Democratic Sentinel, Volume 17, Number 51, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 January 1894 — ECCENTRICITIES OF ARTISTS [ARTICLE]

ECCENTRICITIES OF ARTISTS

Paintsra Who Would Not Be Limited by Ordinary Kale* of Life. There is probably no profession tn the whole range of human effort in which more eccentric things are done by its followers than in that of the painter. The following stories, oulled from various sources, indicate the truth of, this assertion, and will be found amusing as well, says Harper’s Young People: Delacroix, the painter, was walking out one day in Paris with a friend of his when he fell into a brown study. “What is up with you now?” said the friend. “I can’t get a certain shade of yellow,” replied the artist. “What sort of yellow?” ‘ Just then a cab drove past “The very thing!" the painter gasped out. “Stop! stop!" “I am engaged,” the cabby replied, without stopping. Delacroix started in pursuit, and at a steep place in the Bue do Martyrs overtook the cab. Opening the dobr he said in tones of entreaty to the passenger inside: “Do please tell your driver to stop; I want your complexion for a painting on which I am at work. There is a color-merchant close at hand. I shall not detain you above five minutes, and In acknowledgment of the service you render mo I will present you with a sketch of my picture." The bargain was struck; Delacroix got Ills yellow, and a few months later the “fare" received a sketch of his “Assassination of the Archbishop of Liege. ”

Another artist, celebrated in his day us a successful palmer of portraits, while rnuklug a counterfeit presentiment of a ludy.percolved that when he came to draw tho mouth she tried to render it smaller by contracting her lips. “Pray do not trouble yourself so much madam," he exclaimed. “If you like I will draw your face without any mouth at all." A somewhat eccentric individual was the Flemish painter, Craashock, of whom it is told that once, fearing that his wlfo had ceased to love him and anxious to dlscovor if his fears were founded on fact, ho resolved upon an extraordinary test. Ho ttoro his blouse from his chest and painted just above his heart a very vivid representation of a wound. He tf/cu painted his lips and cheeks so they presented a ghastly aspect, covered his palette-knife and his garments with Bpots of red paint, gave a shriek, and fell to the floor as If doad. The test was successful. Mme. Craasbeok, hearing the shriek, rushed into the room, and supposing that her husband had been killed or had killed himself, gave way to what was to tho supposed victim on the floor a series of very gratifying outbursts of grief. What the lady said wlion her lord and, master sat up and Informed her that ho was oply shamming, history does not record; but if sho failed to go from one extreme to the other, and give him a good scolding, she certainly missed a good opportunity, and showed herself a weman of marvelous self-control.