beyond the fact of her birth and parentage little is given4 ,many authorities state she was the wife of ,simone de' ,bardi1 but as many vigorously deny this4 ,dante does not mention her marriage1 and indeed gives us quite the opposite impression4 ,dante has represented his ,beatrice as so perfect1 so absolutely without fault in every way1 that many have questioned whether she was a real woman or an ideal4 ,perhaps the doubt as to her reality started when people began to ask more about her and her interest in ,dante4 ,living in ,florence1 she must have known of his devotion1 yet we have no way of knowing whether she knew or not4 ,and then we are permitted to see ,beatrice only at a distance1 and usually surrounded by her bodyguard of gentle ladies4 ,we know how she affected other people1 the beauty and sweetness of her presence1 yet we are never brought close enough to see even the hint of an imperfection of any kind4 ,and the poet himself does not address his poems directly to her1 but 8to other poetic souls who will understand40 ,yet who can read his 8,vita ,nuova0 and fail to be convinced that ,beatrice was an actual woman8 ,here we find her beautiful1 gentle1 modest1 and smiling1 walking with others1 prayerful in church1 weeping at funerals1 and merry at festivals4 ,all the little events of her life1 and even the peace of her death1 are sympathetically told by one who knew her to be real1 yet has made her truly ideal4 ,the 8,vita ,nuova0 was written in ,italian1 and one of the best ,english translations was made by ,rossetti1 who painted this picture as one of the many illustrations for the book4 ,no one could have been more in sympathy with this subject than ,rossetti2 both because of his great admiration for ,dante1 and because he had suffered a similar affliction in the loss of his beloved wife4 ,dante sought to prove in verse that death is but passing from one world into another1 and ,rossetti wished to show ,beatrice in that transition stage1 or swoon1 in which she is about to pass into another life4 ,in his own words ,rossetti tells us1 8,the picture illustrates the #8,vita ,nuova1' embodying symbolically the death of ,beatrice as treated in that work4 ,the picture is not intended at all to represent death1 but to render it under the semblance of a trance in which ,beatrice1 seated at a balcony overlooking the city1 is suddenly rapt from earth to heaven40 ,we are supposed to be in an adjoining room in the home of ,beatrice1 and to be looking out upon the balcony where she is sitting4 ,her closed eyes1 half-closed lips1 and listless hands make her appear to be half sleeping1 half waking1 yet conscious of some heavenly vision we cannot see4 ,the dove1 crowned with a halo to show that it is a heavenly messenger1 brings the poppy to ,beatrice4 ,this flower is the symbol of death2 the dark heart of the flower stands for mystery and the white petals for purity4 ,the sundial represents the hour as close at hand4 ,dante was quite superstitious about the number nine1 and in his book refers to that number so often that this picture would not be complete without some indication of it4 ,he was nine years old when he met ,beatrice2 nine years later he received her salutation2 it was usually on the ninth hour that he saw or dreamed of her2 and it was at the ninth hour that she passed away4 ,as we glance away from ,beatrice1 beyond the balcony we catch a glimpse of the ,florence in which she lived1 with its river ,arno1 its bridge1 and some of the towers and palaces in the dim distance4 ,the two figures gazing sadly at one another represent ,dante and ,love4 ,in his 8,vita ,nuova10 ,dante always speaks of ,love as an actual person appearing to him in different forms4 ,first he appeared as a traveler dressed in coarse clothes2 then as a youth in white who came and sat on the edge of his bed and comforted him2 and on those rare occasions when ,dante saw ,beatrice he was always present4 ,dressed in vermilion in this picture1 he stands holding a flaming heart and pointing upward1 as if he would beckon ,dante to follow4 ,critics generally agree that the figure of ,love in this picture represents the spiritual ,beatrice1 who beckons ,dante to follow as she passes upward4 ,dante1 dressed in scholarly gown1 gazes fixedly at the figure as if he would not fail to get the message4 ,the colors in which this picture is painted add much to its air of mystery4 ,the purplish tints of late sunset linger in the distant view of the city and bring out the golden auburn hair of ,beatrice1 suggesting a halo made radiant against the twilight distance4 ,yet ,rossetti has been very careful to make ,beatrice appear as a real person and not as a vision4 ,to accomplish this1 he has made the figure stand out clearly against the brilliant light1 yet lost in the half shadows of the balcony1 so she appears to be both of this world and of the next4 ,he has represented life and death again in the colors of her dress1--green and purple4 ,she wears a loose-fitting green garment over a purple dress4 ,the bird is a deep rose color4 ,it carries the purplish white poppy to her lap4 ,this picture of ,beata ,beatrix is dated #ahfc1 but was not finished until two years later4 ,nine years afterwards1 ,rossetti painted a copy of it1 adding the meeting of ,beatrice and ,dante in ,paradise4 ,he painted several other copies1 but none of them have been considered equal to this first picture4 ,the original was painted in oils and sold to ,lord ,mount ,temple1 whose widow gave it as a memorial to the ,national ,gallery1 ,london1 where it now hangs4 ,rossetti designed nearly all the frames for his pictures1 because he liked to show on them some of the things that suggested the picture4 ,he took unusual pains in designing the frame for this painting4 ,on the sides are circles showing clouds1 stars1 and skies1 representing the two worlds4 ,below the painting he has printed the date of the death of ,beatrice1 ,june #i1 #abij1 and a quotation in ,latin from the ,bible illustrating the effect of her death upon ,florence3 8,how doth the city sit solitary1 that was full of people6 ,how is she become as a widow6 ,she that was great among the nations60 ,questions to help the pupil understand the picture4 ,of whom is this a picture8 ,where did she live8 ,by whom was she made famous8 ,how8 ,explain the meaning of her name1 and the name of this picture4 ,why were these names appropriate8 ,in what age did ,beatrice live8 ,what influence did chivalry have upon ,dante8 ,when and where did ,dante and ,beatrice meet8 ,how old were they8 ,what was the result of this first meeting8 ,tell about the next meeting and its effect4 ,what is the 8,vita ,nuova10 and why was it written8 ,tell about the screen ladies4 ,how was ,dante punished8 ,what was the end and aim of his love for ,beatrice8 ,how was ,beatrice regarded in ,florence8 why8 ,what was ,dante's dream8 ,of what was it an omen8 ,what was the effect of ,beatrice's death upon ,dante8 ,why do some people think ,beatrice was not a real woman8 ,what is your opinion8 ,why did ,rossetti wish to paint this picture8 ,does it represent death or life8 ,where is ,beatrice sitting8 ,describe the picture2 its coloring4 ,what part has the number nine in the life of ,beatrice8 ,explain the figures in the background4 ,where is the original painting8 ,how is it framed8 ,the story of the artist4 ,daniel ,gabriel ,rossetti was the eldest son of ,gabriele ,rossetti1 a poet and ,italian exile4 ,gabriel1 for that was the name he was usually called1 was born at ,portland ,place1 ,london1 and had two sisters and one brother4 ,he was first sent to a private school1 then to ,king's ,college ,school4 ,when he was but fourteen1 because of his marked ability to draw he was sent to ,cary's ,art ,academy4 ,here he did so well that three years later he gained admission to the ,royal ,academy ,antique ,school4 ,he was only twenty years old when with some other young artists he started a new art movement which they agreed1 half in jest1 to call ,pre-,raphaelitism4 ,they themselves were called ,pre-,raphaelites4 ,when they began to exhibit their paintings1 they were very severely criticized and ridiculed2 but a popular young art critic of that day1 ,john ,ruskin1 came to their aid by writing a long letter in which he praised them heartily4 ,this letter was published and turned the tide of popular opinion4 ,meanwhile1 ,rossetti was developing his literary talents1 his writings being published in the leading magazines of that time4 ,one day a young artist friend of ,rossetti's went with his mother into a millinery shop1 where1 glancing through an open door1 he saw a number of young girls at work4 ,among them was one who had the beautiful reddish auburn hair which was the favorite color among the ,pre-,raphaelites4 ,the young man persuaded his mother to ask the girl if she would pose for him4 ,the girl's name was ,elizabeth ,siddall1 and from posing for this friend she soon became acquainted with other artists1 among them1 ,rossetti4 ,she showed considerable artistic ability herself1 and it is said that ,john ,ruskin1 wishing her to give up her trade and devote herself to art1 promised to buy all the pictures she could paint1 if she would study with ,rossetti4 ,this delighted ,rossetti1 who felt more than interested in this new pupil4 ,judging from the paintings ,rossetti made of her at this time she must have been a beautiful young girl4 ,besides her good looks she must have had a brilliant mind1 for she learned rapidly1 and soon became not only a good artist but a writer and judge of good literature4 ,then she discovered that her education had been much neglected1 so with ,rossetti's and ,ruskin's help she went away to school to perfect herself4 ,she did this because she believed she would then be able to help ,rossetti more in his work4 ,when she returned to ,london1 they were married4 ,their marriage was a very happy one1 but hardly two years had passed when the young wife died4 ,during these two years ,rossetti was inspired in his work in art and literature by his beautiful wife1 and it was at her request that he copied the poems he had addressed to her into a little book which she had given to him for that purpose4 ,overcome by grief at her death1 ,rossetti wrapped this volume in his wife's beautiful hair as she lay in her coffin1 and so it was buried with her4 ,seven years later he was persuaded to secure this book again1 and its publication brought him much honor4 ,but he felt much remorse because he had permitted the grave to be opened1 and1 some very severe and unkind criticisms coming to him at this time1 