The Hartford republican., 1913-10-17
How
An Artist Obtained
Recognition
BY r. TOWNSEND SM In

SVhotuhtiy sCOiueu iOT CoNeiiir uiS
books with pictures. The dyleayes
and the margins Of the pages were
covered with heads of persons with
ell 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
Interested him. For instance, his read
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 a practical man ana
had large family to support, shook
his head ut 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. A 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 flew high. He painted on can.
vas, but no one cared to buy his pic
lures. Then he 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 its crib. He was much impressed
with the relaxedness Of the little one
and wondered II he could transfer 1t
to paper He tried and was eminently
successful. The child slept just as
sleepily on paper as he did in his crib.
"Tll tell you what you do with that,
Alan" said friend. Send 1t to
baby food company and ask for an
order to put 1t in oils for an ad."
Alan shuddered at the suggestion.
Was he indeed reduced to applying his
art for business purposes? But ne
needed money to pay his room rent, 30
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 1t remarked:
How pretty!
"Dear little thing!"
''Sound asleep, isn't hep
These remarks and other such In
genuous criticisms so pleased the artist
that be forgot that the picture was tt
he degraded al an advertisement. Bu,
when he sent it to the food company
! and received 1t back again with IN
structions to put In it baby's bottle
with the words Perkins Food on !
he almost cried.
However, the promise OF check al
soon as the picture was returned VIII
the essentials" painted in helped Il
sweeten the dose, and Alan got him
self down to the task. He received tn
check, paid his room rent, bought him
self a new outfit Of clothes and goo
meal. Thus improved In body ant
mind he bethought himself what mex
to do. s-. f
Art is art, even on a sign or an ad
yertisement. and not few OF tn
worlds great artists have been oblige
: to apply their abilities In this way
To get that relaxedness on canvas Q
I'm marble that Alan had transferre
from the sleeping child Is one OF th
main features of genius. Persons wh
saw the Perkins food advertisement
saw simply sleeping child. Here an
there one who knew the picture
intrinsic worth supposed that the wor
Of some great artist had been appr'
priated.
Alan knew he had produced som
|. thing that he had only seen In draw
ings which were exhibited as treasur'
of art He determined to try 1t agal
with a dancing girl. Between IL
model when placed on the canvas al
other pictures Of dancers was II
same difference as between two CIR
the one Of whom is born graceful al
the other is not. He continued to wol
I'm this vein till his 800 was exhaus
ed, but by this time one OF his pictur
was sold, for a song, 1t Is true. put
\ produced money. This was the hr
encouragement Of practical kind tn
the young artist received. That or
bank bill paid him, though but ut
Of the price paid him for his ad.' w
far more grateful to him. But u
was a matter of sentiment
One who saw the picture that All
had sold and who recognized II !
what It was really worth wanted o
by the same artist. This led to a
other sale. and these two led to othe
II and It was not long before deaie
i would say to inquirers. "oh. that's
original Vail. and his pictures col
high" 1. t,
But these earlier prices were diva
ed by those Alan obtained ten yea
totar In one resDect his work 01d