Democratic messenger., 1888-11-03

ton, Panl Gustav Dorc. At II years OF
age he published marvellous Autographs of
his own. Saying nothing Of what he
did for Milton's Paradise Lost" embla-
coming II on the attention Of the world,
he takes up the Book Of Books. the mon.
arch Of literature, the Bible. and ir his
pictures "The Creation Of Light" "The
Trial of Abraham's Eaith," "Thc Burial
OF Sarah" Joseph sold by His Brethren"
''The Brazcn Serpent" "Boaz and Ruth"
David and Goliath" "The Tanshgura-
tion," "The Marriage In Cana" Babylon
Fallen" and EOS Scriptural scenes in all,
with boldncss and grasp and almost
supernatural aillatus that make the heart
throb, and the brain reel, and the tears
start, and the checks blancl,, and the en-
tire nature quake with the tremendous
things Of God and eternity and the dead
| actually staggered down the steps of the
London Art Gallery under the power Of
Dore's "Christ Leaving the Pmctorium !"
Profess you to bc Christian man or wo.
man and see no divine mission in art and
acknowledge you no obligation either in
thanks to God or man
II Is no more the word of God when put
before us in printers ink than by skillful
laying on of colors or designs on metal
through incisiOn or corrosion. What q
lesson in morals was presented by IIo.
garth, the painter, in his two pictures The
Rakes Progress" and "Thc Miser's Feast" !"
and by Thos. Coles engravings OF thc"Voy-
age of Human Life" and the "Course Of
Empire" and by turner's Slave Ship"
God In art Christ in art! Patriarchs,
prophets and apostles in art ! Angels In
art! Heaven in art!
PAINTERS LEFT To sTARyE.
The world and the church ought to
come to the higher appreciation of the
divine mission Of pictures, yet the authors
Of them have generally been lefl To semi.
starvation. West the great painter, toilcd
in unappreciation till, being great skater
while on the ice he formed the acquaint-
ance Of General Howe, Of the English
army, and through coming 10 admire
West as skater they gradually came To
appreciate as much that which he accom-
plished by his hand as by his heel. POus-
>in, the mighty painter, was pursued and
lad nothing with which TO defend !jmself
against The mob but the artists po.tfolio,
which he held over his head to keep of
ihc stones hurled at him. The picidres of
lsichWd Wilson. Of England, were sold
for fabulous sums ofmoney after his death,
hut the living painter was glad TO get for
his "Alcyone" piece Of Stilton cheese
From 1870 TO 1913 there were 1900 pictur-
es willfully destroyed. In the reign Of
Queen Elizabeth Il was the habit OF some
people 10 spend much of their time N
knocking pictures to pieces. In the reign
of Charles the First il was ordered by Par.
lament that all pictures of Christ be
burned. Painters were so badly treated
and humila,ed in the beginning Of the
18th century that they were lowered clear
down out Of the sublimity Of their art and
abliged to give minute accou' of what
they did with their colors, as a painters
hill which came to publication ia Scotland
in 1907 indicated. The painter had been
touching up some old pictures in the
church. and he sends in his itcmizcd bill
to the vcs,ry ITO filling up u chink in
the Red sea and repairing the damages 10
Pharaohs's hosts, ITO the new pair of
hands for Daniel In the lions den, and a
new set Of teeth for the lioncss;" TO re.
pairing Ncbuchadnezzar's heard" ITO CIV
ing blush to the check Of Eve on present
ing the apple to Adam;" ito making u
bride for the good Samariians S horse, and
mcnding one of his legs" Ito putting on u
new handle on M0ses's basket and fitting
bulrushcs, aud adding more fuel la the
fire in NcbuchWlnezzars' furnace" 50
painters were humilliatcd clear down bc.
low the majesty of their art. The oldcs,
picture in England, u portrait Of Chauccr,
though now Of great value, was picked
out of a lumber garrct. Great were the
trials of Quentin Mitsys, who toiled on
from blacksmi,h's anvil till. as a painter.
he won vide recognition. The first mis-.
siOnarics TO Mexico made the fatal mis-.
take Of destroying pictures. for the loss
of which art and religion must ever lament
But why go so far back when in this year
Of Our Lord, 1888, and within l2 years Of
the Goth century, to he a painter, except
in rare exceptions, means poverty and
neglect. Poorly fed, poorly clad, poorly
horsed, because poorly appreciated. When
l hear man Is painter l have two feel.
ings-one of admiration for the greatness
OF his soul, and the other of commisera.
ton for the needs Of his body.
PRACTICAL mELP NEEDED
But so il has been in all departments Of
noble work. Some Of the mlghticst have
been hardly bestcad. Oliver Goldsmith
had such big patch on the cont over his
left breast that when he went anywhere
he kept his hat In his hand closely pressed
over the patch. The world.rcnowned
Bishop Asbury had n salary of $j5 year.
Painters are not the only ones who have
endured the lack Of apprehension. Let
men OF wealth AXE under their pm ronage
the suffering men of art. They III no
complaint, they take no strike for higher
wages. Rut with keenncss of nervous
organization which almost always charac-
terizes genius. these artists suffer more
than anyone but God can realize. There
needs to be concerted effort for the suiF.
cring artists Of America. not sentimental
discourse about what We owe To artists.
hut contracts that will give them liycli
hood; for am In full sympathy with the
Christian farmer Who was very busy gath
ering his fall apples and someone asked
HIM to pray for his poor family, the faith.
er of which had broken his leg, and the