Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1904-08-04
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but his masterpiece alone was enough
to make his fortune
While struggling for recognition he
fell In love with and married young
girl-Helena was her name-who to
him was perfection. 1t is we'll known
that lovers endow the objects of their
love with every attraction, and this
man endowed his wife especially with
great beauty. He painted a picture of
her not as his Imagination saw her, but
as she was, and when the picture was
completed he supplied its beauty from
his imagination, just as he had done in
the case of the original
Soon after the completion of the por-
trait Helena sickened and died. The
husband was inconsolable. He would
sit all day looking at the portrait,
which to him was even more beautiful
than it was when he painted it. A
whole year passed, and he had done
nothing but mourn. He was so poor
that his clothes were rags, and he had
nothing to eat except dry bread. Then
one day upon learning that there was
to be competition for an altar piece
for cathedral, Madonna and child
he reused himself to an effort to win
the prize. The winning picture must be
wonder, and three years were given
in which to produce it.
The artist knew that the first thing
for him to do was to find model. It
was the spring Of the year, and he SAL
lied forth into the country, thinking
to discover among the dairymaids or
shepherdesses what he desired, for 1t
was from the simpler classes that the
mother Of Jesus came. The pleasant
air and sunshine frightened the spirit
within him, and he became interested
in his search. He visited many young
women, but found none that he thought
would do for divine model. His ideal
was the face Of his lost wife, and one
may look long while without finding
an ideal Of anything.
One morning he passed dairy farm,
and, going back to the COW sheds, a girl
arose from milking and greeted him
with very pleasant smile-a smile of
pity, for the man was in tatters and
looked hungry. She offered him a cup
Of milk fresh from the cow and then
took him into the neat farmhouse and
gave him good meal. When the
farmer and his wife came in they
gave him hearty shake of the hand
and approved Of what their daughter
Cecilia had done.
The artist stayed at the farm several
days. Indeed. they would not let him
go till he had gained strength to travel.
During these few days it was growing
upon him that the face Of Cecilia was
especially suited for the mother Of one
who, though divine, was born in q
manger.
The artist confessed his profession
and told the farmer Of his object. The
man was so pleased that his daughter
should sit for picture Of the Virgin
that he consented to take her to the
artists studio himself.
For months the picture Of the Madon-
ma was growing on the canvas. I'm
consciously the painter, though he fol-
lowed Cecilia's features and outline,
put in the expression with which his
Imagination had endowed his lost wife.
The picture therefore became thing
Of heavenly beauty. But the artist
could find no child that would do for
model Of the infant Saviour. He
had sketched child's outline in the
picture, hoping every day to come upon
the model he wanted. The babe should
resemble Its mother, and no babe could
be found with the features Of Cecilia.
By this time the artist had become
engrossed in his work. Gradually his
imaginary conception Of his wife's
beauty was transferred to the model
and through her to the canvas, though
Of this he was unconscious. Then one
day it occurred to him to marry Cecil
liza, and perhaps they would have a
child that would do for the model in
FAINT Jesus. Her father consented, and
the marriage took place.
After his marriage the artist left her
picture as it was, hoping for a child
from which he might fill in the child
in the picture A little son came to
him, and when it was about fifteen
months old he transferred the image to
the canvas. The Madonna was won
der; the child had inherited her fea-
lures, and her father adored him.
When the picture was finished the few
who were permitted to see it were
struck dumb with admiration. But one
thing puzzled the artist. No one saw
any likeness between the Madonna and
Cecilia.
1t was happy morning for the art
list and his family when the award
was announced and he was found to
be the winner. The prize was enough
to keep them very modestly, and they
not only enjoyed a competence, but the
fame the father and husband had won.
He tried often again to do such work,
but never succeeded. However, his
name on picture was ever after suff1-
cient to insure its sale for large sum.
One day several years after the win
ming of the prize the artist went up