HOW M. TISSOT FIRST SAW THE HOLY CITY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2396, 1 February 1900, Page 60

HOW M. TISSOT FIRST SAW THE HOLY CITY.

A prominent article in the Christmas number of the Windsor Magazine is an account of the life-work of M. Tissot, the French artist, whose pictures of the life of Christ created quite a sensation in Londor a short time ago. M. Tissot' s first glimpse of the Holy City is very characteristic of the man himself. "It was in 1886, an afternoon in November, and a fine rain was falling on the bare plains of the Holy Land. Oyex the reddish earth, ever the yellowish hills, a caravan wended its way towards Jerusalem. It was a small caravan, seven horses and two asses, with servants in native dress, and a dragoman in half-European dress, and a man who had brought these together for a great purpose. This man rode at the front of the line and strained his eyes eastward. There was .trength ir his face and build, kindness and power in his eye ; he was a man to think and hold his tongue. The grey hair over his temples and the, grizzled moustache bore witness to 50 years goivj, yet was he tindertaking the labour of ' a lifetime : he was come to study and record with brush and pencil nothing less than the life of our Lord Jesus CJirist. It

was about 3 o'clock when the dragoman rode up beside M. Ti&sot and, pointing ahead, told him that the Holy City lay yonder. " 'Impos&ible ! ' exclaimed the artifet. ' I see no high ground there." ". ' We're going in by the gate of Jaffa,' answered the dragoman.

" ' You rascal ! ' exclaimed the Frenchman, " did I not charge you to bring me in by Mount Scopus?"

"' It will take us an liour longer, sir.' grumbled the other, ' and the horses are getting wet.'

" ' What do I care? Do you think I have travelled 2000 miles to have my first impression spoiled? Do you think i have come here like a scampering tourist? Head your horse for Mount Scopus, sir, and learn to obey orders.'" The end of it was that the pack animals entered the city by the nearer "way, through the gate of Jaffa, while M. Tissot and the dragoman made a detour in the rain, and came upon the vantage point selected by the artist. And for several miles M. Tissot kept his head turned resolutely away from the walls of the city lest a chance sight from some other than the point he had chosen for his first full view should spoil the picture that had been long preparing in his mind. At last they stood upon Mount Scopus. It was the hour of the setting sun, and the rain had ceased. M. Tissot looked down upon Jerusalem spread before him, upon its domes and housetops, its vineyaids and cypius trees.

" And then I looked lower down into the valley," said the artist, '" and I saw a mass of green, a wicked green, like a great emerald. It starlled me as I looked at it, and I said to the man, ' See, Avhat is that — that strange green under the blue-black mountains? ' 'It is the Dead Sea,' he said. And I stood still for a long time, staring at it." M. Tissot Avent on to describe hoAV on that first daj he came doAvn from Mount Scopus by^i winding, stony path, passing through tire vale of Gethsemane, passing near the great Mosque of Omar, and finally reaching the inn Avhere he avrs to stop. It was all very strange and terrible to him. He could scarcely eat ; and after the meal he felt that lie could not sleep until he had visited the Holy Sepulchre. So he made his Avay thither, through the dark, narroAV streets, and remained in prayer -where Christ's body had lain until the guardians bade him go aAvay at the hour of closing. That Avas the first day of the Avork Avhich took him ten years to finish. Ten years to do 500 paintings ; so stands the record.