PICTURES AND THEIR USE
_I. What Should We Notice in a Picture?_
In his excellent little book, _How to Judge of a Picture_, Van Dyke
speaks of the things that constitute a good painting as follows: "First,
it is good in tone, or possess a uniformity of tone that is refreshing
to the eye; second, it is good in atmosphere--something you doubtless
never thought could be expressed with a paint-brush; third, it is well
composed, and a landscape requires composition as well as a figure
piece; fourth, 'values' are well maintained, its qualities good, its
poetic feeling excellent." A second writer has said that beauty is
manifested in four ways: by line, by light and shade, by color and by
composition. We will consider these characteristics in order.
_a. Line._ We define the boundaries of objects and limit space by means
of lines, and the use of lines constitutes drawing in pictures. These
lines so used may be narrow or broad, straight or curved, perfect or
broken, and definite or vague and undetermined. Upon their proper use,
however, depends the beauty of proportion, the strength of personality
and the impressions of truthfulness and reality. There are few rigid
lines in nature. What we see is an impression of line, not sharp lines.
If you look at a book you may see the sharp lines that bound its edges
but if you move it away a little or put it in shadow its boundaries are
a little hazy and gradually you lose the impression of the lines that
bound it and see only a book. A tree has no sharp outline except when it
stands on a horizon and looks like a silhouette against the light.
Ordinarily it is a mass of moving light and shade, of color. The leaves
are not separately limited by lines and yet we know that leaves are
there. If the artist drew each leaf separately and accurately the
general effect would be extremely unnatural and instead of a tree we
should see only the minute carefulness of a painter who had failed.
Perfect lines, then, are rare in good pictures. The artist does not
intend to make exact representations of reality but to convey the
_appearance_ of reality, and just in so far as he succeeds in conveying
that appearance of reality is he successful. This does not mean that
good drawing is not necessary in a picture; it merely tells you what
constitutes good drawing. If the lines of the human figure are perfect
it is almost certain that the figure will be strained, unnatural and
without the appearance of life or motion. In a good picture the lines of
good drawing are present but they are broken, subdued and lead into one
another as do the lines we see in nature.
_b. Light and Shade._ It is the distribution of light and shadows in a
picture that gives it the appearance of reality. A mere outline drawing
is flat and has no semblance of life. The paintings of the ancient
Egyptians are good examples of pictures that have no light and shade,
and we all know how flat, stiff and unreal they appear. In pen and ink,
and charcoal drawings, light is indicated by white and shadow by black,
but between the two extremes are introduced various shades and tints of
gray that make the variety of tone in shadows. This varying of the
strength of shadows is everywhere in nature, though most of us are blind
to it. In looking at any object for the purpose of distinguishing the
lights and shades upon it we should half close our eyes and look
intently at all parts of it. Under an inspection of this sort the
building which we thought to be all of even light is seen to be dotted
with patches of shadow of different intensity, showing that there are
projections where the light from the sun strikes clearly or depressions
into which it cannot enter so freely. A picture should give the same
effect, and it is this effect, which includes also the distance from the
eye as well as the shades from the light source, that we call "values."
If we look at a tree in the way described we see that it is covered with
patches of green in light or dark tints and that these color values are
the lights and shades of which we are speaking. There will be one point
of highest light and an opposing point of deepest shadow, and upon the
proper arrangement of these as well as upon the patches of minor
importance depends the lifelike appearance of the objects in the
picture. Van Dyke says there are three things concerning light and shade
that should be looked for in every picture, viz.: that everything, no
matter how small it be, has its due proportion of light and shade; that
there be one point of compass from which the light comes; that there be
a center of light in the picture itself, from which all other lights
radiate and decrease until they are lost in the color or shadow.
_c. Tone and Color._ The first thing that seizes the eye in a painting
is color, and the brightest, gayest colors are the ones that are most
likely to attract. In fact they are the only colors that the
inexperienced may see, for many a person is blind to the subdued tints
and shades that are really the most attractive to the trained eye. Good
coloring, then, does not mean brightness alone. It is the relationship,
the qualities and the suitableness of colors one to another, whether
they be in shadow, half-tint or light, that constitute good coloring.
Brilliant dresses and inharmonious ornaments strike the refined eye with
displeasure, the wearer is "loud" in her dress. Subdued colors relieved
here and there with a harmonious dash of brightness show correct taste.
So in pictures those that have the low or deep tones, that are rich and
harmonious, are the ones that are most appreciated by the experts, and
are the ones usually found to have been painted by the masters.
Nevertheless if high color combines richness and harmony it shows a fine
skill. Tone has to do with the quantity of color used in the painting,
and harmony with the qualities of colors. Tone and harmony must combine
to make perfect coloring.
