Painting Without Arms.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 956, 27 June 1890, Page 4

Painting Without Arms.

Miss Aimde Rapin is a young Swiss artist who had the misfortune to be born without arms. From her earliest childhood she showed astonishing dexterity iu using her feet in the place of hands, an accomplishment which improved with her years,and therefore the child’s foot coverings were carefully arranged so that the toes should not bb covered and confined by the stockings. One day when Aimee’s mother was walking in the garden with her little girl, she was surprised to see her suddenly throw off her shoes and pluck a flower with her 16ft foot and then pull the petals off one after the other with the toes of her right foot. After her attention had thus been drawn to the suppleness and dexterity of her child, the mother took pains to cultivate it, and she succeeded beyond her expectations. . She showed a talent for drawing and was sent to a school of art, where she distinguished herself. Miss Rapin now lives in Paris, where she is known, not as a curiosity for the public, but an artist of the first lank. The ease and security with which she holds her brush between the great and second tooa of her right foot and guides it over the paper borders ou the miraculous ; and as she is very quick and olever in discovering resemblances, she has chosen portrait painting for her specialty.—lllustrirte Zeitung.