The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-01-23

has to bestow. receiving for his work
prices greater than we're ever given to
any other living man, he enjoyed pO-
sitiOn not held since the days of the
old masters of history, and not eXcelled
even by them. A stOcl1y man, exceed
ing short of stature, an enormous head,
full of wavy. curling hair, a great
beard that reached halfway down 10
his feet, a splendid. resolute face-these
were the striking characteristics of the
famous draughtsman, master OF detail
and composition. analytical worker and
altogether remarkable maker of pic
lures. He was a well known figure in
the streets of Paris, a potent person
atty in the art world, and all IN all
one Of the most wonderful men of the
century.
Meissonier was born at Lyons in 1915,
on the 10th of February, but his FAM
lily went to Paris when he was years
OF age. At the time of his birth his
father was a successful merchant in
drugs, but he shortly met with re
verses and was obliged to practice great
economy. The mother was an artistic
woman, said to have had, in an anna
teur way, considerable talent, dying.
however when the boy was but il
years of age. Thereafter he went to
live with relatives in GrenOble. His
warnings for art naturally manifested
themselves very early. There is a
school report in existence, made by one
of the masters of the Lycee Charlie
magne. where Ernest was a seventh
form boy in 1S24-he was then 8 years
old-wherein the following observation
occurs: Ernest has d very marked
taste for drawing; the very sight of
picture viii often make him neglect his
appointed studies But his father had
little desire to encourage the boy, for,
like some more modern parents, the
profession of the fine arts seemed to
/ him to be but trifiing at the best, and
he was DESTROYS of bringing up his son
( in the drug business. at which the boys
heart rebelled. In 1882 he was, in point
of fact, apprenticed to a chemist Dis
content, if not open rebellion, ensued.
and the boys father so far relented as
10 give him eight days in which to
find a. master who would vouch for his
having ability enough to warrant his
parent starting him on an art career.
Taking such drawings as he had made
in his odd moments, he started in on
the important quest to meet with most
disheartening rebuffs, for the first men
whom he encountered were embittered
souls, of only mediocre talent who
cursed the fate that had drawn them
into art. Finally he found one Jules
Potter, TO whom he showed a drawing,
! and who Immediately consented to
take him as a pupil. For a whole win
ter he worked with him. He had an
allowance Of 10 cents a day for his
/ meals, and he dined with his father
every Wednesday, when the members
of his family met. After a time Potter.
for whom he had done some drawings
that had sold. took him to Leon Cog
MET, who had a class, and paid his
fees in advance for five months. But
Mess0nier had no use for Cogniet- He
saw him twice only and then left the
place. In the salon of 1894 he exhibited
his first picture. 1t was called "A Visit
to the BurgOmaster, and was bought
by the -Societe des Anis des Arts for
100 francs, a respectable price in those
days He had sent one other picture
however, called a Little Messenger. -
which was rejected and subsequently
purchased by his own father, who nov
began to have a fair amount of re
spect for his sons talent.
In short, MeissOnieT's father was now
so impressed that he made him an al
lowance of 10G francs month, with
which he was to go to Rome to study
1t was arranged that he should stop al
GrenObie on the way TO paint two pOr-
traits for his father. When these were
finished the cholera had broken out an6
he got no farther than Lyons. where
he stayed a year. On his return K
Paris. although his father furnished
him with a studio he had to look abou
20 make a livelihood, and so it was he
went in for Illustrative work. wherein
he made a remarkable success. hi,
two most important works being Pau
> ct Virginie" and La Chaumiere IN
dienne" It will. of course, be under
/ stood that he drew on the block. anC
his work created a sensation immedi
ately, since it was quite superior to thi
dry. hard and unsympathstie materia
that vas then being turned out. Thes'
were in 1888. He illustrated many othe
books, and, having gotten on fairl.
well. the same year he married.
From the beginning of his career
Meissonier developed that great atten
ton to detail that has always beer
! one of his most remarkable character
istics. no preparation or study was To-