ART AND ARTISTS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2274, 30 September 1897, Page 45

ART AND ARTISTS.

••■ George Frederick Watts in, among ell our living masters of painting, the only absolutely self-taugbt one. Early in hi 3 life — he was born in ISIS — having an especial bent towards the plastic art, he entered the studio of William Bihnes, the celebrated bat unfortunate sculptor. Here ho watched, bnt was never taught, as has been erroneously stated more than once. Ha visited no paintei'd studio or atelier, bat taught himself everything.

• . ■ Munkacsy'g fashion of working is as disinctiva as the results themeelve?. When etrgaged on hi 3 picture " The Crucifixion " the painter had himself bound to a cross and photographed in this position, in order the bettor to be able to study the anatomy and pose of. the Crucified 6ae. In paiiiiog "EooeHomo" he worked cos tinuous'y f r seven months from tha rising to the setting of the sun, and his Parisian friends say that even the painter's daily walks Eupplied him with material. Ha found the types for most of hii figures chiefly upon the pavements of the boulevards.

• . • NothiDg has so much struck tbe Indian chieJa and princes during their recent visits to the India Office as the magnificent collection of pictures and other relic*, mostly transferred from the offices of bha old Bast India Compan)', which everywhere abound. Perhaps the finest canvas in tho whole building is rhat by Mr West, 8.A., which depicts S">ah Alam (the great M' gul) conveying tho grant of tho Piwain to Lord Olive in 17G5. This wa*i presented to the company by the Eirl of Powis. Amorg other valuable paiutiGgs are J. B Borely's " Napoleon," a portrait of Miiz wib-ul-Hasaam, who was Envoy Extraordinary from the King of Persia to England, in 1809, and a view of a Brahmin bath in Chelmumbrnm, between the walls of the-'P.ieoda.

•.• Sir Edward Burne-Jones as a young man was rather ioclioecl to ba a pessimist, afc least to disbelieve in hia own gifts and nltimate success. At Oxford University he met Mr William Morris, and from him learned not only a great deal about art, but a great deai alao about philosophy. It is recorded that Wi/liam Morris was in the habit of saying to cor,fideutial friends, " I owe incalculable CEJC.iuragement to Barne-Jones" while the latter declared that he owed the same debt to ht3 friend. Sir Edward' has alwayß from his earliest youth been, very fond of .the sea, £nd tbe famous' painter has a residency at 2tot.t.ir>gdean, near Brighton. • . • Mr and Mrs tl. !■. Breur, aOalifornian artist and his wife, have for the pasb two ycara lived altogether in a travelling waggon, or, as Mrs Breur calls it, a " land yacht." The waggoe, which was designed by Mrs Breur, is about, sft wide by B£b long, and, thanks to many handy contrivances, such as a bed which folds against the wall when not in use and many cubby-holes, is a really comfortable abidirg-placa for two people who do not carry large wardrobes. The cooking is done on a small stove in a corner of the waggon, and in a climate like that of Calif ornia the life led by tha art.ist and his wife is especially attractive. The plan was first tried a3 an escape from ill health, and has proved so successful that both Mr and Mrs Breur declare nothing would induce them to exchange tbeir nomadic existeEce for life in an ordinary house. The pair have had many amusing adventures in the course of their wanderings and campings under the redwoods and live oaks.

