Madison times. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1884-1???, 1884-06-07
AN ARTISTS MYSTERY. I:
The Romance Of an Obscure Con-
vent.
Spanish of Pedro de Harcon.

vent.
spapish of Pedro de Harcon.
There entered one day the church oil
a certain obscure convent in Madrid, the
name of which tradition 'es not pre-
served for us, Peter Paul Rubens, the
great Flemish master, accompanied by
few of his chosen pupils. Ii was habit
the master had, this of entering the va
r;ous churches he passel on his way
through the streets of tie S.-..h,.h capi-
tai sBut he visits apparen'ly gave him
lite pleasure, for-,he always emerged
iptothe street again inveighing against
the barbaric want of taste displayed by
the Castilian friars in their sacred edifices
To-day the bare, dismantled interior OF
the church to which he had penetrated
offered him even less inducement than
usnal to linger.. He was about to depart
when his eve happened to fall on a can,
vas half-hidden in the gloomy recess Oh
atawdry chapel.
Rubens advanced quickly, stopped be-
fore the painting and suppressed cry
of amusement.
His pupils were around him in an in
slant.
"What is it, master?"
GLook-lcok there?" said the author Oh
the "Descent from the Cross" and pointed
N the canvas. 1t represented the death
of O monk.
The monk was young, and his face
had a beauty which neither long pen
apce. nor fasting, nor the throes OF death
had succeeded in obscuring. He lay On
he hare bricks of his cell, the one hand
erasping q skull, the other pressing
wooded crdcifx 10 his breast, and over
his ewes the death film had gathered.
In the background of this picture
there was second one. 1t hung over
the narrow pallet from which, one infer
red, the monk had risen to die with
greater humility on the bare floor. IL
represented beautiful woman stretched
ON a bier shrouded in sumptuous black
draperies, and with the light of wax
taners in tall candlesticks streaming up
on her dead face.
Asthe eye rested on these two scenes
the one contained in the other
the meaning of each, the fact that
one complemented, completed and ex'
plained the other, forced itself clearly
ON the mind. An unhappy love; dead
hopes, blighted life; remuneration Of
the world, this was the mysterious
drama reproduced ON the canvas at
which Rubens and his pupils now gazed
And in drawing, in coloring, in compo
sition, the picture attested the hand OF
genius.
"who can have painted this magnifi
cent work, master?" came in chorus
from the masters pupils.
"There has evidently been a signature
in this corner" said Rubsns, but it ha'
been erased, and quite lately, should
Judge. The picture is not more thar
thirty years old, think, nor less thar
twenty. As to the author, Judging from
the merit of the work he might be We
lazquez. Zurbaran, Ribera, or that youn,
genious Murillo, of whom am so Ihucl
enamored. But Velazquez does not con
ceiye things in this way; nor is the col
oring or composition in Zurbaran's man
ner, Murillo is more tender, and Riber
has more sombre style, besides, tn
work,does mot belong to the school 9
either. No, do not know the author
am sure; and should be willing +
affirm that have never before seel
any of his work. go still further.
do not believe the-artist, unknown an,
perhaps no longer living, who has give
the yerld this wopdegful legacy, eyer be
longed u ady scifoSs, bf ever pdnte
anything but this one picture, or eve
co6h I batc) Ainss 3otMf Acl
would have approached it in point G
Heity Chia sthe work q, inspirafbr
abersekal sfais; &'rsAef efthe sSoAs 1.
piece out of mans life. But what
c5Aceptienl pogou wantto know VIII
painisa this picSrres Well; that dea
mo4k Asryrrr-rM%N
3lasto, You arejohing-n>
tho, no, know whatI say. To, joi
certain monastic orders, You know, lis
die,tsall intents and purpoees=to,di
to the world"
"Ah.yos hink-'t *
Il think the woman stretched on tn,
bier their, was the soul and life OF thu
monk, tbat.whsn she died it WAS h
his death, too; thst he did die; In poiI
of fact, to the world, from that mamen
believe this work represents tb
spifituSl dying to the world of It's auth
htlsr than 9itphssicsf death. Accor
ingly he may still be living to-day, al
as.in thirty years. time the traces
unya TRAGIC episode havea chance
become effaced, 80 should not iwond
atalifhe were Q very fat and jolly o
gentleman. We smuet certainly lot
him up, and, above an fnd' Out, II !
ever painted anything else"
An elderly monk vas kneeling in I
adjacent chapel Rubens approach'
and asked him where he could find Il
prior of the convent. The monk rose