Chapter I: Part 1

STORIES PICTURES TELL

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STORIES
PICTURES TELL

BOOK SIX

By
FLORA L. CARPENTER

Instructor in drawing at Waite High School, Toledo, Ohio
Formerly supervisor of drawing, Bloomington, Illinois

Illustrated with Half Tones from
Original Photographs

RAND McNALLY & COMPANY
CHICAGO NEW YORK

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Copyright, 1918
BY RAND MCNALLY & CO.

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THE CONTENTS

SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER

PAGE
“Sir Galahad” _Watts_ 1
“A Reading from Homer” _Alma-Tadema_ 13

NOVEMBER, DECEMBER, AND JANUARY

“The Golden Stairs” _Burne-Jones_ 27
“Aurora” _Reni_ 37

FEBRUARY AND MARCH

“Avenue at Middelharnis” _Hobbema_ 47
“The Angelus” _Millet_ 58

APRIL, MAY, AND JUNE

“Sheep in Spring” (and “Sheep _Mauve_ 68
in Autumn”)

Review of Pictures and Artists
Studied

_The Suggestions to Teachers_ 78

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THE PREFACE

Art supervisors in the public schools assign picture-study work in each grade, recommending the study of certain pictures by well-known masters. As Supervisor of Drawing I found that the children enjoyed this work but that the teachers felt incompetent to conduct the lessons as they lacked time to look up the subject and to gather adequate material. Recourse to a great many books was necessary and often while much information could usually be found about the artist, very little was available about his pictures.

Hence I began collecting information about the pictures and preparing the lessons for the teachers just as I would give them myself to pupils of their grade.

My plan does not include many pictures during the year, as this is to be only a part of the art work and is not intended to take the place of drawing.

The lessons in this grade may be used for the usual drawing period of from twenty to thirty minutes, and have been successfully given in that time. However, the most satisfactory way of using the books is as supplementary readers, thus permitting each child to study the pictures and read the stories himself.

FLORA L. CARPENTER

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STORIES
PICTURES TELL

SIR GALAHAD

=Questions to arouse interest.= Who is this man? How is he dressed? What do his armor and title “Sir” tell us he is? How many have read Tennyson’s poems telling the story of the knights of the Round Table? What does Sir Galahad look as if he were about to do? Why do you think he is starting on a journey, rather than returning from one? Why do you think it must be an important journey? How will he go? What was expected of a knight in those days? Tell of some of their good deeds. What would you judge the character of this knight to be? Where is he represented in this picture? Is he walking, or standing still? looking at something in particular, or lost in thought? Does he appear angry, meek, determined, hesitating, thoughtful, or dreamy? What do his clasped hands indicate? What color is the horse? Upon what part of the man and horse does the light fall? What would you consider the main thought expressed in this picture?

=Original Picture=: Collection Alexander Henderson, M.P., London,
England.
=Artist=: George Frederick Watts (wŏts).
=Birthplace=: London, England.
=Dates=: Born, 1817; died, 1904.

=The story of the picture.= Many wonderful stories have been told of the famous knights of the Middle Ages, but none perhaps more interesting than the adventures of the knight Sir Galahad when he went in search of the Holy Grail.

In those times the greatest praise a boy could hope to receive was “You are brave enough to become a knight some day,” or “You are as courteous as a knight”; and his greatest ambition was to receive this title as he knelt before his sovereign or a superior knight. In those days boys were carefully trained for knighthood, just as for any other profession. They were sent away from home when very young, and spent at least ten years under severe discipline and training.

The boy Galahad had passed through these years of preparation. He had been taught to be quick in action,—managing a horse so that he could jump on or off while it was in full gallop,—to throw his spear with sure aim, to run swiftly, to obey all commands promptly; and, more difficult still, he had learned to wait patiently and uncomplainingly when he could not understand why he should wait.

Now he was twenty-one years old. Knighthood had been bestowed upon him, according to the custom, by a blow with the flat of the sword on his shoulder as he knelt, and the words, “Arise, Sir Galahad.” And now he was ready to start out on his quest for the Holy Grail.

The Holy Grail was the cup from which Christ drank at the Last Supper. It was bought from Pilate by Joseph of Arimathæa, and placed in a castle where it was guarded night and day. It was passed on to Joseph’s children, who received the charge in sacred trust, continuing to guard it faithfully. The cup itself was most mysterious and wonderful. It could be seen only by those who were perfectly pure in word, thought, and deed. If an evil person came near, it would seem to be borne away, completely disappearing from view. The sight of it was as food and new life to the one to whom it was revealed, and hence would enable him to live forever, make him very wise, and of course preserve him from death in battle. But there was one thing it did not do,—it did not take away temptation to sin. No matter how perfect the knight, he could still be tempted. He must continue to resist evil as long as he lived.

After a time, the Holy Grail was left in the care of a king named Amfortas, who, weakly yielding to an evil enchantment, was severely punished. Not only was the sight of the Grail denied him, but a spell was cast upon him and all his court, so that they lived in a sort of trance, neither sleeping nor waking. Thus they must remain and suffer until a knight should come, pure in body and soul, who should break the spell and set them free.

