=Questions to arouse interest.= Where is this dog? Why do you think so?
Does he seem to be looking across the water, or toward the land? What
kind of dog is he? How do you know he is lying in the sunshine? What
does the length of the shadows tell us about the time of day? What could
this dog do if there should be a severe storm on the water? Can you see
anything in the picture that makes you think there may be a storm
coming? Where do the sea gulls go before a storm? Why would you not be
afraid of this dog? What do you suppose the iron ring is used for? Do
you like this picture? why?
=Original Picture=: National Gallery of British Art, London,
England.
=Artist=: Sir Edwin Landseer (lănd´sēr).
=Birthplace=: London, England.
=Dates=: Born, 1802; died, 1873.
=The story of the picture.= One day when the artist, Sir Edwin Landseer,
was visiting in the fine home of his friend, Mr. Newman Smith, a great
Newfoundland dog came into the room carrying a basket of flowers in his
mouth. Sir Edwin Landseer thought he had never seen so large and fine a
dog, and when the dog came up to him and offered him the basket of
flowers, as his owner told him to do, he was delighted. Being very fond
of animals, Landseer always thought of painting them, so he suggested
that he paint a picture of this dog. Mr. Newman Smith must have been
surprised, for every one knew Sir Edwin Landseer had so many animals to
paint that he kept a long waiting list, and it was usually many weeks
before he could commence a picture. But the artist could not forget the
kind, intelligent eyes of this handsome, trusty, powerful dog, and in a
few days he sent for him. So Paul Pry—for that was the dog’s name,—was
taken to Sir Edwin Landseer’s studio.
The way to the artist’s house led through a beautiful park, called
Regent’s Park, and then along the road called “St. John’s Wood Road.”
The house was small but behind it was the garden, and at the end of the
garden was what had once been an old barn. This barn had been made over
until, with its many windows and fine view of the country all round, it
had become an ideal place for a studio.
Paul Pry remembered Landseer at once, as anyone could see by the way he
went up to him, wagging his tail and offering his paw. He did exactly as
he was told, and seemed to understand perfectly everything that was
said. He was a beautiful animal, and Landseer could not help thinking
how strong such dogs are and what wonderful things they can be trained
to do. Perhaps the first thing he thought of was how they save people
from drowning, for they are very strong swimmers and can save lives when
men are unable to do anything.
Sir Edwin Landseer painted a picture of another dog that looked enough
like this one to be Paul Pry himself. He called the picture “Saved,”
because the dog has just saved a little child from drowning.
In that picture the dog is seen lying on the shore, too exhausted to do
anything more than wait for help. He has strained every nerve and risked
his own life to bring the child to land.
Sir Edwin called Paul Pry and told him to jump up on a big table where
he could see him better. Then as he painted, he seemed to see the dog
lying on the edge of a pier or wharf, waiting to go to the rescue if
some one should need him.
So in this picture we see Paul Pry lying on the stone wharf while the
water comes lapping gently against the iron mooring ring to which boats
are fastened. It must be at the highest point of the tide, for we are
sure the water never rises high enough to cover that iron ring entirely.
Just now the sun is shining brightly. We can tell this by the shadow of
the dog’s great dark head on the white coat of his body. The length and
direction of the shadows tell us that the sun must be high in the sky.
If it were low in the horizon the shadows would be longer. We can be
sure of this by watching our own shadows as we go home from school. The
few sea gulls circling near the shore call our attention to the sky,
where the clouds are just beginning to gather, as if a storm might be
approaching. Perhaps the good dog has already scented the storm, and is
quietly waiting to see if there is any work for him to do. His ears,
slightly lifted, show us that he is attentive and watching.
It must be a quiet, warm day or Paul Pry would not look so comfortable
lying on such an exposed end of the pier. Perhaps the air is sultry, as
it often is before a storm, for the dog’s tongue hangs out and you can
almost hear him pant.
This brave old dog, so ready and willing to risk his life to save other
lives, might have been called “A Distinguished Member of the Life-Saving
Crew,” but Sir Edwin Landseer knew his dog would be as brave on land as
on the sea, so he used the name “Royal Humane Society,” which may
include both.
When the painting was finished it was placed on exhibition and hundreds
of people came to see it. The owner of the dog, Mr. Newman Smith, was
very proud indeed.
=Questions to help the pupil understand the picture.= Where did Sir
Edwin Landseer first see this dog? What did the dog do that pleased the
artist very much? Who suggested that he paint this picture? why? Why was
Mr. Smith surprised? What was the dog’s name? Where did Paul Pry go to
have his picture painted? Tell about Sir Edwin Landseer’s studio. How
did Paul Pry behave? Where was he lying when the artist painted his
picture? Where did Sir Edwin Landseer imagine the dog to be? What do you
suppose made him think of that? How do these dogs save people from
drowning? What makes you think there will be a storm? What makes you
think the air is sultry? What time of day is it? Why did the artist call
the picture “A Member of the Royal Humane Society”?
=To the Teacher=: Encourage the children to talk about their own pet
dogs, and to draw pictures of them, using charcoal and manila paper. The
drawings will probably not be worth much in themselves, but the practice
will make the children more observant, and will tend to make their later
drawings better.
=The story of the artist.= Sir Edwin Landseer learned how to draw from
his father, and when he was but five years old he could draw remarkably
well. Edwin had three sisters and two brothers who liked to draw, too.