• . • King Chulalongkorn, of Siam, haa been during his travels the hero of numerous interesting incidents, which have been recorded in tho local papers of the towns in which they occurred. When visiting tbe studio of the noted painter Gordigiani, at Florence, the Kir>g was bo much impressed by the artist's work that before leaving he aaksd the latter if he could pain the portrait of one of his (the King's) wives from a photograph only. Receiving a leply in the affirmative, his Mfj^Kty sent the photograph to Lhß painter, and on returning to the studio a few days later was greatly astonished .to find a life-like portrait of bis favourite spouse. His Majesty was so thoroughly delighted that he presented Gordigiani with the Grand jDross of the Siamese Crown, remarking, " This order entitles you to marry 12 wives ; it is a distinction I celdom confer, so I trust you will speedily make good use of it." . The hornewhat astonished artist thanked his Majesty in suitable terms, but it is not stated whecher he has availed himself of theprivilege which the order confers. When in Berne his Majesty, who possesses a "p ? g" album, requested the st&id acd solemn members of Vsderal Council to present him with a souvenir in the form of a drawing in tbe book by each one of them. Laughingly, they agreed ; but their merriment was shottlived, for they were speedily informed that it was sine qua non that the artists of those piga should be blindfolded. Nolens volens, those unhappy legislators had to fulfil their promise, and there was thus witnessed tho. unique spsctacle of the venerable fathers of " Libera Helveti " all blindfolded and drawicg little pigs. The results of tbeir artistic efforts under such trying conditions can be better imagined than described, and one fact only is reported. TII3 pig 6 ' tails were found at tha piga' heade, whilst the eyes happened to be ia the middle of the body.

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DEFINITIONS.

FROM THE SANSKRIT,

" Familiarity breeds contempt " is a proverb found in one form or another in every European or Asiatic language havicg a literature. Its earliest form is believed to be in the Sanskrit.

mare's nest.

A supposed discovery of marvels, which turn out no marvels at all ; an expression derived from a story similar to that about cock-noighing. Three Cockneys, out ruralising, had determined to find out somecbing about nests. Accordingly, when they ultimately came upon a dung heap, they judged, by the signs therein, that ifc must be a mare's nest, especially as they could see tbe mare close by.

PENNANT.

When Van Troop, tbe Datch admiral, appeared with his fleet on the coasts of England, he hoisted a broom on the topmast of his ship as indicative of his intention to sweeo the ships of England frcm the sea. The English admiral, in retaliation, hoisted a horsewhip at his masthead, to indicate that he intended to chastise the Dutchman. The pennant, which symbolises the horsewhip, has ever since been the distinguishing mark of the English ships of war.

ENGLISH CUKES,

The first English duke w«is Edward the Black Prince, who was created Duke of Cornwall, a title which has ever sines belonged to the eldest son of the Sovereign during the lifetime of his parent. He is called dux natus, or a born duke, in contradistinction to dvces creali, or dukes by creation. There were several dukes in the time of- the Tudorg, but tha title in Elizabeth's reign became totally extinct. James revived it in favour of George Villiers, who was created Duke of Buckingham ; and Charles II conferred the title on several of his illegitimate sons.

GONE TO THE DEVIL.

There was formerly a tavern next door to Child's Banking House in Fleet street, near Temple Bar, known as the " Davil and St. Dunstan." It was much frequented by lawyers as a place for diniDg, &<?., and was noted for the excellence of its liquors. It was familiarly called " The Devil." When a lawyer from the Temple went to dinner there he usually put a notice on his door ■ " Gone to the Devil." Scrne who neglected thfcir business freqaently had this exhibited, until at length "Gone to the Devil" became synonymcus with " Gone or going to ruin."

QUEEN-

It seems that civene or quen, the original of the word "queeu," was used as a term of equality, applied indifferently to either sex. la tbe Norman Chronicle the historian speaks of the duke and his quens, meaning peers. A collection of verse? written by Charles of Acjou and his courtiers is mentioned in a book of the tbirteeuth century as the smgs of the quens of Anjou. A poem of the twelfth century, in detailing the war cries of the French provinces, Bays ; Antf the quens of Thibaut " Champagne and passavant " cry.

— Chambers's Journal, September 18i5. The first woman invested with sovereign authority was Semiramie. Queen of Assyria.

2017 bo. In 1554 an act was passed " deciaring that the regal power of this [England's] realme is in the quene's majestic [Mary] as fully and absolutely as ever it wa3 in any or her moste noble progenitonrs, kinges of this realme." The Hungarians called a queen-regnant king. — Haydn.