Many a young man began to plan the quest of the Grail. He must so live that by his good thoughts and deeds he might reach the enchanted castle, see the Holy Grail, and so set free the unhappy knights. He must be perfect, indeed, if he would achieve this, and full of courage, perseverance, and patience.

In our picture we see Sir Galahad all ready to mount his snow-white horse and start out on his search for the Holy Grail. He is in full armor. His coat of mail, which all knights wore, was proof against any opponent of the time, except one equally armed and armored. It is said that a party of knights could ride unharmed through a host of common soldiers. The horses, too, were protected. But if the knight were once unhorsed and thrown upon his back, he was so weighed down by the stiff and heavy armor that he could not rise again without help. The knight’s weapons consisted of the lance, the two-handed sword, and a short, sharp dagger.

Sir Galahad had secured his sword and shield in a most mysterious way. The sword had been discovered protruding from the side of a wonderful rock of red marble jutting out from the surface of a river. This wonderful sword no one had been able to draw out of the rock. But when Sir Galahad tried, the sword came out without the slightest difficulty, and when he placed it in his empty scabbard, it fitted there exactly. The shield had been found by Sir Galahad in an old church, where it had been left for him by an ancestor, and where it had remained undiscovered for those many years.

Then, too, when Sir Galahad came to the Round Table of King Arthur and his knights in Camelot, he found them in the midst of a solemn meeting. Launcelot had just declared that according to prophecy a knight should come that very day who should occupy the Siege Perilous. The Siege Perilous was a chair over which the magician Merlin had cast a spell: only a stainless knight could sit in it without danger of instant death. As Sir Galahad entered the room he was preceded by a strange old man, whom none had ever seen before. Then the doors and windows quietly and mysteriously closed of their own accord, and the room was filled with a strange light. These words, in letters of fire, appeared over the chair: “This is Galahad’s seat.” By all these mysterious happenings the knights knew that Sir Galahad would be successful in finding the Grail, and many accompanied him on his quest.

Sir Galahad met with many adventures on his quest for the Grail and, in all of them, came out victorious. At length he reached the Castle of the Grail, and here he met his first defeat.

Entering the castle he gazed silently about him, at the feeble old king and at the wretched company whom he had come to free from their living death. Before him passed the vision of the Grail, which he alone of all that company was permitted to see. But it was not enough to see all this; he was expected to ask the meaning of what he saw, and by his question remove the enchantment. But, overconfident in his own knowledge, he tried to solve the mystery without asking, and so was forced to depart without success.

Here, at the very moment he was about to succeed, he was found to be possessed of the one fault, overconfidence, lacking in that humbleness which seeks constantly for higher knowledge. Because of his failure to ask the necessary question, the enchanted company had to continue to suffer. His personal purity alone was not enough; wisdom was necessary, attainable not through himself alone, but from the experience and understanding of others. As he left the castle grounds the drawbridge closed with a crash, there was a great sound of groaning and of voices reproaching him for having failed in his quest, and the castle disappeared from his sight. Much discouraged, he sought it again through many years, until at last he found it once more, and this time, a much wiser man, he asked the vital question, broke the wicked spell, and eventually found the Holy Grail.

Tennyson has given us the story in verse in his “Holy Grail.”

This picture is one we often see in homes, as well as in schoolhouses, and in many public buildings. It stands for the search for higher ideals which we are all making, and so its appeal is universal.

The earnest, uplifted face of the knight is full of youth and beauty. The horse, with his great, intelligent eyes, seems to know the importance of his errand.

The light comes from before them, brightening the pathway as if it would lead them on and on through the tangle of vines and deep woods which opposes them.

If you have been fortunate enough to see a suit of armor in some museum, you know how the heavy steel coat is planned and how the helmet, which Sir Galahad has taken off, will protect his head and face.

It is a moment of deep meditation and prayerful thought, for Sir Galahad is about to start out upon an undertaking in which many have failed and in which he cannot be sure of success. There is much of humility in his expression, nothing of the proud, dashing air of the adventurer.

This earnest, thoughtful youth, starting out full of courage and determination, will always have time for the little courtesies of life, for they are a part of his creed. A true knight, he has been taught, should defend to the uttermost the oppressed, aid the weak, and be brave, courteous, chaste, temperate, generous, and pious.

=Questions to help the pupil understand the picture.= Who was Sir Galahad? Upon what quest is he about to start? What preparation has he made for it? How old is he now? How did he receive the title “Sir”? What was the Holy Grail? What power had this cup? What could it not do for the person who saw it? Why was the sight of the Grail denied to

King Amfortas? What other punishment did he receive? Who could break this spell? how? What did Sir Galahad hope to do? How is he dressed? What protection was this armor? What might happen if he should be unhorsed? What weapons did he carry? How had Sir Galahad secured his sword and shield? Tell about the Round Table of King Arthur and the Siege Perilous. What happened when Sir Galahad entered? Of what did all these mysteries persuade the other knights? What happened when Sir Galahad came to the Castle of the Grail? Why did he fail? What was the result of this defeat? When did he succeed? What was the result? What is the main thought expressed in this picture?