The family lived out in the country and nearly every day at breakfast
the father would ask his boys, “What shall we draw to-day?” They would
take turns in choosing, and sometimes they would vote on it. Then out
across the fields the father and his boys would tramp until they came to
where the donkeys, sheep, goats, and cows were grazing. Each would
choose the subject he wished to draw, and the four would sit down on the
grass and begin to sketch. Edwin’s first choice was a cow and his father
helped him draw it. After this Edwin came to these fields every day and
his father called them “Edwin’s studio.”
At this time Edwin had three dogs of his own which he called Brutus,
Vixen, and Boxer. They were always with him and were so intelligent that
they seemed almost able to speak. In the back yard the children had
several pens for pet rabbits and they kept pigeons in the attic of their
house. Once Mr. Landseer decided to move. He selected a house, and
thought all was settled, when he discovered that the landlord would not
rent the house to him because he kept so many dogs and other pets.
When Edwin was only thirteen years old two of his pictures were
exhibited at the Royal Academy. One was a painting of a mule and the
other was of a dog and puppies.
Edwin painted always from real life, not caring to make copies from the
work of others. All the sketches he made when he was a little boy were
kept very carefully by the father, and now if you go to England you may
see them in South Kensington Museum in London.
We read of how the father and his sons made many visits to the
Zoölogical Gardens, where they could watch and make sketches of lions,
bears, and other wild animals. One day they saw a strange sight in one
of the store windows in London—it was a Newfoundland dog caring for a
lion. The lion had been caught in Africa when it was very little, and
had been cared for by this great Newfoundland dog. They had never been
separated, and now, although the lion was much larger than the dog, they
were still the best of friends. Sometimes the dog would punish the lion
if it did not behave, and the great beast would whimper just as though
it could not help itself. All three boys made many sketches of this
strange pair, and could hardly be persuaded to leave the window.
Edwin, we are told, was a bright, gentle little boy with blue eyes and
light curly hair. When he was fourteen years old he became a pupil at
the Royal Academy. The keeper there was an old man. He grew very fond of
Edwin. He would look all around and if he could not find him, would say,
“Where is my curly-headed dog boy?”
He was only sixteen years old when he exhibited his wonderful picture
called “Fighting Dogs Getting Wind.” A very rich man whose praise meant
a great deal at that time bought this picture, and Edwin’s success was
assured.
It was about this time, too, that he painted an old white horse in the
stable of another wealthy man. After the picture was finished and ready
to be delivered, it suddenly disappeared. Search was made for it
everywhere but it was not found until twenty-four years afterwards. A
servant had stolen it and hidden it in a hayloft. He was afraid to sell
it, or even to keep it in his home, for every one would have recognized
the great artist’s work.
It was Sir Edwin Landseer’s opinion that animals understand, feel, and
reason just like people, and so he painted them as happy, sad, gay,
dignified, frivolous, rich, poor, and in all ways just like human
beings. This appealed to the people very much and he became very popular
indeed. Every one knew of Landseer and each wanted a certain one of his
pictures of dogs because the dog in it looked so much like a dog they
knew.
For many years Sir Edwin Landseer lived and painted in his father’s
house in a poor little room without even a carpet. The only furniture,
we are told, consisted of three cheap chairs and an easel. But as his
fame grew he had more orders than he could fill, and before long he was
able to move into a fine studio near Regent’s Park. It was here that he
painted the famous picture of Paul Pry. He was not a very good business
man and he left all his affairs to his father, who sold his pictures for
him and kept his accounts.
This story is told of Sir Edwin Landseer. At an evening party, at which
Landseer was present, some one made the remark that no one had ever been
found who could draw two things at the same time. Landseer quickly
replied, “Oh, I can do that; lend me two pencils and I will show you.”
In a very few minutes he drew with one hand the head of a horse, at the
same time drawing a deer’s head with the other. Both were so good that
they might well have been drawn one at a time and with much more effort.
Although Landseer painted so many wild animals, birds, and hunting
scenes, he did not care to hunt or shoot. His pencil was his weapon.
Sometimes he would hire a guide to take him into the wildest places in
search of game. To the great surprise of his guide, instead of shooting
when a great deer came bounding toward him, he would quickly make a
drawing of it in his sketch book. A beautiful live deer was much more
interesting to him than a dead one. He said, “To shoot a bird is to lose
it.”
Edwin’s brother Thomas made engravings of nearly all of Edwin’s
paintings, and so although we cannot afford to buy one of the paintings,
we can easily have one of the prints from the engravings.
No English painter has ever been more appreciated and loved in his own
country than Sir Edwin Landseer.
=Questions about the artist.= Who painted this picture? When did he
first begin to draw? How many brothers and sisters did he have? How many
of them liked to draw? Where did they live? What question did the father
ask at the breakfast table? How did they decide? Where did they go? What
animal did Edwin choose first? Who helped him? Where was “Edwin’s
studio”? Tell about the pets these children had. Where did they keep
them? Why did the owner refuse to rent Mr. Landseer a house? When Edwin
was thirteen years old, which of his pictures were exhibited? What
became of the sketches he made when he was a boy? Tell about the
Newfoundland dog and the lion. What did the keeper at the Royal Academy
call Edwin? What did Sir Edwin Landseer think animals could do that made
them seem like people? Tell about the picture of the old white horse.
Tell how Sir Edwin Landseer went hunting. Why did he not shoot? Tell
about the drawings he made with both hands. How did people like Sir
Edwin Landseer and his paintings?
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[Illustration]