=Original Picture:= Wallace Collection, London, England.
=Artist:= Sir Joshua Reynolds (r[)e]n´´[)u]ldz).
=Birthplace:= Plympton, Devonshire, 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
apron? 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.
[Illustration: _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-fashioned 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:= Illustrate 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 embarrassed 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.