Stories Pictures Tell Volume IV Part 5

Most of the paintings of that time were cla.s.sical, including Greek temples, shepherds, nymphs, or dryads, and such trees as cedars and palms. That is why Millet's simple peasants and Corot's misty landscapes were not appreciated.

At Rome, Corot became a great favorite among the students because of his happy nature and the rollicking, jolly songs he could sing. But as for his pictures,--they were considered very amusing.

However, one day as he sat sketching the Coliseum a friend who was regarded as an authority on landscape painting praised his work. Corot looked around expecting to be laughed at, but no,--the man was in earnest. That evening, before all the other students, he remarked that Corot might some day become the master of them all. This gave him standing among the artists and was greatly appreciated by Corot, who always felt that this praise was the beginning of his success. It was not long after this that his pictures were exhibited and many honors came to him.

Does it seem strange that Corot and Millet, looking upon the same woods and people, living and painting so near each other, should choose such different subjects? Corot saw the same poor, toilworn peasants, and he helped them most generously when they asked him, but as for painting them--he did not think of it. Millet saw the same beautiful woods, fields, and sky, and loved them all, but to him the peasant came first.

He said, "Corot's pictures are beautiful, but they do not reveal anything new."

Corot said, "Millet's painting is for a new world; I do not feel at home there. I am too much attracted to the old. I see therein great knowledge, air, and depth, but it frightens me; I love better my little music."

In speaking of another artist he said, "He is an eagle; I am only a skylark. I send forth little songs in my gray clouds."

As success came to Corot he was most generous in helping others. Many young artists came to study with him, but he would accept no pay for his instruction and gladly did all he could to encourage and help them.

He did not have the heart to turn a beggar from his door, and often had as many as twenty-five come to him in a day. The story is told of a beggar who demanded a larger sum of money than Corot usually gave, and was refused. After he left, the artist could not paint; his day was spoiled. So he hurriedly ran out after the beggar, gave him the money, and all was well again.

During the siege of Paris he gave both time and money to help the wounded. "Papa Corot," as the people called him, was greatly beloved.

The demand for his paintings increased. He said that when youth left him, honor and fame came to make him still the happiest man in the world.

=Questions about the artist.= In what ways was Corot favored? What did his father and mother do? What did they hope to make of Corot? Where was he sent? With whom did he live? Where did they walk? How did this influence Corot? Upon his return home, what did he do? What did his employer finally do? What did Corot ask his father? What offer did his father make? What did Corot decide? What did he do at once? Who came to watch him? What became of this first painting? Where did Corot go to study? What subjects did most of the artists of Corot's time choose to paint? What happened that raised Corot in their estimation? Compare the subjects chosen by Corot and Millet. Tell about Corot and the beggar. Why did Corot claim to be the happiest man in the world? Does this picture make you feel happy or sad? why?

[Ill.u.s.tration: OXEN PLOWING]

OXEN PLOWING

=Questions to arouse interest.= How many of you have ever watched oxen plowing? How are these oxen geared together? How many oxen usually draw one plow? Why do you think they use so many in the field? With what part of the body do the oxen pull the plow? Why is the earth plowed? How can you tell that the soil these men are plowing is moist and fertile? In what direction is the sun? (Look at the shadows.) How is the driver urging the oxen on? Where is the farm house? What do you consider most interesting about the oxen?

=Original Picture:= Luxembourg Gallery, Paris, France.

=Artist:= Rosa Bonheur (b[+o]'nur'').

=Birthplace:= Bordeaux, France.

=Dates:= Born, 1822; died, 1899.

=The story of the picture.= It must have been very early in the morning indeed when these men and their oxen started to plow this great field, for although the sun is still low in the sky, each group of oxen has already plowed two furrows. By those long shadows and the light in the sky we know the sun cannot be very high in the heavens, and there is that about the ground, the occupation, and the distant trees that suggests the season, spring.

We are told that Rosa Bonheur went out into the country to paint this picture, and that she had a small shed made into a studio where she could keep her canvas and paints. Every evening when she came home her father would ask anxiously about the picture, for he was not well enough to go to see it and he knew Rosa was working very hard on it.

Even her genius could not make it possible for her to paint such a picture as this without much preparation. In fact, she had been preparing for it for years,--as far back as when she made her first drawing of oxen, and then later when she went to the packing houses and made separate studies of each part of an ox. She knew just how those great muscles did their work, and just how the curving ribs and the joints did their part. In this picture she shows us just enough of their movements to make us feel the great strength and power of those patient animals.

Our wonder grows anew that even one such powerful ox can be controlled by man's will. It is plain to see that the ox nearest us, of the middle pair, does resent the prodding with the stick which the driver uses so vigorously. His great eye rolls and he looks indignant, but it is only for the moment--he accepts all with resignation and indifference, knowing that it will be the turn of one of the other oxen next. These oxen are geared together by a central pole which is fastened to their horns. This causes them to take the entire weight of the plow with their horns instead of with their shoulders as our horses do. It would seem to be a most uncomfortable arrangement, yet they are used to it.

The leaders must be chosen very carefully if the farmer would have a straight furrow. It seems as if these first two oxen in the picture feel the responsibility, and are glad and willing to do their part.

There is a look of intelligence about them that makes us certain that they know and understand the worth of the thing they are doing.

