Stories Pictures Tell Volume II Part 4

=Questions to help the pupil understand the picture.= Tell something about a fisherman's day. When does he start? How does he go? Where?

How does he keep his boat from drifting while he fishes? What is meant by "fisherman's luck"? What is his net for? What makes you think the fisherman is going home now? Why does he not use his sail? Why does he have a flat-bottomed boat? How does a good sailor care for his boat and sails? What is a "sailor's knot"? Of what use is it? Why does the fisherman wear a rubber hat and coat? How many think the little girl is helping? Why do you think her father is so pleased to have her try?

What has she on her head? around her neck? What time of the year do you think it is?

=To the Teacher:= The children might be allowed to draw or cut out a sailboat and a fisherman's hat.

=The story of the artist.= Very little is known about the boyhood of the man who painted this picture. His paintings were usually of fisherfolk, and of boats on the water. We know that in 1886 he came to America and spent one year in New York City. It was during this time that he painted his picture of Brooklyn Bridge, now in the museum in Le Havre, the town in France where he died. "A Helping Hand" is the most popular of his pictures, and may be seen in the Corcoran Gallery at Was.h.i.+ngton, D.C.

=Questions about the artist.= Who painted this picture? What cla.s.s of people did he like to paint? What did he paint during his visit to America? Where may this picture be seen?

THE STRAWBERRY GIRL

=Original Picture:= Wallace Collection, London, England.

=Artist:= Sir Joshua Reynolds (renuldz).

=Birthplace:= Plympton, Devons.h.i.+re, England.

=Dates:= Born, 1723; died, 1792.

=Questions to arouse interest.= What do you see in this picture? Where do you think she is going? What has she on her arm? What is it for?

Why do you suppose she stands so still? Do you think she looks frightened, or shy? What has she on her head? How is she dressed? How is she holding her hands? Why would she not carry strawberries in her ap.r.o.n? What can you see behind her? How many of you like this picture?

=The story of the picture.= We all know the story about the great artist, Sir Joshua Reynolds, and his picture called "Angels' Heads."

We know, too, how very fond of children he was, and how much they liked to go to see him.

Having no children of his own, perhaps he would not have understood them so well if his little niece had not come to live with him when she was a very little girl. Her name was Theophila Palmer, but every one called her "Offy." When her father died the family was left very poor, and so Sir Joshua Reynolds wanted to help her mother, who was his sister. He offered to adopt Offy as his own little daughter and to take her home to live with him and his sister in his great house in London.

After living on a farm out in the country all her life, you can imagine how excited Offy was when it was finally decided that she should go. Her uncle came for her in that same big coach or carriage in which little Frances Isabelle Gordon liked so much to ride.

What a fine time she must have had playing in the great yard with Sir Joshua, and with the children who came to him to have their pictures painted! Very often she would go home to see her mother and sister.

Then Sir Joshua would send his carriage to bring them all back for a visit with him. What fun it was to show them all around the great house and yard! There were fine, large trees in the yard, and behind the house was a small garden with a strawberry patch at one end.

One bright spring morning Offy woke up with a beautiful plan in her head. She would surprise her uncle. He had been so very busy she felt sure he had not looked at the strawberry bed for several days, and did not know the berries were ripe. She would take her little basket and pick it full of the largest ones for him.

[Ill.u.s.tration: _The Strawberry Girl_]

It was great fun hunting for them, and her basket was almost full when suddenly she heard steps. It was her uncle and two strange men who walked with him. She did not have time to hide, but stood there with her basket on her arm, waiting to hear what they would say.

At first she thought her uncle was going to scold her, and that is why she looks so shy and half afraid. But no, Sir Joshua soon guessed why she was picking the strawberries, and he was very glad he could offer some to his friends. One of the men called Offy "the little strawberry girl," and kept her with him all the rest of the day.

Sir Joshua seemed to like to look at her that day, and she was not surprised the next morning when he asked her to bring the basket and come into his studio, for he wanted to paint her picture. She had had her picture painted several times before, and knew just about what he would want her to do.

But this time he had a surprise for her. It was a large mirror which he placed in such a way that she could look in it and see every stroke of his pencil and brush as he painted her. He had her stand just as she did when he surprised her out in the strawberry patch.

As she watched him paint he talked to her about the garden and the strawberries. Then she told him how she used to gather wild strawberries out in the country, and that she and her sister and brother started very early in the morning because they wanted to find them while they were still wet with dew. There was one place not far from their house where there were many rocks, and one that was very large. The very largest, sweetest berries grew in the shade of this great rock. The children used to try to see who would reach it first; then they would divide the berries they found, for there were only a few of them, and all wanted a taste.

