The morning journal-courier., 1908-07-13
MILLET IN HIS STUDIO.
Methods of Work of the Great French
 Artist.

IL was, and has remained. memor- able day when the green gate Into inc garden was opened to me for the flrst time by Francois Millet. Entering. l turned to the left toward the studio. The son hurriedly explained to me that his father was suffering from one of the headaches to which he was subject, but had insisted on rising from hls bed 10 receive the young American student. Naturally I drew back and protested against intrusion on his father at such a time; but, as spoke, the elder man advanced,
 He was of large frame and medium stature, the eyes of an artist deep set with the frontal bone we'll developed, strong and prominent nose and abund- ant beard, which did not entirely con- ceal his mouth; firmly drawn yet gravely kind In expression. drawing which I endeavored to make sometime afterward, from one of the rare photo graphs taken of him Qoaned me by one of his brothers), Is not unlike him: al- though 1t gives an aspect which he or- ly had when dressed In city clothes, as on his rare visits to Paris. Clad In knitted coat, not unlike the cardigan jacket which was familiar here at one time. closely buttoned to the waist and we'll worn trousers, his appearance was that of the peaceful provincial in France, who, secure from the public gaze behind his garden wall, dresses for ease and comfort. The legend of the peasants sabots worn by him has only this touch of trdth that in the heavy dews on the plain, or in bad weather at any time. he wore sabots out of doors as most country people do In France, as a foot covering that, af- ter a little practice. Is not difficult to walk with; which protects from damp ness and is easily slipped off on enter ing within doors.
 Between my timidity, the little French I possessed, and the masters evident suffering, our first interview began badly enough my chief preoc- cupation being to find an excuse for withdrawing quickly. But as 1t pro- gressed the interest of Millet grew as he would display. from canvases stack ed against the wall, pictures in vari- ous stages of progress
 His method almost invariably was to indicate composition lightly In char coal, seldom, at least at that time, having recourse to nature, and never from q model posing; hls work from life consisting generally in strongly accented drawing almost In outline. When the composition was finally ar ranged to his satisfaction, he drew in the figures and it's principal lines, us ng a thick quill pen, with ink. Upon this, with semi-transparent color, he would prepare the domnant tones of his picture A canvas thus prepared he would set aside to dry, returning to 1t later with more direct painting in opaque tones gradually refining it's col or and rendering it's effect to the point of completion.
 I remembering questioning myself, although I warmly approved of the re- suit, if the means employed by this great painter were those which were thought consistent with the best mod ern practice. Slavish adherence to na- ture was then, and after, the watch word of the school, and as many do, I confounded the practice of the schoo with that of the mature artist Some question of this kind I ventured to make, asking how in the studio light ed by single window he could study the model as the figure would be lit out of doors For reply he showed me a drawing a mere quick sketch, now my better understanding, appearing, as I remember 1t, to have the indication of all the essential construction of the figure that the master with his knowl. edge of form needed to work from. The answer to my question appeared to me however, enigmatical, and Milet speaking slowly and with much empha- sis, explained that a figure arrested ir movement and with muscles relaxed demanded at the best on the part ol
 the artist a memory of the appearanct of the figure in action; that for hin the weary imitation of posed mode
 seemed less true, less like nature, thar to follow a sketch retaining the actior of life with added truths garnerec from long and close observation; aid. ed by the memory of the relation be- tween figure and It's background un. der certain effects of light-W II. Low in Scrlbners Magazine.
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 Gerald--Some things 20 by fits an,