The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1904-10-16
ILLUSTRATING HOLY WRIT.

1t was only six years ago that an artist appeared
with the combination of genius and experience
necessary for the colossal task of illustrating the
SBlble. 1t was James ]. Tissot. He appealed strik.
fngly to the French world by the exhibition of his
paintings illustrating the New Testament which
were exhibited at the Salon. He had been preyi.
Pusly known as a genre painter. He painted
numerous excellent pictures of Partisan life and
character: but no one suspected him of an ambition
ITO shine as n painter of religious subjects. They
did not know that for ten years he had been pre-.
! pairing for the task.
1t was in the course Of studying a setting for a
painting of The Choir Singer" which was to form
one Of a series on la Femme a Paris" that Tissot
entered the Church of st. Sulpice to get the at.
mosphere for his picture. While there, mass was
being celebrated. The painter took part in the serv.
Ice and as his mystical nature was stirred by the
majestic ceremonial he saw a vision. He beheld
Two figures, a peasant and his wife, amid the ruins
Of a modern castle. Despair had ground them to
the earth, until at last the figure of the Savior float
ed toward them, bearing consolation and encourage
ment, He was the Solution Of 1.-THE Problem of
LIFE"
The vision pursued the artist even after he had
left the church and. though he tried to put it aside
for, his regular work, 1t would not be denied. He
vas seized with a fever through which the vision
played. and, when he recovered, the compulslon to
paint "Fhe Ruins was still strong upon him. He
could not resist it; but when he sat down to paint
the picture he was at 4 loss. He could paint the
ruined castle, he could paint the peasant and his
wife in despair; but how could he paint the Savior
when he knew nothing of'the people whence he had
sprung; nothing of his time?
Tissot determined to so to Palestine. Instead of
one picture he would paint ten. To the hills of
Palestine he went, s%ketching, photographing. work
ing by day and by night. lie caught the atmos-
phere of lake and river, of hill and dale; he sketched
the features of Jewish men and maidens, of little
children, of rabbits; and he returned to Paris to
paint. But the idea had grown. Instead of ten
pictures he found that it would require a hundred
to tell the wondrous tale. He needed other details
and he returned to Palestine again and again. until
ten years had passed in preparing and painting the
life of Jesus: and four hundred paintings We're the
result of this tireless labor. They were exhibited
in the United States in 1898 and 1899, and were
studied by thousands and tens of thousands, who
marveled at the conceptions Of Jesus and his life
and were struck by the verisimilitude Of the works.
Subsequently the artist decided that it would be
possible to paint the pictures of the Old Testament
with 4 similar completeness and fidelity. He
worked until death laid its touch upon the great
hand that held the brush. Four hundred pictures
Illustrating the Old Testament were added to the
worlds art. Six of these magnificent works will
be reproduced in The Republics Magazine next Sun
day. in connection with the leading article, written
by Clifton Hardy Levy-"A Living Old Testament"
Aside from this excellept feature, which of itself
renders next Sundays issue of high value and inter
est. there will be numerous contributions of eAcep-
tiona] quality by familiar writers.
give Grand Old Peaks" viewed from Oregon
Hill. is by Charles n. Crewdson. and accompanied
by Photographic illustrations of Mount Hood. Mount
Adams and Mount Rainier.
Sewell H. Ford, the celebrated story-teller, tells
Q good, new story-"The Story of Percles.'
Prentiss AaSSar writes about some famous
angling and famous women anglers. tEor that mat
~ all women are anglers of one kind sr ~another9
The Banishment of Possum'' is the contribution