=The story of the artist.= George Frederick Watts was born and raised in London, England. He learned to draw, we are told, much in the same way he learned to talk. His parents encouraged him always, and he seems to have had very few obstacles to overcome.

Though Watts entered the Royal Academy school of painting at an early age, he did not study there long. His art education was thus gained largely by his own efforts and observation. He studied ancient Greek sculpture closely and his work was always influenced by the classical standard.

Watts lived in an age when the spirit of reform was uppermost, and men were preaching, thinking, and living it. No wonder, then, his work is full of thoughtful purpose, urging us on to the best that is in us.

He said, “I want to teach people to live ... to teach something higher than money making or mere pleasure getting ... to suggest great thoughts.” He did not paint, as many others had, for the mere pleasure of it, or even from inspiration, but rather for some definite purpose. In the Tate Gallery at London is a great collection of the paintings which give the artist’s message to the world. In 1843 the Royal Commission appointed for the decoration of the new Houses of Parliament awarded one of the prizes to Watts for his fresco design. This enabled him to study in Italy for three years. There he gained much in the richness of his coloring and ease in brush-work.

Of his paintings for the government “The First Naval Victory of the English” and “St. George Overcomes the Dragon” are perhaps the best known. Other famous pictures by Watts are entitled “Ganymede,” “Orpheus and Eurydice,” and “Psyche.” In 1867 Watts became a member of the Royal Academy. He worked very hard, producing a great many paintings. With noble generosity he donated a large number of pictures to his country, particularly portraits of famous men, among them Lord Tennyson, Robert Browning, Swinburne, Dante, Gabriel Rossetti, Burne-Jones, and William Morris.

The last few years of his life were devoted principally to portrait painting. When Tennyson was writing “Elaine,” he asked Watts to tell him his idea of a good portrait, and afterwards wrote this description from the answer:

“As when a painter, gazing on a face,
Divinely thro’ all hindrance finds the man
Behind it, and so paints him that his face,
The shape and color of a mind and life,
Lives for his children ever at his best.”

=Questions about the artist.= Who was the artist, and where was he born? What help did he have in realizing his ambition to become an artist? What was his aim in painting pictures? Give in your own words Mr. Watts’s idea of what a good portrait should be. What helped him to go to Italy? What benefit did he get from his study in Italy? Name some great men whose portraits Watts painted.

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A READING FROM HOMER

=Questions to arouse interest.= What nationality is represented in this picture? Why do you think so? To what are they listening? What do their expressions indicate their feelings to be? What musical instruments do you see in the picture? From the picture, would you say that the people are outdoors or indoors? why?

=Artist=: Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema (ăl´m_ä_-tăd´ēm_ȧ_).
=Birthplace=: Dronrijp, the Netherlands.
=Dates=: Born, 1836; died, 1912.

=The story of the picture.= Let us imagine ourselves in that great walled-in city of Athens at the time of its greatest prosperity (fourth century B.C.). At whatever gate we enter—and there are many of them—our attention will be drawn toward the high, steep hill called the Acropolis, around which the city is built. We may reach the top of this hill in a chariot driven over a road of marble, or climb the marble steps, entering the magnificent gateway where we find many beautiful statues, temples, and altars. From this height we obtain a fine view of the city, the sea, other small hills, temples, and flat-roofed houses. As we look about us, we are surprised at the absence of spires or towers. There are no high towers or tall buildings. Most of the houses we see are one-story. The reason for this, it is said, is the frequency of earthquakes. The exterior of the houses is very plain. They are built of common stone, brick, or wood, coated with plaster, and so close to the street that if the door opens outward, the owner is compelled to knock before opening it in order to avoid injuring the passer-by in the street. There are no windows on the lower floor at the front of the house.

Beside the door is a statue of Hermes (god of highways, doorways, and boundaries and the bringer of good luck), or an altar to Apollo (god of light and the sun, and the protector from all evil); and over the door we may notice an inscription such as “To the good genius,” followed by the name of the master of the house. We raise the handle of the great knocker, and scarcely has the sound echoed back to us when the door is opened by the porter. We must be careful to step in with our right foot first, as it is considered unlucky to cross the threshold with the left foot. A long corridor or hall leads us to the open court, where all is as beautiful as the exterior is plain. Usually a fountain and flowers brighten the marble court, while on each side of it are the banqueting, music, sitting, and sleeping rooms, picture galleries, and libraries.

But the Greeks spent so much time out of doors that a house was to them only a safe place for their families and their property—a shelter from storm. Most of the houses had porticoes or porches, and often the second story consisted of nothing but these porches around the open court. The flat tiled roofs were used as promenades.

Probably the Greeks in our picture are seated on one of these porches, or they may be in one of the summer pavilions which so many wealthy Greeks had erected in their yards or grassy plots back of the house. Here they spent their afternoons and were entertained with music or by the tales of wandering minstrels or readers.

The scene in the picture is represented as if it were in the open air; the column and stone wall behind the reader suggest a part of a house. In the distance we catch a glimpse of the blue sea. The slightly raised seat of the reader indicates that it is a place built expressly for this purpose.