his health began to fail4 ,he found he could not sleep1 and although he knew their terrible effects1 he commenced taking narcotics4 ,all the rest of ,rossetti's life was spent in a constant struggle against them until at last they conquered in his death4 ,it is not strange that ,rossetti should have been interested in ,dante and his writings4 ,rossetti's father was so great an admirer of ,dante that he named his son for him1 and wrote many articles about him4 ,rossetti's sister1 too1 wrote a book about ,dante1 his life and works1 which she called 8,the ,shadow of ,dante40 ,you can easily see how1 after the death of his wife1 the story of the death of ,beatrice would affect ,rossetti2 and it is little wonder that the ,beatrice of the 8,beata ,beatrix0 should resemble his own wife4 ,however1 he did not intend this as a portrait of his wife1 but only meant to show that love continues after death1 and that what men call death is but a swooning into another life4 ,nearly all of ,rossetti's paintings are connected more or less with the tragedy of his own life1 and through them we come to understand what that life must have been4 ,he painted many literary subjects1 and among those illustrating the life of ,dante and ,beatrice are3 8,il ,saluto di ,beatrice10 which represents the meeting of ,beatrice and ,dante first in a street of ,florence1 and then in ,paradise4 8,dante ,drawing the ,angel0--a year after ,beatrice's death ,dante observed the anniversary by drawing the angel which represented ,beatrice4 8,beatrice at the ,wedding ,feast1 ,denying her ,salutation to ,dante40 8,dante's ,dream40 ,this is the largest picture ,rossetti ever painted4 ,other paintings are3 8,the ,blessed ,damozel10 8,the ,spirit of the ,rainbow10 8,forced ,music10 8,the ,bower ,meadow10 8,the ,beloved40 ,questions about the artist4 ,where was ,rossetti born8 ,for whom was he named8 ,of what nationality was his father8 ,where was ,rossetti educated8 ,in what did he excel8 ,what new art movement did he help to start8 ,what was their success8 ,who was ,elizabeth ,siddall8 ,how did she happen to study with ,rossetti8 ,what did she become8 ,tell about her life1 marriage1 and death4 ,what did ,rossetti bury with her8 ,when did he recover the book8 ,what caused his ill health8 his death8 ,why did the death of ,beatrice appeal to him8 ,whom did she resemble in this picture8 ,what thought did ,rossetti wish to express8 ,what other pictures of ,beatrice did he paint8 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,the ,,suggestions ,,to ,,teachers ,studying the picture4 ,several days before the lesson is to be taken up1 the picture to be studied should be placed where every pupil can see it4 ,first of all1 the children should find out for themselves what is in the picture4 ,the questions accompanying the story of each picture are intended to help them to do this4 ,language work4 ,the pupils should be encouraged in class to talk freely and naturally4 ,in this way the lesson becomes a language exercise in which the pupils will gain in freedom of expression and in the ability to form clear mental images4 ,if a lesson does not occupy the entire drawing period1 the children should be asked to retell the story of the picture4 ,dramatization and drawing4 ,most of the stories told by the pictures lend themselves readily to dramatization and1 whenever practicable1 such stories should be acted out4 ,the stories also offer numerous interesting situations that may be used as subjects for drawing lessons4 ,the review lesson4 ,the review lesson should cover all pictures and artists studied throughout the year4 ,at this time other pictures available by the same artists should be on exhibition4 ,the review work may be conducted as a contest in which the pictures are held up1 one at a time1 while the class writes the name of the picture and the artist on slips of paper which have been prepared and numbered for that purpose4 ,one teacher who used this device surprised her class by presenting those whose lists were correct with their choice of any of the large-sized ,perry pictures studied4 ,many teachers1 however1 will prefer to use this time for composition work1 although the description of pictures is often given as an ,english lesson4 ,pupils may write a description of their favorite picture4 ,in fact1 the lessons can be made to correlate with history1 geography1 ,english1 spelling1 reading1 or nature study4 ,in any event the real purpose of the work is that the pupils shall become so familiar with the pictures that they will recognize them as old friends whenever and wherever they may see them4 ,it is hoped that acquaintance with the picture and the interest awakened by its story will grow into a fuller appreciation and understanding of the artist's work4 ,thus the children will have many happy hours and will learn to love the good1 the true1 and the beautiful in everything about them4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,transcriber's ,notes3 ,missing or obscured punctuation was silently corrected4 ,typographical errors were silently corrected4 ,inconsistent spelling and hyphenation were made consistent only when a predominant form was found in this book4 ,text that was in italics is enclosed by underscores 7italics72 text that was bold by 8equal0 signs 7bold74