AN ARMLESS ARTIST.

Otago Witness, Issue 2652, 11 January 1905, Page 72

AN ARMLESS ARTIST.

The career, of Charles Francois Fein, the armless Belgian artist, is one of the most striking instances on record of success in overcoming th© deficiencies of nature. Born Jure 26. 1830. at Waermaede. near Cburtrai, - North Flanders, entirely without arms, he nevertheless aehie-yed considerable success a=; a pa.inter. Beginning the study at Antwerp- when already 25 years old, by means of his feet he copied somj hundreds of the best masterpieces to be found there, and specimens of his work, original and otherwise, are tc be found all over the world, especially in America. The Queen Regent of Spain bought one of M. Felu's pictures in. 1886 and made him a cheva.lier of "Th& Royal Order of Isabella," and the King of Portugal, aooeptin,g a work from him, sent him the cross of a chevalier of "The Order of Christ of Portugal." In 1874- M. Fplu visited London, where* 1 many people saw him copying in tbo "Na,t.onal Gallery and the Kensington Museum. One of his earliest recollections was of sitting in the garden while his mother taughfc him to gr*>,sp with his baby toes the biisJifc flowers for whieih, he cried. Very scon h>3 learned to gather thsm for himself, a_nd, steadily pxersuing this form of instruction, his feet soon became flexible and useful. M. Felu mixed ooloiirs without difficulty, and worked quite easily. Holding i.he palette by the left great tos. passed through 'th.3 -wrifio© like a thumb, with the_ other foot he manipulated the brush with a=-toni-sliin? skill and confidence. At meals /be used 1 a. knife and fork, and managed! h\s own drinking glass. Until the. last few years he always shared himself, and never had an accident. Eis cno grievance- was that he could not gain mastery over a buttonhole.