_d. Composition._ If we study any great poem, drama or novel, one that
is constructed with a due regard for unity, we find there is one central
character or idea and that all other persons, all incidents, scenes and
all the little devices that go to give reality to the conception are
subordinated to the central person or idea. Unless this is done the
creation lacks unity and therefore lacks force, beauty and coherence.
The same facts hold true of a picture. Every good picture is so
arranged and drawn that the important idea is centralized and the parts
are unified and harmonized until the whole is single in its effect. This
is accomplished by what is called in the language of the painter,
"composition." Important things are recognized and lesser things
subordinated to give beauty, clearness and brilliancy to the central
idea. While these facts are most obvious in pictures that contain
figures, it is no less true in landscapes or other pictures which
contain no figures. For instance, a moonlight scene on the Hudson would
have as its central idea the beauty of the light on the water and the
mountains. To secure this the artist would keep down the lines of the
mountains, subordinate the details in the foreground and place as the
central idea in the picture the pale shimmering light from the moon
whether that body be itself visible or not. Oftentimes in looking at a
picture it is difficult to tell wherein its excellent composition lies,
but the absence of strength and unity is unerringly felt.
_e. Atmosphere and Perspective._ We are all familiar with the diminished
size of objects seen at a distance and realize that the apparent coming
together of two parallel lines, as those of a railway track, is owing to
the same cause. We know, too, that this diminishing must be shown in a
picture or there is no sense of distance for the spectator. What is not
so clear to us usually, is that there is as great a difference in color
and the appearance of objects. The diminution of size is linear
perspective and the change of color due to distance and atmospheric
conditions is commonly called aerial perspective. The tendency among
amateurs is to paint a tree green no matter how far away from the
spectator it is, while a little observation and study would show the
veriest tyro that the green of a distant tree has faded till to the eye
it looks a bluish gray. Moreover, outlines have faded and seem to flow
into those of other objects, and all combine to give to the picture the
true appearance of distance, which is what the artist seeks and the one
who looks at the picture has a right to expect.
_f. An Application of the Foregoing Principles._ What has been said on
this subject of judging a picture may be made clearer by an application
to one of the pictures in _Journeys_. Let us take, for instance, the
color plate facing page 304, in Volume VI. It is a reproduction in color
of the painting in water colors, _Bob and Tiny Tim_, and will show what
is meant by the comments above almost as well as the original painting
would have done.
1. Tone and color. Are the colors in the picture bright and gay or are
they subdued? What are the brightest colors? Are the colors harmonious
or do they "quarrel" as they come to the eye?
Are the shades of blue and purple and lighter colors in the clothing of
the various persons glaring or subdued? Do you observe any inharmony
which offends the eye, or are you pleased with contrasting colors and
tones? The harmony in color is due to the choice of colors that do not
contrast too strongly. The artist knew which were complementary colors;
that is, which, united, form white. Which colors in the picture do you
think show warmth, and which show cold, as suitable to out-of-door
scenes? What effect on the rest of the picture does the olive green of
the interior of the room have? What effect does the gray green of the
open door have?
2. Light and Shade. Is the picture flat and without appearance of life,
or do the persons and objects stand out in a life-like manner? Are parts
of the picture in shade, so that outlines are lost? The artist has shown
the left of the building in the foreground as in shadow; how is this
effect produced? Do you observe gradations of tone in the shawl on Tiny
Tim, which indicate relative light and shadow? Where is the highest
light in the picture, and where the darkest shadow? Are the lights
strong as if the sun were shining, or soft and diffused, as is
noticeable on a snowy winter's day?
3. Line. Although you cannot see Bob's feet in the picture, do you feel
that his body is well supported? Is his position natural, as of one
carrying a burden on one shoulder? Are the lines of the figures in the
foreground clear and distinct? How do they compare with the lines of the
figures and building across the street? In both cases the artist gives
us all that is necessary to convey the impression of reality. In the use
of oils and water colors, sharp lines are avoided. Colors are used so
that different surfaces and effects flow into one another; the lines are
concealed and we have the very counterfeit of reality. This constitutes
good drawing.
4. Composition. What is the central idea of the picture? The artist has
brought the principal figures into the immediate foreground; do the
arrangement of color, contrasts of tone values, and the smaller figures
in the background give life and significance to the figures of Bob and
Tiny Tim? Would the effectiveness of the picture be greater or less if
the artist had failed to show the snowy outdoor scene, with its holiday
spirit? Do you recall the incident in the story portrayed by the
picture? Are the characteristics of Bob and Tiny Tim, as described by
Dickens, faithfully followed by the artist? Do their faces show the
spirit of Christmas? If you had not read the story, would you not feel a
glow of sympathy for the little boy, and a wish that you could join in
making a happy holiday for him? Has not the artist succeeded in bringing
the scene described by the author more vividly and beautifully to us?
