The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-05-23
A Picture
Of Peace
By F. A. mitchell

I
hunted everywhere for one. coult
find plenty Of women with suitable fig
ures, but figure expresses nothing tina
| wanted except symmetry. | painted
my picture in my studio using a mode
for the figure whom | have often EN-
ployed. leaving blank space for tht
face, intending If ever found one suit
able to my purpose | would introduce
1t. But time flew by. and | feared the
great European war, which rendered
my subject timely, would come to al
end before could find model
One day while looking out OF a rear
! window of my house | noticed sitting
at window opposite mine girl whose
nneaments We're exactly what | want.
ed. She was sewing, and since the
window In which she sat was at an
angle with mine got a three-quarters
/ view of her face. This was the posi-.
ton or my figure of Peace" in my pic.
] ture.
noticed that the girl occupied the
same position nearly ever~. morning
! from about 10 O'Clock till noon. 1t &C.
! CURED to me to bring my canvas and
my implements to my room and use the
| girl for model. She would be uncon.
scious that she YVES being used for the
purpose, and this would be great ad-
vantage. So l transferred my mate
rails from my studio to my chamber,
and, closing the blinds so that my
model would not see me copying her. |
set to work. Fortunately | seldom
missed getting a sitting each morning
MY picture was a great success
How much its being displayed when
the European war was in progress had
to do with the public's appreciation of
1t l don't know. Naturally the war
created an interest in 1t. / spent much
time In the gallery where It was hung.
watching those who looked on it. and
noticed that the expressions Of all who
viewed 1t were for the time being
softened
But one who listens to criticisms of
his work will surely hear some fault
hnding. During these eayesdroppings
| heard one adverse comment Two
ladies' We're viewing 1t when one said:
She's spitflre."
Good graciousr exclaimed the 9th
er What do you mean? She is the
representation Of amiability. How could
you have got such an IMPRESSION"
Il don't know, but I've got it all the
same"
They passed on, leaving me wonder
ing how one person of the many hun
dreds who looked at the picture should
have OWNED such different interpre.
tation of it from the rest Surely the
Judgment of the many was of far more
value than the one. Nevertheless the
criticism troubled me. Might not 9th.
ers nave got the same impression from
my Peace" but left 1t unsurpassed?
However, my picture did much to In.
troduce me as an artist, and my con
science had often pricked me for spong
Ing the services of model. medI.
tated sending an anonymous note In
closing a check. to the young woman.
l finally concluded that so refined look.
ing person would need some prepare.
tion for the reception of such. payment.
therefore wrote note telling how l
had conceived the painting of pic
ture of peace. how l had found A
model In her and how l had produced
successful work, which | could not
have produced without taking advan. |
tage of her presence at a window op. |
posite mine. | deemed 1t proper, that |
my success and humbly asked permits.
sion to send her check.
l had written this note In my room |
while my model of Peace" had been
sitting in her accustomed seat in her
window and was taking up my hat to
go out and around the block to leave
1t at her door, for | did not know her
name, when | saw approaching from
the rear of the room in which she sat
the figure of another girl about her
own age. Then l heard the one who
had newly entered say:
Maria, what did you mean last
night by taking Johnny Doyle away
from me?"
What did you mean by taking Billy
bunker away from me?~
81 didn't!
you didr'
The voices were both shrill, but that
Of my model was the shriller. / viii
not attempt to give the anathemas
hurled upon each other by the two
girls In the space of few moments.
They soon began to claw each other,
and my peace model caught her enc
my by the hair and was yanking her
around In circles when. horror strick.
IN, l covered my face with my hands
hat might see no more of the fracas
IND ran out of the room, closing the
ioor behind me to shut out the shrill
sounds.
Since that day l see my picture of
'eace through different eyes than be,
ore. Instead Of being a Madonna
he is virago. On that account |
eldom look at her. As to the model.
he morning after my disillusion she
again at her window, her
dadonna-like face covered with
cratches. l met her in the street one
lay, and 1 was surprised at a differ
nee there was in 1t from that which
lad appeared while she sat In the win !
low. What caused this difference?
ont know. 1t may have been that
he light of the room was softer than
hat of the street. But why had the
ingle critic l, have mentioned caught
he real expression7 1 give it up. Il
The check drew to send my model
gave to fund for mutilated soldiers
( the great war.