The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1905-01-12
How an Artist
Secured Recognition
iOriginal.l
This is a true story.

IVY. ~ was VI al AllCilC(LutA N-sSi
and his mother desired to give Inn an
education To do this she prlcticed
pinching economy and often worked in
the fields. as SO many peasant women
do in France. The boy madc progress
in his studies. but his natural bent was
art. So when he was fifteen it was de-
termined that he should go to Paris
with d view 10 making d painter of
himself.
Go, Bastian. my dear boy said his
mother, land may you one day be able
to support yourself by selling your
pictures"
Tue boy studied and painted foT
.even years. Meanwhile lie had be
come u man and reliant OH his own
eXertionS for a livelihood. Ike found
1t rathe" u life bordering on starvation
Still he struggled ON and though liz"
world did lot CAFE to buy LIS picture.
he made SOW but sure improvement
The first thing for an artist i'll Francs
to do is 10 palnt IL picture worthy OF
the salon. If this picture passes the
| committee and is hung on the walls
that stamps the painter as proficient i'll
| art. Bastiuu starved and worked on Il
picture for This purpose. but just as
he was finishing it the F~ranco-PrusSian
war came OF and the PruSsi;tnS march
I'd with but little delay to Paris and
aid siege to The city.
The salon vas forgotten in the great
work of defense. Bastian went with
the others into the trenches. but on
the first day Of the siege IL shell ell
at his feet anC wounded him. He was
| carried 10 his home in the country.
where he lay ii and idle for two years.
The W prk on lis picture for the salo:'
had been ruinei during the siege by Il
she'll tina exploded in his studio, but
BaStian could Tot remain id.e always.
md as he was too delicate for manual
labor he resolved to return to Paris.
There was no prospect of his making
q success at painting pictures to sell
in the usual wIy. so he painted cheap
fans. But even this was high az;
compared with what followed. One
| day IL patent medicine manufactures
gave him an order to paint a picture
illustrating his remedy's virtues. There
is something horrible to one of an
artistic nature in thus degrading his
beloved art. Nevertheless the price to
De paid for the picture would give BaS-
tian the wherewitlnl to silence his hun
| ger Tor several lnOl!lnS- tie represent
his distaste and undertook the work.
The theme he selected was "a land
cape bathed in the sunlight of April.
rhe leave on the trees We're of that
ender pale green only seen for a week
II two i'll Ia month of sunshine and
bowers. Around II fountain danced
: group of young girls The advertis-
ny feature was that the fountaiR came
Il frnr, flna Snrinss tf the oil SiF' of Vnurh
IT the patent medicine.
BaStian. being u true artist, while
he worked forgot the ignoble use to
Which his picture was to he put and
,ecnme absorbed in it. The landscape
and the dancing girls under his touch
became things of beauty. The coloring
vas delicious; the delicate leaves shone
IN the soft April sunlight; the maidens
became living beings. fair and grace
full.
When the picture was finished its
creator looked at it. and the melan-
choly fact came upon him that it was
to be used as an advertisement. lie
could not resign himself to believe that
it was not fitted for u better purpose
Indeed, he was much pleased With his
work. While he was musing before it
the man who had ordered it came in.
LET me offer it at the salon" plead |
ed Bastian.
Now. the patent medicine man knew
no more about the rules regulating the
salon than he knew of art.
The very thing" he said. But first
paint IA rainbow arching over the
fountain with the name of my medi-
cine on it,"
Bastian explained that such a fea-
ture would not pass at the salon and
1t would ruin the picture as a work of
art.
Very we'll said the manufacturer
angrily. Then ! will not pay you a
sou for it"
Bastian was in despair. He could
not give mp the price of his labor with
out going hungry. There was but a
slender chance of the pictures being
accepted at the salon. ndre of
hopeful artists send pictures there to
have them refused Would he not meet
the same fate? Nevertheless there was
something so attractive about his pic
ture that he had not the heart to spoil
It by a glaring advertisement. He re-
solved to go hungry and send his pic
ture to the salon.
Then came a weary waiting while
his contribution to art was being ex-
amined with hosts of others. One day
news came that his picture had been
admitted.
1t was a relief. but did not insure
success. Would 1t have a place before
picture lovers merely or would they
prize 1t?
The result. though 1T did not all come
at once. was pronounced. The picture
attracted great attention, sold for a
good price. End orders came for others. I,
Bastian. relieved of his distress and
finding himself enabled to do the best
work. left OF painting fans. and SO