5. Atmosphere and Perspective. How far from the figures of Bob and the
little boy are the people on the sidewalk? How does the artist express
the idea of relative distance? Are there any lines in the picture which
help us to determine distance? If the eye follows the lines of the cross
pieces on the door, will they not come together if extended far enough
to the left? Of course the buildings across the street are not very far
away, but their outlines are a little hazy. Does this haziness help to
give the effect of distance? Do you think the door was really a
gray-green? Has the artist used this tone to show the effect of the
outdoor light on a gray, or possibly a white door? The building across
the street, at the left, has yellow and red and purple tones; do you
think these were the actual colors? If not, why has the artist selected
these particular shades? Do parts of buildings or other objects in
shadow take on different shades from parts in bright lights? What
colors appear most frequently in the picture? Has the artist succeeded
in giving the picture the atmosphere of Dickens's story?
_II. Pictures and Their Value in Literature_
Pictures are in themselves a language--the oldest as well as the most
universal tongue of the world. The primitive man of all races resorted
to a picture-writing in his first efforts to transcribe his thoughts and
emotions into a more lasting form than the oral expression. Our earliest
authentic history of the customs, beliefs and life of the ancient
Egyptians, the Babylonians, the Chinese and even our own American
Indians comes to us from the pictured records they left on stone, wood
or clay.
In the present age, what child does not yield to the magic rhythm and
the compelling lilt of the old nursery rhymes! With what added joy does
he discover that there are pictures for these treasured jingles! And
long before the printed words can be recognized he enters the alluring
world of books by "reading" the illustrations. With glowing eyes on the
picture he repeats the rhyme he had learned from its many demanded
repetitions.
By giving him simple, clear, realistic conceptions through pictures, we
influence the child to read eagerly the text, to discover the whole
story, of which such a fascinating hint is given in the portion
illustrated. These first pictures must satisfy the child's love of
action and movement, and portray only the most dramatic scenes, the big
important facts with all superfluous happenings omitted.
In fables, where the primary purpose is to convey an abstract truth, a
something bigger and broader than the mere interesting events described,
the illustrations add much to the meaning and purpose of the text. Here
the artist shows not only the physical attributes of the real animal,
but in a subtle way goes a step further and through the features or the
attitude suggests the characteristics attributed in the fable. Thus
unconsciously the little reader gets from the picture an increased
conception of the sly, clever, crafty ways of the fox or the slow,
plodding, steadfast patience of the tortoise.
As literature develops from the simple nursery rhyme and the brief,
abrupt fable to the fairy tale with its illusive beauty, so the pictures
should advance in a parallel and a closely related manner. The
illustrations now take on a mysterious, unreal, esthetic quality, in
harmony with the world of fairy lore, and train the imagination as much
as the direct words of the author. The child realizes that the forest
scenes which furnish the background for so many of his favorite fairy
tales have a subtle beauty which has never been seen by him. Gradually
through such pictures he is led to seek an ideal beauty in the real
world. He also becomes able not only to appreciate the poetic rendering
of this expression of the ideal but is capable of forming more varied
mental images of things about which he reads; to put more of his own
individuality, his own conceptions, into his mental picture.
The passing ages have so completely revolutionized the customs and ways
of life that the child of today finds comparatively little in his
familiar surroundings which he can link with the world of history and
legend. Literature should be supplemented by pictures to bridge this
chasm and to bring legendary and historical heroes into the child's own
world and enable him to follow their thoughts, interpret their emotions
and appreciate their actions.
The child who sees a picture of court life where the cavalier is attired
in richly colored velvet, silk, lace, and jewels, and surrounded by the
luxuries of the court, and compares it with another of the same period
which portrays a Puritan in his somber-hued, severe suit, stiff linen
collar and cuffs, broad-brimmed, plain hat and not a single jewel or
ornament used for mere decorative or esthetic value, realizes the vast
difference in the types and character of the two men. He is furnished
with an appropriate mental atmosphere in which to follow their history
and in which to comprehend the inevitable clash that came between the
Cavaliers and the Roundheads. He will then eagerly and sympathetically
follow the Pilgrims in their lonely stay in Holland and in their brave
struggle in the new country. Here, again, the various pictures portray a
land and climate as vigorous, uncompromising and stern as the characters
of the Pilgrims themselves. Then the great forests, the felling of the
trees, the erection of the log houses and forts, the meeting of Puritans
with the neighboring Indians, with their curious costumes, homes,
customs and occupations, introduce other phases of life that put the
child in a receptive mood for the reading of colonial history, Indian
legends and stories of pioneer life.
