ART AND ARTISTS.

Otago Witness, Issue 224, 28 May 1896, Page 51

ART AND ARTISTS.

••• Eleven tons was the woi«iit of the colid block of marble out of which Mr Thomycroft has fashioned the statue of- her Majesty which is to bs set up" in the Royal Exohange, London. Jast one-third of that enormous weight haa disappeared under the sculptor's chisel, and the work is now so nearly complete that it is hoped the figure may be- placed on ite pedestal ready for unveiling on the Queen's birthday. • . ■ Now, as ever, Mr Orchardaon, R.A., one of the leading artists of the E gUsh school, ie an enthusiastic angler. - He still has a noted stretch of water on the Kehnet which he shares with one or two other keen fishermen, and often feels the loss in his angling excursions of hla brother artist and angler, the late Mr Pettie. 'Mr Qrchardson cares only for trout fishing, and rentriots himself to the scientific method known as the dry fly. • . • Mr Phil May, the famous caricaturist, has introduced a novelty in the way of " At homes." On these occasions his visitors, who are almost solely of the artistic profession, are expected to bring their sketch-books. Host and guests then take it in turns to pose «b morlel while the rest of the company .sit i round and draw, smoke, 'and chat. The ■ketches are then exchanged and preserved as mementos. • . • Mr Martin Oolnaghi is so well known, not only in this, country, but abroad, that the ! decoration the Emperor of Austria has jast conferred upon him might almost be taken las a matter of course. But it is a very uncommon honour for an Englishman to receive, and we have pleasure in drawing attention to it. Mr Oolnaghi, the chief of the Marlborough Gallery, is probably the first picture expert in England, and hft opinion is always of the very highest value. In recognition of Mr Oolnagbi's lengthy services to art, the Emperor, through the Austro-Hungarian ambassador, has conferred on him " Das Goldene Verdienst Kreuz mit dei- Krone" (The Golden Cross of Merit i with the Crown).— From the Art Journal for \ April. *. ' At an inn near Place Rooueohouart in Paris there is a regular exchange for the j hiring of artists' models, and they assemble there every Monday and Tuesday in hope of obtaining employment. When engaged they are generally paid from 15fr to 3Ofr ptfr waek, but sometimes get more, and they Bit for three hours a day. ••• Ona of tbe many good stories which Sir John Millais kind-naturedly narrates to show how slight a thing is fame, after all, fs the following: — In his student day* at the Riyal Aoademy there was a young and lather clever fellow, who rejoiced in the name of Potberd. He was a lanky lad, and he wore a long blue cloak, with a ottskiu collar. Millais was, as we say, a coutecaporary of Pot herd, but still a little boy, 'when Potberd launched himself into (she world as a full fledged painter. No one ever heard of Potherd aa an artist, bat everybody, or nearly everybody, bad already hoard of Mi Hals, who had painted some of his most famous works; One day the great artist, then grown into manhood, was walking somewhere in Oamdsn Town, and saw a figure in a long blue coat, with a cats kin collar, trudging slowly along before him. " Surely," said Millais to hinaeelf, " I kaow that cloak and the catskin coUar. Can that man be Potberd 7 " Millaie quickened his pace and overtook the blue coat. "Why, Povherd," said he, "it is you I How are you?"- "I am pretty well," said PoUierd. " And who may you be 1 " "I »m Millias," said tbe painter. "Do you not remember me at the academy ? " " Not little Johnnie Millais, surely I " exclaimed Pothcrd.. " Why, how you are grown I " " Well, Potherd, I am very glad to see you again.- How aro you gettlDg on 7 " " Ob, middling I Ido not find it a very good business. I teach a little, and do a portrait every now and then when I can get anyone to sit. And you? Judging from your appearance, I should say that you had'given the aits the go-by. What do yon do for a llviag 7 '.' G-. dv Maurier is the. son of a small " rentier," whose income was derived from ihe glass works at Anjou, His mother was an Englishwoman. Dv Maurier wait born in France, lived In Belgium for a time, and when still quite young was tafien to Lopdon. As a boy, Dn Maurier longed to become a musician, but, although he sings well, his voice has been ruined by excessive consumption of cigarettes. In spite of his inclination, George dv Maurier was brought up by ! his parents with the idea of adopting ecieuce as a profession. On the death of his father, the boy decided to follow the art, however. One day, when drawing from a model, the girl's head suddenly appeared to shrink to the size of a walnut. He clapped his hand over his left eye. It had failed him. He was thunderstruck. Notwithstanding the assurance of a dootor that the affliction would pass, the eyesight did not improve. Dv Maurier lived in constant dread of blindness. This was the most tragic event of his life. After a time he once more moved to London. From the outset succens waited upon him. His first drawings for Punch were not good, but theywere accepted. Later on in life he married, and he has now two sons, one in the the army and the other on tho stage. People often wonder if the jokes that appear under Dv Maurler's drawings are his own. This is true of the larger part of them. For the rest they are sent in from various sources, and turned and twisted about until they come into shape. He takes infinite trouble with his sketohes, and draws and redraws thorn many times.