The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-08-28
HALF A DOZEN PICTURES"
Rudyard. Kipling.
orpy,i5h. 1892. by ne Aahor.

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all earth. visiting them rs fate allows. Then
none can steal or defnce. nor any reverse Of
fOftune force a sale: sunshine and tenn pest
warm md ventilate tho gallery for nothing.
and. In spite OF all that has been said OF her
crudeness. Nature is not altogether n bad
frame maker. The knowledge that you may
nevsr live to SEQ an especial treasure twice
teaches the eyes to soc quickly whilo the light
lasts: and the possession OF such n gallery
breeds q very flne contempt for painted shows
and the smeared things called pictures.
To the North Pacific. to the right hand as
you 60 westward. hangs n small study OF no
particular value az compared with some
others. The mist Is down on an oily stretch
OF washed-out sea through the mist tho bats
wings OF . sealing schooner are Just indicated.
In the foreground. all but leaping out OF the
frame an omen rowboat. painted the crudest
blue and white. rides up over the shoulder OF
Q swell. A man in a blood red Jersey and long
boots. all shining with moisture. stands at tho
bows holding up the carcass Of a silver-bsllied
sea otter. from whose pelt the wet drips In
moonstones. Now the artist who could paint
the silver wash of the mist. the wriggling
treAcly reflection OF the boat. and the raw.
red Wrists OF the man would be- something Of
workman.
But my gallery is In no danger OF being
copied at present. Three years since I met an
artist in tho stony bed Of a brook. between q
line Of 500 craven. !ichened godlings and a
flaming bank OF aznlea. swearing horribly. He
had boon trying to paint one OF my pictures
nothing moro than q big water-worn rock
tuftsd with flowers and n snow-cspped hill
for background. Most naturally. he failed. be-
cause there happened to be absolutely no per-
spective in the thing. and lie was pulling the
lines about In order to make SOM for home
consumption. No rnnn cau put the con-
tents OF . gallon jar into q pint mug. The
protests OF all ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS mugs
since the world began have settled that long
ago. and have given US tho working theories.
devised BY imperfect instruments for imper-
foot instrument. called Rules OF Art.
Luckily those who painted my gallery were
born before man. Therefore. the pictures.
instead Of being boxed up by numbering bars
Of gold. are disposed generously between lati-
tudea. souinoxes. monsoons. and the like. and.
making all allowance for an owners partially.
they are really not 80 bad.
Down in the South. where tho ships mover
so"-between the heel Of New Zealand and the
South Pole. there ia a sea piece showing a
steamer trying to come round in the trough Of
a Zig beam sea. The wet light Of the days end
comes more from the water than the sky, and
the waves are %colorless through the haze OF the
rain. oil but two or three blind sea horses
swinging out OF the mist on to the ships drip
ping weather side. A lamp Is lighted
in the wheelhouse: 80 one patch OF
yellow light falls on the green painted pistons
OF the steering gear as they snatch up the
rudder chains. A big sea has Just got home.
Hof stern flies UP In the latlier Of the freed
screw. and her deck from the poop to tho
break Of the focsle goes under in eray-green
water level as q mill race. except where 1t
spouts up above the donkey engine and the
stored derrick booms. Forward there Is MOTH
Ing but this glare aft. the interrupted wake
drives far to leeward as a cut kite string
dropped across the seas. The sole thing
that has any rest in the turmoil is the
jewellsd unwinkinG eye OF an albatross. who
Ia beating across wind leisurely and uncon-
eerned. almost within hands touch. 1t Is the
monstrous egotism Of that eye that makes the
picture. BY all the rules OF art there should
be q lighthouse or a harbor pier In the back
ground to show that everything will end hap
PLY. But there is not. and the red eye does
not care whether the thing beneath the still
wings stays or slaves.
The sister panel hangs in tho Indian Ocean
and tells a story. butts none the worse for that.
Here you have hot tropical sunlight and a
foreshore clothed in stately palms running
out into a still and steamy sea Furnished steel
blue. Along that foreshorc. q~nesting is a
wounded beast quests Tor q lair. hurries a
ionoco S'cAluOE ucNcE bult vi bIoeu. NOuS6-
Quently. she tears and threshes the water to
pieces. and piles 1t under her nose. and cannot
put It under her %cleanly. Coir-colored cargo
bales arc stacked round both masts. and her
decks are crammed and double .crammed with
darE-slinned passengers-from the ~foc'sle.
whore they interfere with the crew. to the
stern where they hamper the wheel.
The funnel is painted blue on yellow. giving
her q holiday air a little out OF keeping with
the yellow and black cholera flag at her main.
She dare not stop: she must not communicate
with any one. There are leprous streaks OF
lime wash trick ling dow her plates for a sign
Of this. So she thresles on down the glorious
coast. she and her swarm ing passengers. with
the sickness that destroysth In the MONDAY
eating out her heart.
Yet another. tho pick OF all the east rooms.
before We have done with blue water. Most Of
the nations Of the earth are at issue under a
stretch OF white awning above a crowded deck.
The cause OF the dispute. q deep copper bowl
full Of rice and fried onions. is upset in the
foreground. Malays. Lascars. Hindus. Chi
nose. Javanese. Burmans-the whole aamut OF
race tints. from saffron to tar black-are twist
Ing and writing round 1t, while their vermil-
lion. cobalt. amber. and emerald turbans and
head cloths are lying underfoot. Pressed
against the yellow oclre of the iron bull
warks to left and right are frightened women
and children In turquoise and Isabella colorsd
clothes. They are half protected by mounds OF
upset bedding. straw mats, red lacquer boxes.
aud plated bamboo trunks. mixed up with
tin plates. brass and opper hu0as. silver
opium pipes. Chinese playing cards. and
properties enough to drive half a dozen ar
lists Wild. In tho centre Of the crowd OF
furious. half-naked men. the fat. bare back OF
. thurman. tattooed from collar bone to waist
cloth With wrifiinu fntfarna NJ rad and
blue devils. holds tho eyo first. 1t is a wicked
back. Beyond It " the nicke or OF a Malay kris.
blue. rod. ind yellow mncaw chained to n
stanchion spreads his wings against the Gun In
an ecstasy %oftcrror. Half a dozen rcd gold pines
and bananas have been knocked dewn from
their ripening placer. and arc lying between
the feet OF the lighters. One pine has rolled
against the long brown fur Of a muzzled bear.
His owner. q bushy-bearded Hindu. kneels
over the animal. his body cloth thrown clear
oil . hard. brown arm. his fingers ready to
vnnaa tha nhpvyln Strnu frk,n pi,,,, n.1t L.,