As Offy told about the rock Sir Joshua Reynolds sketched it in the background of his picture, just as he thought it must have looked.

The little girl looks as if she had just started away with her basket of berries when we stopped her to take her picture. She is looking straight at us, with her head bent forward a little as she smiles shyly at us with her big eyes. Her basket, cap, and dress seem strange to us, for little girls do not dress that way now. She looks quaint and old-fas.h.i.+oned as she stands there, with her hands clasped so primly. But one glance at her face tells us that she is just a merry, happy little child, ready to dart away at any moment for a romp in the woods we can see in the distance.

Sir Joshua Reynolds always said that this was the best child's picture he ever painted.

Offy was very happy in his home, and lived there until she grew up and married. Then when she had a little girl of her own she let her visit Sir Joshua and have her picture painted, too. It is Offy's little daughter we see in the picture called "Simplicity." Her name was Offy, too.

With so many lovely pictures of children it is no wonder Sir Joshua Reynolds was called the "Prince of Child Painters."

=Questions to help the pupil understand the picture.= Who painted this picture? What other picture of his have we studied? Who can tell something about Sir Joshua Reynolds? What little girl came to live with him? How did she happen to come? Where had she lived? Who brought her, and how? Tell about Sir Joshua Reynolds's house and yard. Where was the strawberry patch? What did Offy plan to do to surprise her uncle? What happened? What did one of the men call Offy? What did her uncle do the next morning? How was Offy surprised? Of what use was the mirror? Tell how Offy gathered strawberries in the country. Where did the largest berries grow? Why did Sir Joshua Reynolds paint the rock in the picture?

What did he say about this picture? What became of Offy? Why do you think Sir Joshua Reynolds liked to paint this little girl?

=To the Teacher:= Ill.u.s.trate the story of a little girl picking strawberries. Use charcoal and manila paper. Ask some child to pose for the picture, and encourage the children to draw a background that tells the story.

=The story of the artist.= The great room or studio in which Sir Joshua Reynolds painted was a wonderful place for a child to visit. In it one could find all kinds of toys, as well as birds and other pets. Most of the children who came to see Sir Joshua were of very wealthy families, but he did not care for that. He always asked their mothers to please let them wear their oldest clothes so they could have a good time. In fact, he did not like fine clothes, and usually the children in his pictures are dressed so simply you cannot tell whether they are rich or poor. He played games with them and told them stories. They were always sure of a good time and so no wonder they liked to visit him.

Many artists have been poor, and have had to work very hard just to earn enough to eat, but Sir Joshua was not one of these. He was fortunate in being able to sell all his pictures as fast as he could paint them and so always had plenty of money.

Many strange stories are told of Joshua's father because he was such an absent-minded man. One day he rode to town on horseback. He was wearing high-topped boots which were so loose that one fell off while he was riding along. He did not notice it at all, for he was thinking of something else. But when he reached town and got off his horse he was very much surprised and embarra.s.sed to find himself wearing only one boot.

When Sir Joshua went to London to learn how to paint he wrote to his father, "While I am doing this, I am the happiest creature alive."

After he had been away several years he met a young sailor, Admiral Keppel, who invited him to go on a long sail on the Mediterranean Sea.

This was a great opportunity for Sir Joshua, and he was glad to go. He spent some time in Italy, and when he came home he painted a portrait of his friend, Admiral Keppel, which every one admired. It was this picture that first made him famous.

=Questions about the artist.= Tell about Sir Joshua Reynolds's studio.

Why did children like to visit him? How did he wish them to dress?

why? Tell about his father and the boot. Was Sir Joshua Reynolds rich or poor? When he was away from home, learning to paint, what did he write to his father? Tell about Admiral Keppel and his picture.

THE RETURN TO THE FARM

=Original Picture:= The Louvre (l[=oo]vr'), Paris, France.

=Artist:= Constant Troyon (trwyn) =Birthplace:= Svres (Svr'), France.

=Dates:= Born, 1810; died, 1865.

=Questions to arouse interest.= What do you see in this picture? Where are the animals going? Where do you think they have been? Who is driving them? What time of day do you think it is? Do you think it is a warm or a cold day? why? Which is the leader of the sheep? Notice the knees of the animals. What do they show? Where is the donkey? Why does the dog seem so anxious? From what direction are the animals coming? See if you can find any two sheep just alike. What can you see in the distance? Where is the shady part in the picture? Do you like this picture?

=The story of the picture.= It is at the close of day; the cows, the sheep, and the donkey have been out in the pasture all day, and when the dog and his master came for them they were ready to start for home.