Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1872-07-19
ANECDOTES OF ARTISTS.

his very eyes. The company were sur
prised, while Agostino, with selfre-
proaeh, confessed that, his brother had
taken more effectual way than himself
to demonstrate the beauties Of that won
derful piece Of sculpture. The poet
paints with words, the painter speaks
with works said Annibale.
Zeuxis, the ancient painter, produced
a cluster of grapes upon the canvas with
such perfect skill that the birds came
and pecked at them This success
greatly clated the artist, whose fame
went abroad thereat, reaching the ears
OF one Parrhasius. a rival artist, who
seeking an opportunity, painted a cur
tain before a portion of the picture.
Soon after Zeuxis approaching the
painting to exhibit it to Parrhasius de-
sired him to remove the curtain But
he was compelled to acknowledge him
self defeated, since he had only deceived
birds, but his rival had deceived fellow
artist. Anttfs[ [fr
Another story is related Of Zeuxis, Of
rather q novel character, and which is
we'll authenticated. He painted boy
with a. basket of grapes, to which the
birds as before resorted But this gave
the artist great dissatisfaction and very
properly so, leading him to declare the
painting a failure, since had the simili'
tude been in both cases equal, the birds
would most certainly have been deferred
by natural fear of the boy, from APP
preaching the picturcl
Salvador Rosa was forcedFat the out
set of his career of art, to sell his pic
lures in the streets of Naples, but after
he became celebrated he charged the
most exorbitant prices for his simplest
efforts. A person of great wealth had
been long in treaty with him for land
scape, and every time he came Salvador
raised the price one hundred crowns.
The gentleman expressed his surprise at
last with some earnestness, when the
painter told him that with all his riches
he could not purchase it, and to put an
end to his importantly, destroyed the
picture before his eyes b
Protegenes, an early painter and
sculptor, occupied seven years in finish
ing his picture of Ialysus, living only
upon the simplest diet in the meantime,
hoping thus to elevate his powers of CON
ception and execution. He designed to
represent in the piece dog painting, and
with froth at his mouth, but this, after an
hundred vain attempts to do, he gave up
in despair, and in fit of anger threw his
sponge upon the picture. Chance
brought to perfection what the labor of
the artist could not accomplish; the fall
of the sponge upon the picture repre-
sented the froth at the mouth of the dog
in the most perfect and liie-like manner,
and the artists picture was universally
admired }H 3Ill UUi.
Lord Mulgrave employed Gilbert
Stuart to paint the portrait of his
brother, General Phillips, previous to
his going abroad. On seeing the picture,
which he did not until it was finished,
Mulgrave exclaimed, 81 see insanity in
that facet The General went TO India,
and the first account his brother heard
of him was that he had committed sui
eide from insanity. 1t is thus that the
real painter dives into the reoesses Of
his sitter's mind, aud displays strength
or weakness upon the canvas, while the
mere mechanic makes map of the
man. Hawthorne wrought from this
anecdote his romance Of the Prophetic
Pictures.
Gictto di Bondini, an Italian artist,
was an humble shepherd in his youth.
an eminent artist of the pc
Rod, saw simple figure that the boy
Giotto drew with rude stones upon the
rock, and persuaded him to become his
pupil. The lad soon equalled and sur
passed his MASTER but they continued
friends. While he was yet mere boy
in his masters studio he painted fly
with such skill upon the nose of por-
Lrait which Cimabue was engaged upon
hat when his master was about to re-
iume his work he made many vain and
sven angry efforts to dislodge the insect
before he discovered the trick.
A nobleman not famous for his beauty,
having left his portrait unpaid for on
Hogarth's hands, the painter finally OBJ
aimed the money by sending the follow
ng note: "Mr. Hogarth's dutifnl re-
Ipeets to Lord -, finding that he does
not mean 10 have the picture drawn for
him, Lord - is informed again of Mr..
aogarth' s pressing necessity tor money. |
4, therefore, his lordship does not send
or It In three days, it will be disposed |
Il with the addition of q tail and some
,ther appendages, to Mr.. Pau, the ia
nous Wild beast man, Mr.. Hogarth hav-
ng given that gentleman conditional /
promise Of it for his exhibition" /"
Apelles, who hourished in the time Of
Alexander the Great, never permitted a
lay 10 pass without practice in his art. |
4e Ees accustomed, when he had com
lleled any one Of his pieces, to expose
I in some public place to the view Of
he passers-by, and seating himself be-
lind it to hear the remarks which were
nade. On one OF these occasions q
hoemsker eensured the painter for hav-
ng given one of the slippers less num-
,er Of ties than it ought TO have. APPEL
es, knowing the man must be correct,