Before the Greeks wrote their stories it was the custom of certain bards or readers to go about from place to place singing or reciting the stories of events which have made their national history. Even when the stories were written, these bards were in great favor, for the Greeks preferred to hear the music of verse recited, and to feel the thrill of enthusiasm which could be aroused by the human voice, and not by a lifeless tablet or book.

The swaying form of the reader, his rapt expression, his flashing eye, his musical voice rising and falling like the sea,—these were the result of inspiration and had power to arouse men to noble actions. In our picture we see such a reader giving an interpretation or reading, much as our best elocutionists do now. In his hand he holds a long scroll from which he reads.

The Greeks used the Egyptian papyrus, and later the more expensive, but finer, parchment, to write upon. The reed pen was used, and double inkstands for black and red ink, which could be fastened to the belts or girdles of the writers. In libraries, the scrolls were arranged on shelves with the ends outward, or in pigeon holes. The reader unrolled one end of the scroll with one hand, while with the other he rolled up the part he had read.

Of all the Greek stories none were more fascinating than those of the immortal Homer. According to tradition, Homer was a schoolmaster who, growing tired of teaching, began to travel. Wandering about from place to place, he finally became blind. After this great affliction came upon him, he returned to his native town, where he dictated his two great poems, the _Iliad_ and the _Odyssey_. Afterwards he wandered about from town to town, singing them, and adding to them as inspiration came. It is not even known where he was born, but, according to an old Greek epigram,

“Seven rival towns contend for Homer dead,
Through which the living Homer begged his bread.”

He was a beggar, and yet he was a welcome guest at every home, for he could play upon his four-stringed harp and sing of the wonderful deeds of the Greek gods and heroes.

The subject of Homer’s _Iliad_ is the story of the siege of Troy. In a contest between Aphrodite (Venus) and two other goddesses, Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty, had promised Paris, son of the King of Troy, that if he would declare her the most beautiful of the goddesses he should have for his wife the handsomest woman of his time, Helen, wife of the King of Sparta. Paris granted her request and, going to Sparta, with Aphrodite’s aid he carried off Helen to Troy.

Of course her husband, the King of Sparta, objected. He appealed to all the Grecian princes to help him, and soon a hundred thousand men sailed away in eleven hundred and eighty-six ships across the Ægean Sea, and camped before the walls of Troy. The siege lasted ten years.

Troy was finally taken by stratagem. The Greeks pretended to abandon the siege, leaving behind them a great wooden horse as an offering to Athena (Minerva), goddess of wisdom, and the special defender of citadels.

The Trojans could not find out their reason for building the monster; but while they were talking about it and gazing at it some shepherds brought into the town a young Greek named Sinon, whom they had captured. He told a pitiful story. He said the Greek leader hated him, and had induced the Greek soothsayer to declare that he must be put to death as a sacrifice for their safe return to Greece. He had escaped, and hidden in a swamp until the Greeks had gone.

The Trojans were ready to be kind to any man whom the Greeks hated, and he was set free at once.

“But tell us,” said the king, “why that monster of a horse was built.”

Sinon declared it was a sacrifice to Athena because she was angry with them. He said, “It was made too large to pass through your gates, for they knew that if it was once within your walls it would protect you, and victory would come to you instead of to the Greeks.”

The Trojans believed every word of this, and ordered the huge horse brought within their city, even though they were obliged to take down part of the wall in order to make the opening large enough. That night the treacherous Sinon opened a door in the body of the horse and let out the armed Greeks who were hidden inside. They quietly slipped to the ground by means of a rope, killed the watchmen, and opened the gates to the Greek army which had returned and was waiting outside. A terrible battle followed, in which nearly all the Trojans were killed. Helen was taken back to Greece.

In Homer’s _Odyssey_ he tells the adventures of Ulysses, King of Ithaca, during the return journey from Troy. Ulysses had been one of the bravest of the Greek leaders, and was one of the heroes concealed in the wooden horse. The poem is full of vivid description and noble sentiments, both pathetic and sublime, and it stirred the hearts of the Greeks with pride and joy.

It is easy to see the interest in the faces of the listeners in the picture. Partly robed in a rose-colored garment, the reader sits on a chair of marble, holding on his knees a roll of papyrus, from which he is reading to a group of four persons before him. A wreath of bay leaves crowns his head, and as he leans forward his face expresses enthusiasm while he tells the thrilling adventures of the hero of Homer’s story.

In the center of the background we see a woman. On her hair is a crown of daffodils, and in her left hand something resembling a tambourine. She half sits, half reclines, on a marble bench, a resting place which the Greeks always preferred to chairs. On the floor near her, in an attitude of careless ease, sits a young man who is very likely her lover, since he is holding her hand. His face expresses his interest in the story. In his right hand he holds a lyre, which suggests that the company has been listening to music, and that they will enjoy it again after this recital.

How intent their faces are as they follow in imagination all the adventures of their sturdy ancestors! Near the center of the picture and stretched out gracefully on the marble floor is a youth who appears anxious not to lose one word of the story. At the left we see a man standing. He wears a crown of flowers on his head, and wraps his long cloak closely about him. His face is wild and sad. His appearance seems to tell that he has duties elsewhere and ought to leave, but is being held by the story.