Oxen in our country are driven by the words "gee," meaning turn to the right, and "haw," turn to the left. However, the drivers in this picture would not use these words, for they are Frenchmen, and would speak to them in their own language.

It is easy to tell that the ground is soft by the way the feet of the oxen sink down into it, and by the man's wooden shoe which has half slipped off his foot as he starts to lift it from the ground. On this quiet, peaceful morning we can almost hear the heavy tread of the oxen as they pa.s.s us, and the harsh call of the drivers as they urge them on. In imagination we can smell the freshly plowed earth. To be sure, it is a hard pull up the hill, but how cheerfully, even proudly, the oxen pull their load! Look at their backs; you will see a slanting line which emphasizes the fact that they are climbing a hill. This line is broken somewhat by the slant of the woods in the distance.

Cover up these distant woods with the hand or a piece of paper and we immediately have the uncomfortable feeling that the oxen are going to slip back out of the picture.

In this picture the artist has portrayed the intelligent use man makes of the power and strength of animals and of the soil. We see so few oxen now that we wonder why they were so much used in those days; but of course we know it was because the farmers did not have the machinery for tilling the ground, sowing, and planting grain that we have. Horses were used also, but oxen were cheaper, so all could afford them. Then, too, oxen may have been chosen because of their superior strength, steadiness, and patience.

The artist has centered our attention on the nearest of the two first pairs of oxen. The other oxen and driver are of secondary importance and the landscape itself last of all. The artist has accomplished this by color, light, and shade, and by a more careful treatment of the nearest oxen, showing plainly their intelligent eyes, wrinkled hides, and even the play of muscles as they step forward, pulling their heavy load.

Rosa Bonheur finished this painting only a short time before her father died. As soon as he saw it he knew that his daughter had painted a masterpiece, and almost his last words were in praise of her work.

=Questions to help the pupil understand the picture.= Why do you think these men and oxen must have started to work very early? Why do you think it is still early? What time of year do you think it is? why?

Where did Rosa Bonheur paint this picture? Where did she keep her canvas and paints? What preparation did she make before painting the picture? What is the driver doing? In what humor does the nearest ox seem to be? How are the oxen geared together? Why must they have good leaders? How are oxen driven? Why do you think these drivers would not use the same words that we should? How can you tell that the ground is soft? Do you think the oxen are pulling hard? Why did they use oxen so much in those days? What are used now? Upon which of the oxen has the artist centered our attention? What is next in importance? last of all? How has the artist done this? What did Rosa Bonheur's father think of this picture?

=To the Teacher:=

SUBJECTS FOR COMPOSITIONS

The Picture and What It Represents.

How This Picture Was Painted.

What I Would Consider Most Important in a Picture.

Why I Like This Picture.

Rosa Bonheur as a Little Girl.

Rosa Bonheur as an Artist.

=The story of the artist.= Marie Rosalie Bonheur spent the first ten years of her life in a little country town. It was almost as good as living in the country, for Rosa and her two brothers spent most of their time in the woods or fields. At home they had lambs, rabbits, and squirrels for pets.

The father was an artist, and since he could not sell many pictures in such a little village he decided to move to the great city of Paris. The children liked the gay city with its many surprises, but they missed the woods and their pets. The first place in which they lived was up several flights of stairs and across the street from a butcher's shop. This shop had a queer sign. It was a wild boar roughly carved out of wood, but it looked so much like the little pet pig Rosa had in the country that she used to stop and pet it every time she pa.s.sed that way.

A man who lived in the same house with the Bonheur family kept a small school for boys. Rosa's two brothers went to this school, and after a while the teacher said Rosa might come too. She was the only girl in the school, but she did not mind that at all. The boys were glad to have her with them, for she knew more games than they did and played just like one of them.

Her father did not do so well with his painting as he had hoped, so they moved into a cheaper house. It was here that Rosa's mother died.

The father was obliged to send his children where they could be well cared for, so the baby daughter, Juliette, was sent to her grandmother, the two boys to school, and Rosa went to live with an aunt. This aunt sent her to school. To reach the schoolhouse Rosa had to walk some distance through the woods. Sometimes she would stop and smooth the dust in the road with her hand and then draw pictures in it with a stick. Even then she liked to draw pictures of animals best of all. Often she had such a good time drawing that she forgot to go to school, or was very late, so she did not get along very well and was delighted when her father came to take her home. He had married again and wanted all his children with him. How happy they were!

A great many stories have been told about the pets they kept in their house. Rosa's brother Isidore carried a little lamb on his shoulders down six flights of stairs every morning and evening, that it might nibble the green gra.s.s and be out in the fresh air. It became a great pet, and all the children drew its picture in ever so many different positions. Besides, they had a parrot, a monkey, two dogs, and some rabbits and birds for pets. Their father let them keep these pets in a room fitted especially for them.

The father taught in a private school at that time, and was away from home all day, but when he came home at night Rosa would show him what she had been doing while he was gone. Once she had been painting cherries, and her father came home while she was at work on them. He praised her very much and helped her finish painting them.

In the evening Rosa, her two brothers, and her father used to put their easels in different parts of the big room and draw and paint until it was quite late. They would all much rather do this than anything else in the world, and it was the only time their father could help them.

The father belonged to a religious order called the "Saint Simonians."

The members wore queer gowns and bonnets with long ta.s.sels. Such a bonnet with a big ta.s.sel Rosa wore on the street, and sometimes boys shouted and laughed at her, but she paid no attention to that.