ART AND ARTISTS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2660, 8 March 1905, Page 85

ART AND ARTISTS.

— Belgian painters have l-eason to remember one of their number, Jules Raeymaekers by name, who died a few weeks ago in the village of Houffalize, in the north-east of the province of Luxembourg. By his will he bequeathes his dwellinghouse in that place to the Government, to be used as a residence for landscape painters who desire to study the scenery of the Ardennes. The residents will be chosen by the Belgian Royal Academy, and no painter will be allowed to live in the house tor more than two years. The funds for its upkeep are provided out of the interest on a considerable sum of money which forms part of cb& bequest, and the surplus interest is to accumulate during a given period, and afterwards to be applied by the Academy to a travelling scholarship for yoking painters. — Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema, R.A., who is just turned 69, has been so long a resident in this country that we have come to claim him as an Englishman. As a matter of fact, he is naturalised, but, like many other great painters, he saw the light* in Holland. He was born in Dronryp, in the Netherlands, and at an early age entered the Academy at Antwerp as a student. In 1864- he won a gold medal at the Paris Salon, and in 1870 he came to England to make his home here — a step which, he says himself, he has never regretted, and which, from a financial point of view at least, ho has had small reason to regret. He became an A.R.A. in 1876, and a full member of the "forty" in 1879. Lady Alma-Tadema, though, of course, her woifc cannot be compared with her husband's, is an artist of considerable merit, as is also one of Sir Lawrence's daughters by his first wife, Miss Anna Alma-Tadema. Another daughter, Miss Lawrenoe, bears her father's name, and this was responsible for a somewhat amusing error. When she published her book of poems, "The Wings of Icarus," the simple name:- "Lawrence Alma-Tadema" appeared on the title-page, and several critics complimented her father on being a poet as well as a painter. When Miss Tadema was naturalised — she was born in Belgium — a similar error occurred, and people could not imagine why the great artist should want to be naturalised twice

— Artists are often obliged to spend both money and labour" to make the scenes on their canvases realistic. Meissonier was the most conscientious man in h ; s work, and spared no expanse or time to get the desired effect. This accounts for the terrible realism to be seen in his canvasses. When painting his famous picture of Napoleon, he needed a model of the snowy roads. On a Jai-ge wooden tray he modelled fiom clay the scene he wished to paint. The ruts and horses' hoof-prints were caremlly formed, and the whole sprinkled with salt to give the snowy roads the brilliancy which shows so well in the finished production. Verestchagin, when visiting the stu- ™. OM <*ay> laughed heartily at the model. « hy didn t you go to Russia and paint from Mature?" he questioned. "There you could have seen the snow, rufcs, and horses' hoofs just as you have represented them. 1 ' It was also Mefssonier who bought a wheatheld and had a squadron of cavalry dash tarough it so that he might see exactly how the wheat fell under horses' feet and paint a" wheatfield in a battle scene. Another artist who shows most realistic effects in his work tells how he reached the end m view by taking infinite pains. He was painting a picture of "Wellington on the field of "Waterloo. The. scene of this battle was almost a quagmire, and the familiar boots of Wellington must have been splashed and stained with mud on the day of th© conflict. To paint the boots true to life, the artist rode for miles through the mud till his top boots were well spaftered. These natural mud splashings were the transferred to the canvas by the artist's brush.

A STORY. When Turner exhibited his great picture, "The Building of Carthage," he was disappointed because it had not been sold at once at the private view, and angry with the press for criticising it severely. Sir Robert Peel called upon him. "Mr Turner," said he. "I admire your 'Carthage' so much that I want to buy it. I am told that you want five hundred guineas for it."

"Yes," said Turner, "it was five hundred guineas, but to-day it's six hundred." "Well," t,aid Sir Robert, "I did not come prepared to give six hundred, and I must think it over. At the same "time it seems to me that tho change is an extraordinary liiece of business on your part."

"Do as you please," said Turner. ''Do as you please."

After a few days Sir Robert called again upon the great painter. "Mr Turner," he began, "although I thought it a very extraordinary thing for you to raise your price, I shall be proud to buy that picture, and I am prepared to give you the six hundred guineas."

"Ah !" said Turner. "It was six hundred guineas, but to-day it's se\er hundred."

Sir Robert grew angry, and Turner laughed. "I was only in fun," he said. '"I don't intend to sell the picture at all. It shall be my winding sheet."

For years he kept it in his cellar. Then it was brought up and 1 hung m his gallery, where it remained as long as he lived. When he died he left it to the nation.

MR W. P. FRITHS AXECDOTAGE.

Like a fine old English gentleman, Mr William Frith, R.A., the veteran painter, quietly celebrated his eighty-sixth birthday at his a ilia in St. John's Wood, London, on Monday, January 9. Born in Aldficld. a tstraggling Yorkshire village, on 9ch January, 1819, he boavs tho burden of his years with wonderful vigour. The oldest link in tho art world with the brilliant luminaries of the Victorian era, Mr Frith cherishes memories of men like Dickens, Douglas Jerrold, Maclise, Mulrrady, Landseer. Sothcrn. John Leech — shades of the past, friends of his whom he has outlived.

Mr Frith has numerous stories and leeolleotions. Among them -arc the following :— v

"Nevpr," said the young artist in (he first flu«h of succor to a friend, "will I be off the line again."

"Never be on it again,'' was tho unkjud reply. "Ami if jou will take my

advice, you will go as often as you can to the exhibition and enjoy yourself, for you may never have another chance." One of the. best of Mr Friths "hanging" reminiscences is told about Constable, when h:,- happened to be a member of the Selecting Council. "That's a poor thing," said one member when a small landscape came up for judgment. "It's devilish bad — cross it " said another. "That picture," suddenly interrupted Constable, "was painted by me. I had a notion some of you didn't like my work, and this is a preti* convincing proof. lam very much obliged to you." "Bring it back," paid the president to the head carpenter ; "it must be admitted, of course." "No, it must not," replied Constable; "out it goes," and although everybody was profuse in his apologies, out it went !

The painter of the famous picture "Derby Day" can speak with greater experience of models than any other living artist. His search for models fov the acrobat and his hungry little boy who form tho main Teident in ihe picture was a particularly difficult one. At last Mr Frith discovered the right acrobat and his little son in the Drury Lane pantomime in the year 1858. "The young gentleman," says the artist, "was possessed with the idea that sitting meant throwing cotinual somersaults; but that performance, amusing enough, did not advance my picture, and it was with much difficulty that I stopped his going head over heels into casts and draperies, to, the confusion of both."

One model — tho artist had to employ many for the "Derby Day" — was » splendid sitter, hut He had inueh trouble in passing a publichouse without entering it first, and he sometimes stayed away and forgot his engagements. One morning he turned up and said he had> been to prison. "I'm an artist's model," he explained to the justice, who first of all sentenced him to three weeks, "and I sits for them us draws for

Punch, and I'll have you took and put if Punch, yoi just see if I don't " The Magistrate tat in open-mouthed at tonishment for a few minutes. '"Now yoi will go to prison for six weeks." he said.— Daily News.