Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1890-03-01
BEFORE THE ANcELUS.
Some Criticisms of Miiiet's Great Work
Heard Prom visitors TO the Gallery.

BEFORE THE ANcELUS.
Some Criticisms of Mifiet's Great Work
Heard Prom Visitors TO the Gallery.
Millet, so the story goes. when he
had finished The Angelus," invited an
old friend in the church to come and
see il.
'Ah," said the old man, as he gazed
mt the picture. at Is The Angelus;' l
hear the BELLS
Whereupon, Of co lrse, the artist was
greatly pleased. and promptly declar-
ed that the aim of his life was accom-
plished.
The greatest artist of ancient times
had been deemed wonderful for paint
ing grapes at which the birds came TO
peck: but he had painted a prayer aud
a church spire, aud q priest recognized
the words of the invocation and heard
the sound of the bells in the steeple.
If Millet were living now, and could
come to stand before his picture in the
exhibition rooms, says a writer in the
n. Y. Sun, he might be less pleased.
but he certainly would he az highly en-
tertained by the comments made by
the continuous thTong that passes be-
fore the picture. OF course. niue peo-
pie out of every ten are surprised 10
find how small il is. Somehow no
amount of culture or training in art is
able to eliminate entirely from the
mind the idea that pictures are vaIua-
BILE according to their size, and the
comparison Between the price which
The Angelusn brought at its last sale,
and the number Of square inches ia
the canvas is so startling that it shocks
the unprepared mind. Everybody has
a different way of expressing this dis
satisfaction with the size of the master
piece. One old lady pushed up before
it during one Of the most crowded
hours Of the exhibition. She was rich
~ dressed and evidently felt herself
fully competent to criticise anything
in the art line. II could be seen as she
approached that her eyes were focused
for something very large and start
ling. When she had reached the front
she gazed blankly at the eXpanse Of
red draperies. Finally she caught
sight of the picture, and placing a
lorguette TO her eve, leaned her head
well back and gazed at the picture in-
tently, aud, at last, s~cornfully. After
a few moments she put down her
glasses, and, half turning TO the specta-
tors about her, said in a loud and dis
tinct voice:
Well, I'm disappointed"
Nobody seemed interested in the an
nouncement, and she turned and took
another look.
Yes, / am disappointc1,' she re-
peated in an even more distinct tone of
voice.
Nobody answered Der.
lam very much disappointed, she
ventured again, after another look, in
the same aggressive one
Still nobody paid any attention TO
her, and she looked again.
II don't know when I've been so dis
appointed" was the way she put it this
time.
There were a few disrespectful gig
giles, and then % woman near her re-
marked in a coldly unsympathetic
voice:
Would you kindly keep your disap-
pointment to yourself and let us enjoy
the picture?'
The disappointed woman evidently
had astonishmcnt added to her other
feelings at this unexpected sally, but
she made no reply and strobe haughti-
lY away after another scornful look at
the helpless little canvas As she
passed out of the building she was
noticed stopping before a gorgeous red
and black Rocky Mountain scene in
the trout room and exclaiming:
There, that's what call something
like!'
Very comical are the mistakes made
by spe,~ tors as to the meaning of tho
picture. II would break Millct's heart
to know Of some of these. One appar.
emily intelligent and cultivated woman
came In the other day, aud after gaz-
ing a long time at the picture sat down
in a chair beside the girl who sells cata.
logues ut a table in front of The An.
geius."
That's a love ~subjectp' remarked
the wonan opening 4 conversation.
The girl d~iscreetly made no reply.
Yes. and ] think it's so beautiful"
continued the IN just see how
modest the young woman is"
The paralyzed catalogue girl ventur-
ed a feeble "Yespn
Il do love such subjects; and hasn't
he painted it exquisitelyp' the woman
on.
Just here the catalogue girl was
from danger of hysteria by the
arrival of the woman's husband. He
had a catalogue in his hand, and he
led his wife around to look at the other
pictures.
Presently the woman came back in q
great hurry. She had evidently been
reading the catalogue.
why, that isn't a love subject at
she exclaimed sharply to the girl.
The girl vas arranging her cata-
mo, that's a religious subject; it
isn't a love subject at ALL" repeated the
woman.
The girl saw a bit of paper on the
floor on the other side OF her table and
bent over to pick it up. The woman
eNtu utT iOE u moIueut, anu tneu sdlu,
with subdaed intensity:
Did you know that that wasn't a
love subject when i was talking to
youPn
The girl is usually truthful, but there
was no help for it this time. She raised
her eyes to those of the woman and
said unblushingly, but somewhat fee
bly,:
.No, ma'am"
The woman gave her another sharp
look, but went away apparently salts
fed.
"Aunt Nina's" Appeal.
''Zebn Vance was holding forth in
one of the cloak-rooms of the senate
the other day IN the evils of inten,per-