The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1888-11-15
HIS MASTERPIECE.
How Flanagan Flanagan Got Three Hun
dren and Fifty Dollars for Eleven.

How Flanagan Flanagan Got Three Hum
dren and Fifty Dollars for Eleven.
This is the age of barn-door art-that
kind of art which represents o powder
horn, rabbit and lot of other things
hanging against d barn door in such a
way that no one would suppose they
were painted at all, but were really
hung there.
Over such picture some people go
wild with JOY. The naturalness of a
nail-head, or the folds in felt hat
carry them away, and make them feel
better satisfied with themselves and
every thing else.
Flanagan Flanagan had painted many
a.landscape, to which he conveyed the
subtle impressions made upon him by
nature. You could feel the crimson
leagues of calm in his twilight marine
as keenly as you could the musical
rustic of his silver birches.
But so great was the rage for photo
graphic painting that Flanagan Flana-
gan, in spite of his self-respect and pro-
fessional pride, felt that he would for
once have to give the public what it
wanted, because he was in need of the
ever potent shekels of silver that en-
able man to step out into the gloam-
ing through the front door, without
stumbling over the wolf.
| So Flanagan Flanagan sent canvas,
representing an old one-dollar bill
slightly crumpled, to a well-known an
nual exhibition.
The papers began to rave over it in
half-column notices. People who went
to the exhibition stood and looked at
this canvas, as they looked at no other.
"How natural the eyebrows OF
Washington look,'' said one enthusi-
astic young lady; land the lace on his
collar is just perfectly lovelyr'
II never saw any thing like that be-
FORE" said bald man, who looked first
at the canvas and then at a one-dollar
bill which he held in his hand; "now
that's what | call painting"
And SO it was with every one. One
would become entranced with the hair
lines, and another over the signature oil
the Secretary of the Treasury in the
lower corner.
After a while it was so much talked
about thatit was considered the proper
thing to see, if only to be in fashion.
| Flanagan Flanagan ran the price ur
until it reached three hundred and
| fifty dollars, and it was nip-and-tuch
between three bar-rooms, four prune
merchants and several capitalists te
see who should secure the prize.
| There is nothing like barn-door ar
for the United States of Chicago sale
Flanagan Flanagan to a brother painter
at the fifty cent table d'hote day OF
two later: ''they don't want the 'Keene
Valley or the 'Murmurous Megallo
way or Near Gloucester or .Twi
lights Soothing Hush,' or any thing
that breathes nature in every line
They want pictures of beer bottles hang
ing on antlers, or any old vest painted
in such a way that the buttons look a
though they were about to fall off
They will go wild over neatly paintet
grease spot on the lapel, or buckl
showing the steel through the japan
ming. After awhile, instead of visitin,
Milford or the coast of Maine in sum
mer, we shall all be making studies TO
future triumphs in old junk shops an,
secondhand clothing stores. TIL
banjo is our national instrument, an,
we must paint to suit banjo people,"
..But did it not cost you good dea
of patiencep" inquired his friend.
mot bit.n replied. Flanagan: q
only cost me ten dollars for the frame
stretcher and ALL The one dollar bi
, was genuine one, ingenlously stuc
on the background of gray paint That
how got three hundred and fifty do
/ fyx,, oil