In the great South Kensington Museum in England there are many
beautiful pictures, painted by famous artists. In one corner there is
a little lead-pencil sketch of a donkey’s head, and visitors to the
gallery used to ask the guide how it came there. The old man would
point to the name below the sketch and say, “Why, that is Sir Edwin
Landseer’s, and done when he was only five years old.” This is true,
for the little drawing is marked, “E. Landseer, five years old.”
The little boy who did such wonderful work lived in a happy home in
the great city of London. Not far from his home was a beautiful field
called Hampstead Heath, and it was on this delightful playground that
Edwin and his older brothers spent some of the happiest hours of their
lives. While the others were burying each other in the grass, riding
the old horse, or romping with the dogs, little curly-headed Edwin
would be sitting under a tree, trying to make pictures. Sometimes his
sister would sit by his side and watch the pencil as his baby fingers
guided it. Very soon she would see a horse’s head on the paper and
would recognize their own old Dobbin. “How good it is!” she would
exclaim, “What a famous little artist you are!”
[Illustration: SIR EDWIN LANDSEER]
Edwin learned some wonderful lessons on Hampstead Heath. When he would
beg to be taught to draw, his father would say: “Study things as God
has made them, my boy. Your own eyes must be your first teachers.”
Of course the little boy was sent to school. He loved to read, but did
not like to study. Sometimes his teacher would see him with his eyes
shut and his hand moving on the desk. He was thinking of a picture.
Drawing was not taught in the schools in those days and boys were
punished if they were caught drawing pictures during school hours; so
Edwin often ran away from his teachers, and they would find him in a
quiet corner, with his slate, drawing the picture of some animal.
Wherever animals were to be seen in London, there Edwin was to be
found. He generally carried his sketch book with him, and pictured the
animals eating, walking about, asleep, or at play. Sometimes he would
go to the London Zoölogical Gardens, and after he had watched the wild
beasts for hours he would come away with many sketches. There was
also a great market in London where wild animals were to be seen, and
the boy, who was generally followed by two or more dogs, became very
familiar to the people who came to the market.
[Illustration: Landseer THE HIGHLAND SHEPHERD’S CHIEF MOURNER]
When he was old enough Edwin was sent to the Artists’ Academy in
London. He was a great favorite in the school, and one famous artist
always called him the “Dog-boy.” He was very happy here and for the
next few years devoted his time to the study of animals and how to
paint them.
After a time Landseer had so many pictures, and wished to keep so many
dogs, sheep, and deer, that it seemed necessary that he should have a
home of his own where he could receive his friends. A pretty little
cottage in St. John’s Wood near London was found to be just the place
he desired. There was an old-fashioned garden filled with large trees
and beautiful flowers. The new home was named “Maida Vale,” in honor of
Sir Walter Scott’s favorite dog.
An old barn was fitted up for a studio, which was soon made beautiful
with pictures of all kinds of animals. There were graceful greyhounds,
kind-faced sheep dogs, faithful terriers, soft rabbits, cunning
kittens, spirited race horses, and fleet-footed deer. The pictures
looked so real that a witty friend of the artist used to call out
before he entered the studio, “Landseer, keep your dogs off me; I want
to come in.” On another occasion this same friend said, “O, give me
a pin to take the thorn out of that dog’s foot! See what pain he is
suffering!”
Everybody wished to visit this delightful studio, and meet the great
painter who was so kind and witty, who loved flowers and children so
well, and who had so many interesting friends around him. His visitors
were astonished at his great power in training dogs, and gaining their
love. When asked the secret, he would smile and say, “I just peep into
their hearts.” One day he was entertaining some friends at Maida Vale
when the door was pushed open and four great dogs bounded in. One
lady was frightened, and as a fierce-looking dog ran past her and put
his nose in Landseer’s hand, she said, “How fond of you that dog is!”
“Yes,” said the artist, quietly, “but I never saw this dog before in my
life.”
Landseer was a great friend of Sir Walter Scott, whom he often visited
at his home. How he loved the wild scenery and the tender-hearted
fearless people of that North Country! How he loved to climb the
mountains and watch the shy, beautiful deer as they bounded over the
crags! No artist ever painted deer like Landseer.
One day when he was at work in his studio, Landseer was told that
Queen Victoria was riding up the garden path. He went to meet her, and
she told him she wished him to see her mounted on her horse, so that
he might paint her picture. She invited him to be her guest, and he
painted a great many pictures of her children and their pets. In 1850,
the Queen decided to confer on him the honor of knighthood; so the
artist, who was now known all over the world, became Sir Edwin Landseer.
After this he received many great honors. He spent the last years of a
happy, busy life in the pretty Maida Vale cottage. As he grew old he
talked about his “worn-out, old pencil,” and complained that drawing
tired him. It was a trial for him to give up his work, and his eyes
were often sad as he looked at his beautiful pictures.
Landseer died in 1873, and was buried in St. Paul’s Cathedral, in
London. Copies of his pictures are in every land and in almost every
home. He will always be remembered as a lover of animals as well as a
great artist.
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