The people are all dressed in typical Greek costumes. The dress of Greek men and women was very much alike. When they appeared on the streets they wore a cloak which consisted of a large square piece of cloth so wrapped about them as to leave only the right arm free. It required much skill to drape it gracefully, and the manner in which this was done decided the taste and elegance of the wearer. The women and men of the higher classes wore what they called a _chiton_, or dress which consisted of two short pieces of cloth sewed or clasped together and fastened over the shoulder, leaving open spaces for the arms. It was fastened at the waist with a girdle. A man usually wore this _chiton_, although he was considered fully dressed in the cloak alone. It was the lower classes who wore the tanned skins, so the young man lying on the floor is probably a servant.

A touch of bright color is added to this picture by the flowers in the girl’s hair and those scattered on the bench beside her.

The flesh painting in this picture is claimed to be the most perfect that Alma-Tadema ever did, and the painting of the girl and her lover, one of his highest efforts. The reader is the center of interest in the picture. The light, the lines, and the position of the figures make this apparent.

The painting of these five large figures occupied the artist only eight weeks, but the preliminary studies before he began painting took eight months.

Alma-Tadema excelled in his painting of marble, and this picture gave him every opportunity to display his genius, since nearly the entire background is of marble. The delicate colors of the young girl’s costume, with the few bright touches of color in the flowers; the darker, richer colors of the men’s cloaks; and back of it all the clear opalescent colors of marble and the deep blue of the sea beyond give the picture a distinctive beauty which is most pleasing to the eye. A close student of Greek history, Alma-Tadema has been particular to see that every little detail is in harmony, and consistent with the age and country.

=Questions to help the pupil understand the picture.= What is the center of interest in this picture? What lines in the picture direct your eye to the reader? How does the light do this? the position of the figures? Tell something of Greek life; of Homer; of the siege of Troy. Why did it take the artist eight months to get ready to paint this picture?

=To the Teacher=: Each pupil may be asked to draw one Greek ornament from some history, encyclopedia, or dictionary.

SUBJECTS FOR COMPOSITIONS

A Day in a Greek Home.
A Greek Library.
Homer and His Writings.
A Description of “A Reading from Homer.”
The Artist.

=The story of the artist.= Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema, of Dutch parentage, was born in the little village of Dronrijp near Leewarden, the Netherlands, in the year 1836. When he was very young his father died, leaving his mother with a large family and small means, and it was decided from the first that Alma-Tadema must learn a good trade or profession. His progress at school caused his mother much anxiety, for the boy cared for nothing except Roman history, which he began to study by himself. Having secured some quaint old coins in the neighborhood, he spent much of his time copying the heads of the emperors on the coins.

He soon began to show remarkable talent for painting. A portrait which he painted of his sister was exhibited when he was only fifteen years old. But his mother wished him to become a lawyer, because she felt it would bring the best financial returns. He tried to please her, but a serious illness was the result. When the doctor advised the mother to let him become an artist she gave her consent, and it is said the boy recovered with astonishing rapidity.

He studied at Antwerp many years, winning such success that he sent for his mother and sister to come to live with him. Then he began to make a special study of Egypt, Greece, and Rome. After his marriage to an English lady he moved to London, where he lived the rest of his life.

His love for marble and the polished surfaces of bronze, gold, and other metals is clearly shown in most of his pictures. Even his portraits usually represent the sitter as glancing in a mirror or in some way reflected in it.

Perhaps no other artist has ever made so much use of flowers in his pictures. The flowers seem to add the one touch of bright color which beautifies the whole picture.

Alma-Tadema gives us a clear understanding of the home life of the Greeks and Romans, and so has become known as the “Painter of the Ancients.”

Alma-Tadema became a British subject in 1873. His home in St. Johns Wood, in the northwest part of London, is described as a most interesting place. The first glimpse of it, seen through the trees, shows the gilded weather vane in the form of a palette; later, the stone pillars of the Roman porch. In all its details the house is carefully and beautifully furnished: the brass knocker on the door, the entrance into a sort of sun parlor paved with tiles and bright with beautiful flowers, and the sound of a fountain near at hand. A flight of marble steps leads to a hall in which beautiful painted panels (the gifts of friends) are the chief decoration. Great tiger skins cover the floor.

Mrs. Tadema also is an artist, and has her studio on this floor. In her studio and the living rooms she has given full sway to her own fancy for the sixteenth-century old Dutch, most of their contents having been brought from the Netherlands. Alma-Tadema’s taste is purely classical, and his studio is consistent in all respects—marble pillars, carved wood-work, chairs, and cushions. Here he lived and worked with this motto before him:

“As the Sun colours Flowers
So Art colours Life.”

=Questions about the artist.= Of what nationality was the artist? Why was his mother so anxious to have him learn a trade or profession? What did he like to study? What picture did he exhibit when he was fifteen years old? What prevented his becoming a lawyer? What countries did he prefer to represent? What materials did he excel in painting? For what has he become famous?

