The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1913-09-25
How
An nArtist Obtained
Recognition
BY F. TOWNSEND SMITH

books with pictures. The fyleaves
and the margins Of the pages were
covered with heads Of persons with
all sorts of expressions, besides the
bodies of dogs, horses, cats, elephants
and other animals. One could easily
tell by referring to his schoolboOks
how much and how little each subject
er, the lessons in which were well
selected, was quite free from sketches,
while his arithmetic and grammar
were full Of them. He was interested
in the reader, but he detested gram
mar and arithmetic.
Alan determined to be an artist. His
father, who was practical man and
had q large family to support, shook
his head at his sons choice of field
| Of labor, but since Alan seemed fit
ted for nothing else than an artist
he consented. He could not afford to
send the boy abroad to study, so he
was obliged to prepare himself for his
profession in America part OF
| course in an art school was all the in
struction he received. Then he began
| to try to pick up living as best he
could by making pictures.
Like most persons Of artistic nature,
| he first few high. He painted on can
| vas, but no one cared to buy his pic
lures. Then be tried to get an order
to Illustrate books; but, the field being
occupied, he sank to an illustrator for
third rate newspaper. At this he
made just enough to keep body and
soul together.
One day Alan saw a baby sleeping
In it's crib. He was much impressed
with the relaxedness of the little one
and wondered II he could transfer it
to paper. He tried and was eninently
successful The child slept just as
sleepily on paper as he did in his crib.
III tell you what you do with that,
Alan" said a friend. Send it to
baby food company and ask for an
order to put it in oils for an ad."
Alan shuGdered at the suggestion.
Was he indeed reduced to applying bis
art for business purposes? But he
needed money to pay his room rent, SO
he acted on his friends advice. The
company quickly returned the picture
with the order he had solicited, offer
ing him 500 for his work. When
the picture was finished every one who
saw it Remarked:
How pretty!'
Dear little thingw
Sound asleep, isn't hep
These remarks and other such in
genuous criticisms so pleased the artist
that he forgot that the picture was to
| be degraded as an advertisement. But
when he sent it to the food company
and received it back again with in
structions to put in it baby's bottle
with the words perkins Food on 1t
| he almost cried.
However. the promise of check as
soon us the picture was returned with
the essentials" painted In helped to
sWeeten the dose, and Alan got him
self down to the task. He received the
check, paid his room rent, bought him
self new outfit of clothes and good
meal. Thus improved in body and
mind he bethought himself what next
to do.
Art Is art even on sign or an ad-
vertisement, and not a few Of the
worlds great artists have been obliged
to apply their abilities in this way.
To get that relaXedness on canvas or
In marble that Alan had transferred
from the sleeping child is one Of the
main features Of genius. Persons who
saw the Perkins food advertisement
saw simply sleeping child. Here and
there one who knew the pictures
intrinsic worth supposed that the work
of some great artist had been appro-
priated.
Alan knew he had produced some
thing that he had only seen in draw
fncs which were exhibited as treasures
of art He determined to try 1t again
with a dancing girl. Between the
model when placed on the canvas and
other pictures of dancers was the
same difference as between two girls
the one of whom is born graceful and
the other is not. He continued to work
in this vein till his 500 was exhaust
ed, but by this time one OF his pictures
was sold. for a song. 1t is true, but II
nroduced money. This was the first
encouragement of practical kind that
the young artist received. That hrst
bank bill paid him, though but tithe
of the price paid him for bis ad.' was
far more grateful to him. But TINS
was a matter Of sentiment
One who saw the picture that Alan
had sold and who recognized II Tor
what it was really worth wanted one
by the same artist. This led 10 an
other sale, and these two led to Others
and it was not long before dealers
would say to inquirers, "Oh, that's an
original Vail. and his pictures come
high"
But these earlier prices were dwarf
ed by those Alan obtained ten years
later. In one respect his WORK dld no'
improve. but in other respects IT quo
A genius for portraying figures WITT
absolutely no stiffness ABOUT them wa.
horn in him. The accessories were HI
accumulation of experiences. But tne
main reason why his pictures CO."
manded a high price was because the'
wore advertised. In other words, ht
found that their worth, as well as i,er
Fins, food. depended on their oelns
rhovn to large numbers OF persons
> and in advertising that article he nat