Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1838-09-14
From Chambers Edingburgh Journal.
THE NKNOWN PAINTER,

One beautiful summer morning, about
the year 1880, several you'll his Of Seville ap.
preached the dwelling of the celebrated
painter Murrilo, where they arrived nearly
nt the same time. After the usual salu I.
,atons, they entered the studio. Murllo
was not yet there, and each Of the pupils
walked up quickly to his easel to examine
if the paint had dried, or perhaps to admire
his work Of the previous evening.
Pray, gentlemen exclaimed Isuri,z an
erily, which of you reml med behind in the
studio lost nigh,'
What an absurd question: replied Cor.
dova; don't you recocct that we all came
away togelher''
This is foolish jest, gentlemen an
ewered ls,urz; last evening cleaned my
palette with the greatest care, and now il
10 as dirty as if some one had used it all
night
Look! exclaimed Carlos, 'here is q
small figure in the corner OF my canvass,
and it is not badly done. should like to
know who it is that amuses himself every
morning with skel ching figures sometimes
on my canvass, sometimes on the wallis
There was one yesterday on your easel,
Ferdinand
1t must be IsluriIz,' said Ferdinand
Gentlemen replied Isturilz i prot est
- You need not protest. replied
Carlos; 'wo oil know you are not capable
of skelching such figure as that
AT least. answered Isturi,z, Il have
never made q sketch as bad as that of
yours; one would think that you had done
it in jest
And my pencils are quite wet said
Gonzalo in his turn. Truly strange things
go on here during The night
Do you not think, like the negro Gomez,
that it 10 the Zombi who comes and plays
all these trcks? said Isturiz.
Truly SAID Mendez who had not yet
spoken, being absorbed in admiration of the
various figures which were sketched with
the hand of master in different parts OF
the studio, 'if the Zombi of the negroes
draws in this manner. he would make q
beautiful head of the Virgin in my Descent
from the Cross
With these words, Mendez, with q care.
less air, approached his easel, when an
exclamation of establishment escaped him
and he gazed in mute surprise on his can.
vass, on which was roughly sketched a
most beautiful head of The Virgin; but the
expression was so admirable, the lines so
clear. the contour SO graceful, that com.
pared with the figures by which it was
encircled, it seemed as if some heavenly
yisiiant had descended among them.
sAh, what is the matter!' said a rouph
voice. The pupils turned at the sound,
and all made respectful obeisance to the
great master.
Look. Senior Murillo, look exclaimed
the youths, as they pointed TO the easel of
Mendez.
who has painted this-who has painted
this head, gentlemen'' asked Murllo,
eagerly. Speak, tell me. He who has
sketched this Virgin will ore day be the
master Of us all. Murillo wishes he had
done it. What a touch! what delicacy
wha, skill! Mendez, my deer pupil, was
j. youP
full tone.
VAST you, then Isturtz, or Ferdinand
.or Carlos"
I But they all gave the same reply as
Mendez. 1T could not, however, come
here without hands, said Murillo' impa'
tiently.'
Il think. sir said Cordova, the youngest
of the pupils, that these strange pictures
are very alarming indeed, this 10 not the
first unsccountable event which has hap
pened 10 your studio. To tell the truth,