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THE GOLDEN STAIRS

=Questions to arouse interest.= What does this picture represent? What is there unusual about this stairway? Why do you suppose Burne-Jones painted the stairs without a railing? What is there unusual about these figures? What are they carrying in their hands? Where are they going? Where did they come from? Do they seem to be standing still or moving? What makes you think so? Are they noisy or quiet in their movements? Why do you think so? Why has the leader raised her hand? What can you see in the window above the stairs? Is this a sad or a happy procession? Why do you think so? What do you like best about this picture?

=Original Picture=: Private Collection of Lord Battersea, England.
=Artist=: Sir Edward Burne-Jones (bûrn-jōnz).
=Birthplace=: Birmingham, England.
=Dates=: Born, 1833; died, 1898.

=The story of the picture.= The artist, Burne-Jones, was a student and a dreamer. As a small, motherless boy he had been left much alone in a home in which storybooks were considered wicked, so there were none for him to read. His father was a strong churchman and intended his son for the ministry. He was endeavoring as best he knew how to fit him for his high calling by a training which, though perfectly sincere and honest in purpose, was rather gloomy and severe for the delicate, sensitive boy. However, little Edward was naturally of an imaginative mind, so he made up his own stories. A relative sent him a copy of _Æsop’s Fables_, and this book he was permitted to keep. It seems to have brought the turning point in the boy’s life. From that time on he dwelt in a fairyland of his own making.

When he was sent away to school to prepare for the ministry, he carried his fancies with him, adding to them the many legends of Greek mythology; of literature, especially those wonderful stories of King Arthur’s court; and of the Bible. His desire to become an artist was aroused by another student, William Morris, the two spending all their spare time drawing and painting. Nevertheless, he was twenty-three years old before he saw any of the great masterpieces in painting.

From the very first, Burne-Jones chose subjects which were mysterious, fairylike, and unreal, but his pictures were so filled with music, beauty, and happiness that it was a delight to look at them.

His idea of a good picture was very different from that of the practical, painstaking Millet, who represented everything and everybody as they actually appeared before him in the very field or place he had found them.

Burne-Jones tells us: “I mean by a picture a beautiful, romantic dream of something that never was, never will be, in a light better than any light that has ever shone, in a land no one can define or remember, only dream.” And so when asked to paint a decoration for a hallway in one of the fine old London homes he thought at once of a stairway, and the painting of “The Golden Stairs” is the result. It would seem indeed a dream, this angel host descending from we know not where and halting at that mysterious closed door which leads we know not whither. But hush! the leader has half raised her hand, turning this way as if to ask for silence. Each figure stops instantly, holding herself motionless, while the musical instruments are slightly lowered that all may listen more intently. And yet, this is a joyous procession,—the gayly colored wreaths of flowers which most of them are wearing, the musical instruments, the happy faces, all tell us this is an errand of pleasure. Might it not be that this host of angels is descending upon the sleeping world to soothe the restless, worried ones, and smooth the puckered, aching brows in quiet slumber? Lulled by their gentle music, or the rustle of their approaching footsteps, the weary one would soon find refreshing sleep.

The light in the picture seems to come from above, yet is all about and around the figures, as if they were the source of the illumination. They come from a darkened doorway, and enter one quite as dark except for the light they bring to it.

The greater part of the picture is painted in shades of gray, but it is relieved by the flesh tints, and the gayly colored flowers worn in wreaths or scattered on the steps. Here is delicate, exquisite coloring, and figures drawn with such careful attention to details that each seems complete in itself, yet all are held together in one great harmony.

It is interesting to draw an oblong of this same proportion and then represent the curved lines in this picture; it makes us feel the movement, swing, and rhythm which come to us like approaching music.

The picture is full of idyllic charm which takes us away from all the prosaic details of everyday life to a fairyland where this happy throng may come and go with music, flowers, and delight. The calm, thoughtful faces, so full of kindly purpose and high ideals, cannot fail to inspire us with good thoughts.

The dove in the upper casement window is typical of the peace that pervades this scene. The faint, far from earthly, shadows, the bare feet, even the stairway without a railing or protection of any kind, all suggest that our youthful maidens are celestial beings. Their destination we can only guess. Perhaps that is why the picture has had several names: “The King’s Wedding,” “Music on the Stairs,” and the one by which it is now known, “The Golden Stairs.”

Burne-Jones made many beautiful designs for stained-glass windows, and we can but regret that he did not produce this picture in that way also.

=Questions to help the pupil understand the picture.= Tell about the boyhood and early training of the artist. What book influenced him most? How did it affect his choice of subjects to paint? How did he happen to become interested in art? How old was he before he first saw a great painting? Compare the subjects chosen by Burne-Jones and by Millet as to character and feeling. What was Burne-Jones’s idea of a good picture? How did he happen to paint “The Golden Stairs”? For what room was it intended? What colors did the artist use in this painting? In what ways does it suggest music? How would you explain the destination of these maidens? their errand? from whence they come? What would you consider the chief charm in the picture?

=The story of the artist.= We have heard how the small Burne-Jones was brought up by a rather strict but ambitious father, and perhaps have felt sorry for the boy who used to spend hours before the windows of a book store, gazing at the even rows of books with such wistful longing. But we need not feel so, for it was this very desire for books and stories that led him to use his own imaginative power.

