Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1863-02-12
THE TERRIBLE PICTURE.
From Kimbalps " Students Life Abroad"


The body relates to the soul as the word
10 the thought" So says old Jacob. He
did not address artists, but artists may
learn lesson from the saying. So may
YOU, Messieurs students of medicine. For
myself, l always carry it in my head.
| don't know why | commence by quot
ing Friedrich jacob, when | am telling
you about Ernst Won Wolzogen, except
that it was tavorite saying OF Ernst, and
since-but no matter.
Ernst and myself were born il the same
village. He was but year older than I,
and we were placed at the same school
together. From bis childhood, Ernst
manifested strong love for his art. at
that period | had but little idea of it, and
owe to my intimacy with him my taste
for painting. With handsome person,
eyes black and piercing, with long dark
hair, and magnificent brow, he certainly
was the handsOmest fellow | ever saw
As an artist, he was bold, independent,
full OF original conception, 10 imitator
no copyist, no follower of any school, al
though he appreciated, as much as any
one, the works of the great masters as
they are called. From the first, he was
remarkable for throwing the Ue'y l5U5ng
thing itself upon the canvas, in manner
which would astOnish US all. There
might be errors-there were errors, OF
one kind and another; but, for all that
the thing itself stood before you. 1t mat.
tered little whether it was portrait, or q
land :cape, or historical piece; the effect
was produced When certain faults were
pointed out to him, he would say, /
know it perceive it will mend it by
and by but first must see that my pic
ture is alioe, that it is real. Lite is not
a particular form of body Sc; the rest
will come soon enough. We must have
patience. 1t wIJ come"
Away from his easel, Ernst Won VOL
zogen was dreamy and superstitious. He
was susceptible too, but very shy, so that
before he was one-and-twenty he had fall
len in love and had his heart broken a
dozen times without so much as
speaking to his inana0rataS. Once at his
labors, however, all the unhappy mists
which gathered about his brain were dis
PEELED; then, and then only, he was really
himself.
"ART, my dear Franz" he would ex-
claim, Art belongs to man emily. In Art
there is no divided empire" and he would
triumphantly recite those line of Schiller:
In dilligent toll thy master is the bee:
In craft me chanical, the worm that creeps
Through earth its dextrous way, may tutor thee;
In knowledge (could'st thou fathom all its deeps),
All to the Seraph are already known:
But thine, o MAN is ART-thine wholly and a. one !
| have said he was superstitious. | can
hardly expect to be credited if | tell you
what slave he became to all sorts of signs
and omens and representations. He be-
lieved, too, in presentiments and warnings
He credited ghost stories and tales of ap-
partitions, and maintained that, were it not
for our gross organization, we should al!
enjoy the privilege OF second sight, and l
do not know what else. This had a very
unhappy effect on him-an effect | was
quite unable TO counteract, although we
were bosom companions and had been al
most inseparabe from the time we COM
menced our studies.
MY friends" continued the artist, pas
sionately, after moments pause, L" / low
ed Ernst | loved him for these very
weaknesses, which betokened spirit far
removed from this earth. Beyond every
thing, loved him for his appreciation of
our aTtlSJ lie, uuu lOI udfluS lGiSSu NY
soul to proper sense OF it."
As | had much more OF the practical in
my composition than my friend, it fell to
me to lock after the economy OF our every
day life, while he erdeavored to carry me
along with him in the rapid strides he was
making in bis art We went over Europe
in company We dwelt together 10 Rome
in Florence, in Naples, in Vienna, in Mu>
Mich, in Dresden, in Paris. We accom-.
panied each other TO see paintings and
statutes, and, in short, everything worthy
OF examination.
We had spent some time at Dresden,
ana Ernst was becoming more aud more
subject to the unfortunate Influences |
have named. proposed, therefore, as an
agreeable change, that We should go to
Paris, and take apartments in a pleasant
part of the town, and thus try the effect
of gay and lively scenes. There was at
the same time painting in the Louvre-a
landscape by Annibal Carr acct, which had
lately been transferred to that place,
which we both wanted to see.
We came to Paris, and took rooms in
the rue de Ia PGig The first morning
after our arrival, Ernst started out alone
to take stroll through tho gallery of the
Louvre, in order as he said, to report
about the landscape" He promised to
return in an hour or two; but he did not
come back till quite late in the afternoon.
He was in state of most cheerful excite
meut. He had not looked at the "land-
scape," but he had seen the most exquisite
of all living pictures.
Ernst was always extravagant when de-
scribing his favorites, but he now exceed
ed anything he ever before said IN praise
of female perfection.
"Her name9n
He did not know-he did not want to
know. He only wanted to gaze on her,
to be inspired by her, to worship her.
u suppose" 1 said, q NAV be hermit.
ted to visit the gallery and steal a single
glance at the fair one"
INDEED" replied Franz, "you must
see her-otherwise you have a right 70
think me beside myself"
The next day We went to the gall nv tn-
gether. We passed nearly half -way through
the hall wheI Ernst touched my arm.
Seated before the painting by Teniers
of the Village Wedding" was a young
girl, scarcely more than seventeen. He1
hat and shawl and gloves were laid aside
and she herself was so completely absorb.
ed in transferring the scene to her canvas
that she did not appear aware OF anything
that was going on around her.
She was indeed beautiful creature
Derfect. it would seem, in form and feat
ure, and apparently OF great simplicity O
character; and no one could witness the
enthusiasm with which she pursued hel
employment wi bout feeling a strong in
terest in her. A man servant, N plaiE