New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1852-03-27
ANDREA DIAL CAsTAGKo;
Or, The Artist's Crime.

OE, LILO AItA5t LIiWe.
81 will work no longer,' exclaimed Andrea,
throwing down his pencil, 81 will not be CON-
PEELED to see every fool pointing out the differ
ence between your figures and mine finish the
picture yourself, Domenico, will never touch
it againp'
ssNay, Andrea, this is injustice to yourself"
said Domenico; sc few but those who look with
a painters eye could see the difference which to
you seems so evident
Look, replied the impetuous Andrea, and
the livid hue of envy overspread his face as he
spoke, SO look at that group-they are figures of
wax compared with the almost living, breath
ing forms which grow beneath your pencil A
benignant smile lit up the placid countenance of
Domenico ashe approached the side of the church
where Andre was employed, and with his own
pencil gave a few light touches to the face and
hands of one of the figures. @ lH,
&c See p cried Andrea, 'sam not right here
have been laboring three days to give the col
oring of life to that flesh, and you have done it
in three minutes will not be so disgraced--
never will touch pencil again until you teach
me the secret of your artn' ,=. e,,
Nothing could be more smilingly contrasted
than the faces of the two painters, as they stood
together gazing at Andreas picture. The mild
and saint-lik conntenance of Domenco, seemed
the index of mind too pure and gentle to have
any communion with the dark spirit that be-
trayed itself in the sullen brow and heavy fea-
lures of Andrea. But they werein truth, warm
friends, and though Domenico, with all n paint
er's Jealous love Of fame, hestated to betray the
grand secret of his art, he yet longed to behold
his beloved Andrea sharing the honors which
were so lavishly bestowed upon himself The
rapidly waning light warned them to lay aside
their employment for the day, and leaning on
the arm of his friend, Domenico sought the quiet
of his own studio. Throwing down the imple-
ments of his art as he entered, he took down the
lutte which hung by the easement, and began
light and graceful melody.
s'Come, Andrea" said he, as he finished the
air, '' come, let MS to the window of the fair sis
ters; gentle Manetto will wonder why she hears
not Andrea's evening song and it may be that
the bright eyed Lisa waits to hear the lutte of
Domenico.'' o. So ~ r.l
q Mop returned Andrea sullenly. g am in
no mood for fooling. Since boyhood have been
laboring for fame and fortune, and vet am as
far from them as ever. You are confident of
success; you have reaped the reward of your
labors fortune has been your friend, and dis
covered to you a secret which will make you,
immortal; you can afford to play the lover ; for
me. nothing remains but to return to the hum
bic village where first drew this hated breath,
and again become a keeper of hocks and herds y.
&c Andrea, friend of my soul,'' said Domenico,
&c it grieves me to see you thus cast down; COM
pare your works with those of other masters of
the art, and can you not triumph in your own
superiority? Why waste your life in unavailing
regret because | am possessed Of secret which
to you is unknown -
'Call me not your FRIEND" exclaimed Andrea
impetuously; 81 spurn the worthless name-a
word from you would give me fortune, and hap
piness, and fame, yet you will not ute it,
Andrea" replied Domenico, &c you well know
what costly sacrifice you ask you well know
that the sacrifice of life is nothing compared
with the voluntary REIMBURSEMENT of never
dying fame. Your own thirst for glory may
teach you what that friend deserves, who un-
locks to you the fountain of immortality and
gives you to drink of those waters which might
be all his own; but you shall be gratifed--to-
morrow you shall know all the art has taught
Domenico.'' ," -.
Tomorrow cried the impatient artist,
s' tomorrow! and why not tonight? To-mor-
row you may think otherwise-may hesitate
Andrea, did ever fail in pronlise?" was
the calm reply of Domenico. ssWhat have
said shall be done. Tomorrow, when we resume
our employment in the church, you shall know
ALL
Transported with joy, Andrea could scarcely
restrain his impatience until morning Rousing
Domenico at early dawn, they repaired to the
church of Santa Maria Nueva, which they had
been employed to adorn with paintings, and
other than the art of painting in oil At this peri
cd painters usually laid on their colors by means
of various glutinous substances, and this mode,
while it rendered paintings extremely liable to
injury from heat and damp, very much dimin-
ished the briliancy of the coloring. The inven-
ton of painting in oil has been disputed by so
many that it would be difficult now to determine
who is best entitled to the honor. The proba-
bilty is, that like many other inventions which
-,
by many artists at nearly the same period, when
the gradual advancement of the art and the in
creased demand for fine pictures had called forth
the talent of painting in every part of Italy
1t is well known, however, that Domenco Vene-
ziana was one of the first who employed oil paint
ing; and to this he was indebted for the great
reputation which he so rapidly acquired. Care
fully did he now instruct Andrea in the princi-
pies of that art which had been almost exclu-
sively his own, and by most unwearied diligence,
Andrea soon mastered its difficulties But in
his heart the spirit of generous rivalry could
not exist. Envy, base envy, was the only feel
ing which he was capable of cherishing, and the
dislike which Domenicos superiority had long
since inspired him, was gradually ripening into
a deep and deadly hatred.
They had nearly finished the decorations of
the church during the progress of Andrea's in
structon in the new manner of painting, and
was agreed that each should paint portion of
it. But this work was destined to remain un-
finished
One day, as Andrea stood contemplating one
of his earliest paintings in the church, and ex-
ulting in his improvement as he compared it
with those he long since executed under the di-
rection of Domenico, two of the most celebra-
ted connoisseurs in Florence entered Not OBJ
serving the painter, they commenced making
remarks upon the pictures and after praisine
the productions of Domenico's pencil proceeded
to rldicule without mercy the early paintings
of Andrea. The poor artist, conccaling himself
behind column, anxiously waited till they
should approach the later efforts of his art, not
doubling that he should then be gratifed by
their praises; but what We're his feelingswhen.
after careless glance at his labors, they mere
ly remarked that Andrea's style was much i'm
proved, but that he must ever remain in the
shade while his works were placed beside those
of Domenico. Fixed as a statue, Andrea re-
mained in the very spot where he had first
placed himself, until the unconscious critics
quilted the church, then, rushing home and
locking himself in his apartment, he gave way
to all the agonies Of envy and disappointment
The gentleness of Domenicos character, the
purity of his life, the generous friendship which
he had shown him, all were powerless to check
the tide of passion in Andrea's bosom. The de-
mon like malice of his evil nature was aroused
he thought of Domenico, not as the friend who
Al. l.