When he was old enough to begin serious preparation for the ministry his father sent him to King Edward’s School. Here he earned a scholarship to Oxford. When he left home for Oxford it seemed as if his real life had begun, for it was here that he met friends who had the same tastes and longings as himself. One friend in particular, William Morris, shared with him his new-found delight in art. Both had intended to prepare for the ministry, but now they decided to give up all else and pursue the study of art. So at the age of twenty-three Burne-Jones left Oxford and went to London, where he began painting in earnest. From the very first he showed great originality both in his subjects and in his manner of representation.

Many of his subjects were taken from the Bible, from Greek mythology, or from stories of King Arthur’s court. Sometimes he painted with but the one idea of making something beautiful, as in this picture of “The Golden Stairs.”

Burne-Jones was fortunate in his first teacher, Rossetti, who was a man so filled with the beauty of a scene that he must paint it for sheer joy. In order to pay for this instruction Burne-Jones made designs for stained-glass windows, and became famous for the beauty of these windows. The one at Trinity Church, Boston, is called “David Instructing Solomon in the Building of the Temple.” At Oxford is the famous Saint Cecilia window he designed for Christ Church College.

It seems strange that Burne-Jones should wait until he grew to manhood before he discovered that he had the desire and the ability to draw. Other artists tell of the years spent in longing, and their constant struggle for the sake of their art. But when Burne-Jones made up his mind, he spent no time in experiment or even practice. He devoted all his time to the one idea which filled his thoughts. He made no effort whatever to find out whether his work would meet with popular favor or not, beginning at once with what he knew to be his right material.

The only difference to be noticed in his first and his last paintings was a difference in the speed and skill with which he handled the paints. New ideas occurred to him so rapidly that he formed the habit of making quick sketches and putting them aside until he had time to work them out carefully.

Burne-Jones had never rebelled against the profession his father chose for him. Indeed, he felt satisfied and made every effort to succeed in it. Perhaps if he had remained at home, or even if he had not met the enthusiastic William Morris just when he did, he might never have discovered his power as a painter.

The knowledge of the disappointment at home and the small means at his disposal did not hinder him from forsaking the profession his family had chosen for him, for was he not following the advice of the great painter, Rossetti? Not many young artists have found such a friend as Rossetti was to Burne-Jones. He not only gave the desired instruction but helped his pupil get such work as he was capable of doing. When the glass makers applied to Rossetti for a design for a stained-glass window, he declined to undertake the work but recommended his pupil instead.

A visit to Italy gave Burne-Jones new inspiration. Later when William Morris married and went to live in a house which had been built for him at Bexley Heath, he had difficulty in furnishing this house to suit his taste and desire for beautiful things. This led Morris to establish a firm to make such things. Of course Burne-Jones was heartily in sympathy with his friend and put his talents as a designer at the disposal of the firm. His wonderful imagination and fine powers of expression produced all kinds of decorative work, such as tapestries, embroideries, carved chests, book covers, book illustrations, and decorations for pianos, screens, and friezes.

Although he received so much praise in his later years, at first he, too, had to pass through the fire of criticism and even ridicule. At one time Burne-Jones was ridiculed in the pages of _Punch_, while in another magazine he was spoken of as the “greenery-yallery Grosvenor-gallery young man.” But these criticisms were soon forgotten, and all England was proud to honor this artist with medals. In 1894 Burne-Jones was given the title of baronet.

=Questions about the artist.= Tell about the boyhood of Burne-Jones; his education. What kind of subjects did he choose for his paintings? What was his idea of a good painting? Who was his first teacher? Why did he wait so long before he began to study painting? What can you say of his imagination? Tell about William Morris and his new home. What did Burne-Jones do for his friend?

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[Illustation: AURORA]

AURORA

=Questions to arouse interest.= What goddess does this represent? Whom is she leading? Upon what do they rest? Over what are they passing? What has Aurora in her hands? Toward whom is she looking? In what is Apollo riding? How many horses has he? What has the cherub in his hand? Which way does the flame blow? why? What makes you think they are moving? In what direction do their garments blow? Who painted this picture? Why do you like it?

=Original Picture=: Pavilion of the Rospigliosi Palace, Rome, Italy.
=Artist=: Guido Reni (gwē’dō rā’nē).
=Birthplace=: Bologna, Italy.
=Dates=: Born, 1575; died, 1642.

=The story of the picture.= Imagine yourself in that far-famed city of Rome, driving through its white streets to the great Quirinal Palace to see the original of our picture. The Quirinal, a very large and very ordinary looking building, has been the scene of many interesting events, and is always used as the meeting place for the cardinals who elect the pope. Our drive ends here, but it is only the beginning of our journey. After a delightful walk through a courtyard so completely surrounded by high stone walls that we should never have guessed its existence, we come to another palace. This palace is much more beautiful, although not so large. It is called the Rospigliosi Palace because it has always belonged to a family of that name. Then we pass on through a beautiful garden of magnolias until we reach the pavilion or casino of the palace, where we find our picture.

