The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1845-10-18
Vol. IL.


wonderful talent. The charts of Petit Pierre were
placed before the painter. The boy, pale as a
corpse, COMPRISING his heart under his hapd to
prevent its bounding out, held himself up by the
side of table. He waited in silence the condem-
nation of his dreams, for he could not imagine that
a man well dressed and gloved, with red riband
fastened in his button-hoe the author of paint
ing enclosed in frame of gold, could find the
least merit his daub upon gray paper. tHI
The painter turned over some OF the designs
without saying anything, then his face lighted up;
bright red spot mounted 10 his cheeks, and he
spoke as il to himself in short excamations in the
cant terms of the profession:
I" This is excellent this is nature! not the least
fault. Carot has done nothing better; there is a
thistle that Delaberge might envy; that sheep lying
down is entirely in the taste of Paul Potter
When he had finished, he rose up. walked strght
to Pett-Pierre, took him by the hand and shaking
it cordially, said TO him:
Pvdiem although it may not be very honorable
to Others, yet, my dear boy, you have more knowl-
edge than all my pupils. Will you go to Paris
with me' In six months will learn you what is
called the pack threads Of the profession afterwards
you Can walk alone, and, if you will not stay,
can say, without the fear of exposing myself, that
you will be known to the world. a.-atra
Petit-Pierre, after having been well lectured up
on the dangers of this modern Babylon, departed
with the painter, taking Fidele with him, from
hon ha ,piIlin fo he ad nd
which the artist permitted with that delicate kind
ness that always accompanies tai mt. But FIdele,
who was unwilling to be placed on the top Of the
coach, followed in profound astunishment, being
however treasured by the friendly figure of his
master, who smiled uponh IN from the door of the
carriage. 4..
We cannot follow day by day the progress of
Petit-Pierre; this would be too tedious The
works of the great master, which he visited very
often in the galleries and fom which he frequent
ly made copies, placed within his reach a thousand
means Of enlaigiDg his thoughts, which he could
not have attained by himself. He passed from the
seventies of Guaspre Poussin to the mellow soft
ness of Claude Lorrain, and to the fiery boldness
VI oaNdtor Rosd, put nc uiu not cObnne nlHSeI
to any particular style, he had an originality too
vigorous for that. He was not educated as the
generality of painters who commence in the shop,
and ther laying aside their charts visit ature in
excursions of some six weeks; afterwards, in the
chimney corner, painting the rocks in imitation OF
an arm chair and the cascades in imitation of wa
ter poured from an elevated decanter into wash
basin; il was only after he had acquired thorough
knowledge of the woods and rural scenery, from
long and intimate familiarity with nature that he
first took the pencil and Afterwards the brush. The
counsels of art came to him soon enough in order
that he might not take wrong direction, late
enough IN order not to destroy his simplicity
At the end of two years from the time of his
sketch of the matched cottage, Petit-P Pierre had
painting admitted and remarked upon in the exhi-
bition OF The Louvre. He would have been well
pleased to have seen again the lady of the pencil
of gold, but. although he examined well all those
in the promenades, in the theatres aud in the chur-
ches, who could have any resemblance, yet he was
not able to find any trace ofher He knew not her
name; he had no knowledge Of her but her beauty.
A vague hope in the meantime sustained him,
something whispered to him in the recesses of his
heart that the intercourse between them had not
ended. Although he was modest, yet he was con-
scious Of his talent; be was drawing towards the
sky, and the Impossbllity of attaining the star OF
his dream was diminishing every day From time
to time, our young artist walked near his painting.
which was suspended upon the bauslrade, effect
ing to consider attentively some microscopic pic
ture IN the vicinity of his CANVASS for the purpose
of gathering the opinions of the spectators, and
then he would say to himself, not without some
reason. that the lady who sketched herself and ap
peared to love the landscape SO much, if she were
in Paris, would certainly come to visit the gallery
Indeed one morning, about the hour when the
crowd gathered, Peti.Pierre saw advancing to the
place Of his paintings young female clad in black;
ne could not at first distinctly perceive her figure,
,nIy small portion of the full white neck with
hose lite freekes, which skone as an opal be-
ween her scarf and the edge of her bonnet, but
,e Immediately recognised her with the certainty
hat habit gives to painters. Truly it was the lady.
Her mourning dress gave to her additional pale
hess, and. under the black lining OF her hat her
inc. pure couhtenance had the transparency OF
oarean marble. That mourning dress troubled
Petit Pierre.
:" Whom has she lost! her father, her motheri-
$ she well-is she free!" SAID he to himself
The painting exhibited by the young artist pre-
esented precisely the same scene a. that sketched
y the lady, aud in which he had placed himself,
Tidele, and his sheep. Petit-Piere had chosen.
With thoughts of love and devotion, as the subject
fhis first work, the place where painting had been
evealed to him. The moss covered knoll, the
roups Of trees the sharp gray rocks with here aud
here green mantle ot grass. the withered trunk
+ an ancient oak stricken by lightning, were all I
here with scrupulous exact'Iess Petit-Pierre
sd painted himself leaning on his staff with apen-
i've air Edal. Of his feet in the same positian as