The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1905-07-12
How an Artist
Secured Recognition
ioriginai.l

and his mother desired TO give him an
ptnching economy and often worked in
the fields. as sc many peasant women
do in France. The boy made
in his studies. but his atura bent was
art. So when he was fifteen it was de-
termined that he shouid go to Paris
with a view TO making a painter of
himself.
60. Bastian, my dear boy" said his
mother, and may o one day be able
to support yourself by selling your
pictures"
The boy studied and painted for
seven years. Meanwhile he had be-
come Il man and reliant on his own
exertions for a livelihood. He found
1t rather Il life bordering on starvation.
Still he struggled on and though the
world did not care TO buy his pictures
he made SLOW but sure Improvement.
The first thing for an artist i'll France
to do is 10 paint a picture worthy Of
the salon. If this picture passes the
committee and is hung on the walls
that stamps tile painter as proficient in
d = SNNA WI HHHtA W vi ~ cA a
picture for this purpose, but just as
he was finishing it the Franco-Prussian
war came OF and the Prussians march
ed with but little delay to Paris and
aid siege to the city.
The salon was forgotten in the great
work of defense. Bastian went with
the others into the trenches. but on
the first day Of the siege a shell fell
at his feet anG wounded him. lie was
carried To his home in the country.
where he lay i'll and idle for two years.
The work on his picture for the salon
had been ruined during the siege by a
shell that exploded in his studio. but
BaStian could rot remain idle always.
and az 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 way. so he painted cheap
fans. But even this was high art
compared with what followed. One
day a patent medicine manufacturer
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
be paid for the picture would give Ras-
tan b wherewithal to silence his hun
ger for several months. He represSed
his distaste and undertook the work.
The theme he selected was a land
scape bathed in the sunlight OF April.
leaves on the trees We're of that
tender pale green only seen for a week
or two in tie month Of sunshine and
showers. Around u fountain tlanced
a group of young girls. The advertis-
ing feature was that he fountain came
from the spring of the elixir of youth,
or the patent medicine.
Bastian, being Il true artist. while
he worked forgot the ign0ble use to
which his picture was to be put and
became absorbed in it. The landscape
and the dancing girls under his touch
became things of beauty. The colorlng
was delicious. the delicate leaves shone
in The soft April sunlight; the maidens
became living beings. fair and
full.
When the picture was finished it's
creator looked at 1t. and the meTan-
choly fact came upon him that it was
to be used As an advertisement. lie
could not resign himself to believe that
X was not ntleu loE 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.
"I.et me offer 1t 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.
1.-The very thing" he said. But FIRST
paint n 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 az a work OF
art.
Very well" said the manufactures
angrily. Then l will not pay YOU n
sou for II"
Bastian was in despair. He could
not give up the price of his labor with
out going hungry. There was but a
slender chance of the pictures being
accepted at the salon. Hundreds Of
hopeful artists send pictures there to
them refused. Would he not meet
the same fate: Nevertheless there was
so attractive about his pic
ture that he had not the heart to spoil
1t by 9 glaring advertisement. He re-
solved to go hungry and SEND his pic
ture to the salon.
Then came a weary waiting while
contribution TO art was being ex-
amined with hosts of others. One day
came that his picture had been
admitted.
1t Was a relief, but did not insure
ranou I-1,1II q -a.a 800.
lover merely OIL woul they
prize it?
The result. though it did not all come
at once was pronounced. The picture
attracted great attention. old for a