There are several rooms in this pavilion, but it is the middle room which holds our attention, for it is up on the ceiling of this room that we see Aurora, goddess of the morning, leading the way for the fiery steeds of Apollo, the sun god. As we enter, such a glow of color fills the room that we know instinctively this must be the place. First, we see Aurora herself, flying ahead, scattering the clouds of night and showering roses and dewdrops over the sleeping earth. She looks back toward Apollo, the sun god, to see if he is following her on his journey around the heavens in his chariot of the sun. The horses are restless and eager and it takes a steady hand to guide them.

Some idea of the difficulties attending such a journey may be gained from the Greek story of Phaëthon. According to this story, Apollo had a son named Phaëthon. One day the boy came to him, complaining that the other boys made fun of him when he told them who his father was. They said they did not believe that a boy who could do nothing at all could be the son of the mighty Apollo. This made the father very angry, and when Phaëthon asked him to let him do something that should prove to the world that he was Apollo’s son, Apollo told the boy he would give him permission to do whatever he asked.

The boy quickly asked permission to drive the sun chariot for one day. But this request alarmed Apollo, who said, “None but myself may drive the flaming car of day,—not even Jupiter, whose terrible right arm drives the thunderbolts.”

He urged his son to take back his request before it was too late, warning him it would prove his destruction. But the boy was only the more anxious to drive, and held his father to his promise.

Then Apollo told Phaëthon of the journey. “The first part of the way,” he said, “is so very steep that, although the horses start out in the best possible condition, they can hardly climb it; the next part is so high up in the heavens that I dare not look down upon the earth and sea below, lest I grow dizzy and fall; the last part of the journey is the most difficult of all, because the road descends rapidly and it is hard to guide the horses. And all this time,” Apollo went on, “the heavens are turning around and carrying the stars with them.”

But even as he spoke, Aurora threw open the cloud curtains which hid the earth, and there appeared the road upon which she cast her roses while beckoning to the eager boy. Hardly listening to his father’s anxious warnings, Phaëthon jumped into the golden chariot, grasped the reins of the four fiery steeds, and off they started.

At first he remembered what Apollo had said, and was careful, but he soon grew reckless, driving at full speed. The horses, knowing it was not their master’s hand, took the bits between their teeth and were soon out of his control. For a time they followed the road, but when that was lost they began to descend toward the earth so rapidly it seemed as if they would be dashed to pieces. Then up again they started in reckless, dizzy flight. At times they came so close to fields and woods as to scorch and blacken them. Other fields they did not pass, and these were frostbitten.

Then a great wail of complaint went up from the earth. This cry was heard by Jupiter, the most powerful of the gods, who, looking earth-ward and discovering the cause of all this trouble, was very angry. With his terrible right arm he drove a thunderbolt at the reckless youth, and in an instant Phaëthon fell from the chariot headlong into the sea. The horses, finding themselves free, returned to Apollo, and never since then has any hand but his been permitted to guide them.

The Greeks declared that the great desert of Sahara in Africa is the place where the sun’s chariot scorched the earth, and that it was then that the African negroes were burned black. Phaëthon’s boy friend, who was constantly diving down into the water trying to recover his body, was turned into a swan, and Phaëthon’s weeping sisters were changed into poplar trees.

In our picture we see Apollo holding the reins, accompanied by the Hours and preceded by Aurora and the cherub torch-bearer or morning star. They seem to be moving rapidly on their way, borne up by the clouds. The sky is a brilliant, golden yellow, and its fleecy clouds are tinged with purple. The graceful figures of the Hours are each represented in pale or brighter-colored draperies according to the time of day to which they belong. Aurora herself is clothed in rainbow hues, her draperies flying with her swift progress. Far below we see the land and sea, wrapped in slumber, awaiting the coming of the dawn.

=Questions to help the pupil understand the picture.= Where is the original painting of the “Aurora”? What goddess does it represent? What is the Greek myth concerning her? What part has Apollo in this picture? How many horses does he drive? How are the Hours represented? What does the cherub carrying a torch represent? In what direction does the flame of the torch blow? Why is Apollo’s journey so difficult? Who was Phaëthon? What did he ask of Apollo? Why did he wish to do this? Why was Apollo alarmed? Tell about Phaëthon’s journey, and what happened to him. Upon what does the chariot seem to rest? Over what are they passing? What colors did the artist use in this painting?

=To the Teacher=:

SUBJECTS FOR COMPOSITIONS

Aurora, Goddess of the Morning.
Apollo, the Sun God.
The Story of Phaëthon, Apollo’s Son.

=The story of the artist.= Guido Reni was born in the little village of Bologna, Italy. As a small child he gave every promise of becoming an accomplished musician. His father, himself a gifted performer, began to teach him to play the flute and harpsichord as soon as he was old enough to handle the instruments. Guido had a beautiful voice, and the father hoped to make a fine musician of him. But the boy also had a beautiful, sunshiny face which attracted the attention of an artist, who asked permission to paint him as an angel in several pictures. After watching this artist at work, Guido began to wish to paint pictures, too, and was permitted to take a few lessons.