Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1863-02-11
THE TERRIBLE PICTURE.
From Kimh.II's +" Students Life Abroad"

From ktmh&lB - StuOeute Lilo Ap1ooos
"Life is not particular form of body,
bat the body is particular form of life.
The body relates to the soul as the word
10 the thought" So says old jacob. He
did not address artistic, but artists may
learn lesson fron the saying. So may
Won. Messieuys students of medicine. For
myself, always carry it in my head.
don't know why commence by quot
ira Friedrich jacob, when | am telling
you about Ernst Won Wolzogen. except
that it was favorte saying OF Ernst, anc
since-but no matter.
Ernst and myself were porn in the same
vil.a ,e. He was but a year older than l,
and We were placed at the same school
together. From his childhood, Ernst
manifested strong love for his art At
that period I 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 q magnificent brow, he certainly
was the handsomest fellow / ever saw.
As an artist, be was bold, independent,
full of original conception, no imitator
no copyist, no follower of any school, al
though ne 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 Gerry liuing
thing itself upon the canvas, in a 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
land scape, or historical piece; the effect
was produced. When certain faults were
pointed out to him, he would say, l
know i'll perceive it, will mend it by
and by but first | must see that my pic
ture is alice, that it is real. Lite is not
particular form of body &C.; the rest
will come soon enough. We must have
patience. 1t wiil 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 inan1oratas. 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 only. 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 mechanical, the worm that creeps
Through earth its dextrous way, may tutor thee;
In knowledge (couldst thou fathom all its deeps)
All TO the Seraph axe already known:
But thine, MAN Is ARr-thine wholly and alone
have said he was superstitious. | can
hardly expect 10 be credited if | tell you
what slave he became to all sorts of signs
and omens and representations. He be-
lieved, 100, in presentiments and warnings.
He credited ghost stories and tales of sp-
partitions, and maintained that, were it not
for our gross organization, we should all
enjoy TIE privilege of second sight, and |
do not .-now what else. This had a very
unhappy effect on him-an effect | was
quite unable to counteract. although we
were bosom companions aud had been al
most inseparable from the time we COM
menced our studies.
my friends" continued the artist, pas
sionately, after moments pause, 4" low
ed Ernst. / loved him for these very
weaknesses. which betokened a spirit far
removed from this earth. Beyond every
thing, loved him for his appreciation of
our artist life, and for having reused my
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, chile he erdeavored to carry me
along with him in the rapid strides he was
making in his art. We went over Europe
in company. We dwelt 10 gether in Rome,
in Florence, in Naples, in Vienna, in Mu-
Mich, in Dresden, in Paris. We accom-
panied each ether TO see paintings and
Il ~.
of examination.
We had spent some time at Dresden.
and Ernst was becoming more aud more
subject to the unfortunate Influences |
have Iamed. proposed, therefore, as an
agreeable change, that We should GO to
Paris, and take apartments in pleasant
part If the town, aud thus try the effect
of gay aud livery scenes. There was at
the same time painting in the Louvre-a
landscape by Annibsl Carr acci, 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 la Paip. The first morning
after our arrival, Ernst started ont alone
to take stroll through the gallery of the
Louvre, in order, as he SAID, to report
about the landscape" He promised t.
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
,uent He had not looked at the LAND
scape." but he had seen the most exquisite
of all living pictures.
Ernst was always extravagsnt when de-
scribing his favoriies, but he now exceed
ed any thing he ever before said in praise
OF female perfection.
Her name T.
He did Tot know-he did not want to
know. he only wanted TO gaze on her,
to he inspired by her, TO worship her.
II suppose" said, IS may he permit
ted to visit the gallery and steal single
glance at the fair one."
Indeed" replied Franz, lyon mus,
see her-otherwise You have a right to
think me beside myself"
The next day We went to the gallery to-
gether. We passed nearly half way through
tue hall when Ernst touched my arm.
Seated before the painting by Teners,
OF the Village Wedding" was q young
girl, scarcely more than seventeen. Her
bat 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
L