The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1876-03-05

OF mexico. American railways Will Dear the
whole country's wealth towards cities on the
Mississippi and its tributaries, and the river
itself becomes the highway of nations, and
its valley the central seat of American empire.
How an Artist Sold His Pictures.
The following. of course from the French,
| has recently been translated into English, and
just published.
The painter Teniers, of Antwerp, had al
ready made himself famous by great num-
fidelity to nature their variety Of details, and
the great beauty and vivacity OF thslr color
ing.
Bnt notwithstanding his ability, he was
peculiarly most unfortunate, and often ex-
perienced great anxiety for the want of that
precious metal dear to all men, and necessary
even to genius ITSELF number of children
grew up around him, and their joyous, happy
faces resembled the little ones which their
fathers pencil often placed upon canvas; but
these little ones had to be clothed and fed.
Madame Teniers, in all other respects q
most estimable woman, was but q poor mana
ger, and spent daily more than her husbands
income, and Teniers himself was not en-.
dowed with that spirit of order and economy
which, though it can not make an artist, is
mast important in q well-regulated house.
hold.
At the beginning of q winter which prom
Used to be very severe this celebrated painter
found himself more embarrassed than usual,
and felt something must be done; so he col
lected all the pictures which he had recently
finished, and arranged them in his studio.
taking great care to place them in the most
favorable light Then he announced to the
people of Antwerp that there would be gen.
eral sale Of his works. Immediately all the
picture dealers and amateurs came forward,
thinking that on account of the artists pow
erty they would be able to make a great bar
gain.
They sought to put down the price of the
pictures by their severe and unjust criticisms
"Whatw said one, sis this the collection?
1t was hardly worth the trouble OF coming to
see it; but will give you hundred pistoles
"I would not sell it for a thousand" said
Teniers, Indignantly. "You seem to think
yourself possessed of very superior talent"
said the would-be purchaser; "but you
should know that there are at least hundred
painters as good as yourself in Belgium. and
these pictures are all SO much alike-they
seem to be cast in the same mould; besides
no one cares for them in France, for you
know since the king treated you SO severely
nobody wants q Teniers, even in his ante
chamber"
"That may be So" said Teniers, trying to
hide his vexs,ion, "but there still remains
England. Germany and the rest of our
country"
"But why do you cultivate such peculiar
style?" said the dealer.
because it is the only one in which can
succeed" said Teniers.
"Why not invest your figures (personage)
with more dignity? For example, just look
at this Flemish Festival before us-that
drunken peasant trying to dance; could any
thing be more awkward and clumsy? 1t is
really stupid, disgusting! One would almost
ance of picture"
81 thought" said Teniers, that truthful
ness to nature was always desirable"
"Oh, no; the ideal is necessary to art.
81 would 5anf your opinion" said the ar
fist, eff l were painting the gods or heroes,
or even picture Of a church, Then l might
be poet, but here am historian. paint
what see Would it be right to introduce
the ideal into tavern scene? All, believe
me, gentlemen. if time spares my colors, and
posterity troubles itself OF all about me, it will
say: lie was true to nature" And that praise
will be worth ell other.
"Posterity may say what it pleases," said
the merchant; ''but I,your contemporary, offer
you again one hundred pistoles for the whole
collection" II would rather burn them all
or give them for nothing" said Teniers, and
with that he took leave of the dealers and an
nounced that the sale would not take place.
Nine. Teniers was in despair. "What
shall we do?" said she to her husband;
"you should have taken the hundred pis-
toles" "No," replied he, "it is foolish for
lifetime" swell! what do you intend to
do?" "To kill myself" son, heavens,
what do you say?' "well, shall pretend
to be dead" "But how can you make peo-
pie believe that you are dead. when you have
not even been sick?" ''Never mind, you
have nothing to do but to put on mourning
and make the children believe it."
The painter left Antwerp secretly, and soon
the news of his death was circulated among
his friends Weepingly his wife put on a
widows dress, and the children were clothed
in black without their being able to under
stand it. Soon the sale of the works was an
nourced, again the public came but in larger
numbers than at the former exhibition. On
every side nothing but expressions of admira-
ton and regret were heard. Even the picture
dealers themselves became sensible. "Great
heavens |" cried one; perhaps the very one
who wished before to by them for a hundred
pistoles "What freshness of imagination
now natural what variety in these groups
look At tneSo WOmon-tn0S0 cnlidren-tnese
old men. how like life they all are One can
see them laugh, dance, drink! One could
almost fancy they hear them sing Oh, what
genius !" There will be no more such
pictures made. Teniers has carried his secret
with him."
A great competition now arose for the pos
session of the eight or ten remaining pictures;
there was no limit to their offers, each bid
ding against the other with most generous
emulation. eff we should cover them with
gold" they said, "we should be sure to get it
all back; in England, Germany. and even in
France we can sell them for what we like
for any price" Simple sketches only just
commenced, but which bore the artists seal,
brought immense prices; there were some
present who emptied their purses to procure
souvenir of Teniers. Even an old drawing
book, containg collection of eyes and noses
drawn by him when he was four years old,
| Il l. h,rn GOD