Familiarity with the author's portrait, with pictures of his home or his
favorite scenes, brings a something of the writer's personality to the
child. He feels the story is told _more directly to him_. A sympathetic
bond is established that leads him to a more intimate and a more
intelligent acquaintance with the author's emotions, thoughts, style and
purposes as expressed in his works. He reads Thoreau's _Journal_, and
notes uncomprehendingly, the potent sway of nature over the heart and
life of the man. It requires the keen vision and the genius of the
artist to give him a realization of the mesmeric influence nature
frequently exerts.
If this author's portrait is the work of a great artist it will perform
a double service. For example, the reproduction of the _Aesop_ of
Velasquez not only gives the child an idea of the appearance of that
creator of the wonderful fables, but it also introduces the great
Spanish artist who has depicted marvelous interpretations of life on
canvas and has so wonderfully influenced the style and method of the
work of many of the artists who succeeded him.
The world of literature is filled with poems and stories which emphasize
abstract truths, teach needed lessons or give universal principles of
beauty. Many of these have been the subject and the inspiration of
pictures. And, in the re-telling of the poem or story with brush or pen,
the artists have added a something of their own individuality and
character which serves not only to emphasize and perpetuate themselves
through their pictured translation of these noble thoughts, but also
makes the principles inculcated by the author become a part of the
child's moral creed.
All have long realized the value of pictures in connection with stories
involving scientific knowledge, but the co-operation of the artist with
the author in presenting literature to children is of equal importance.
The picture arrests the interest of the child and wins his love for
books long before he can read; it arouses his desire to master the
meaning of the printed forms, that he may discover the story for
himself; it gives him facts regarding unfamiliar things without which
knowledge the printed symbol means little; it leads him to the discovery
of unseen beauties in his environment; it develops his imagination; it
arouses his creative faculties; it aids him to grasp the deepest,
highest meaning of the world's literature; it opens up the undreamed
beauties of the vast world of art; it interprets abstract thoughts until
they become a part of his character, and CHARACTER is the true end of
all READING and of all EDUCATION.
_III. On the Use of the Pictures in "Journeys"_
Children love pictures, and they love to make them. We of riper years
are inclined to forget how very strong was our pictorial instinct when
we were young. A little girl may make on a sheet of paper a few
irregular lines not very well connected, wholly meaningless to us, and
see in them very plainly every lineament of her favorite doll. She sees
no lines, no paper, only her own precious doll. A little later she will
draw pictures to illustrate a story, and while we may see nothing in her
work, she sees enough to make the story more real, and is in this way
preparing herself to read more intelligently and with greater
appreciation as she grows older. We should not laugh at these crude
drawings, nor try to make them better. They express her ideas in her
way, and that is enough. On the other hand, we should encourage her to
try other pictures for other stories till she learns herself to distrust
her drawings, or finds a way to express herself so that others may
understand what she thinks and feels.
Pictures mean something, always. In the first place they show to him who
can read them what some one else has thought and felt. If they are meant
to illustrate something in literature, they may fail because the artist
has not caught the spirit of what he is trying to depict, or because he
lacks in execution. On our side, they may fail because we cannot
interpret his work, either from lack of understanding or from the
dullness of our sensibilities. Again, we may object to the artist's
interpretation of the literature, and his pictures may merely excite our
opposition. Usually, however, we see through the artist's eyes from a
new point of view, so that, even if we do not altogether approve what we
see, we are led to question and find for ourselves something new,
pleasing and helpful.
Children are harsh critics, not only of pictures but of literature
itself, and the critical spirit is a good one to cultivate, if it is not
allowed to fall into captious fault-finding. On the whole, however, it
is far better to point out the good things in a picture than to call
attention to poor execution or poor conception. Leave criticism
generally to those infrequent cases in which the artist has actually
blundered because he has not read the selection closely or accurately,
or has been careless in the things he ought to know. For instance, it
would be absurd to show King Arthur in a modern dress suit, or to put
fire-arms in the hands of the Indians who met Columbus for the first
time. But such faults occur infrequently. Usually the pictures are
careful studies, and give many a hint on costuming, manners and customs,
as well as on the proper surroundings of the characters.
Some selections are so universal in their nature, so freely applicable
to all times and places, that the artist may be allowed to delineate any
people, anywhere, at any time. Nursery rhymes, so often alluded to, lend
themselves to an endless variety of imaginary people and places. The old
woman might be living still in her shoe and whipping her children
soundly, in a twentieth-century wrapper, or clothed in skins she might
send them supperless to bed in pre-historic ages. Whether Jack and Jill
wore wooden shoes or patent-leather pumps we shall never really know;
perhaps their little feet were encased in moccasins, or they may have
been bare and ornamented with rings: what we do know is that Jack broke
his crown and Jill came tumbling after.
So we will give the artists all the latitude they wish, as long as they
keep the facts straight, and we will try to help the children to see
what the artist saw, and so get clearer visions for themselves.
The pictures in these books are from many artists, all of whom have
given an interpretation of the selection they were working upon, and
have given it in such a way as to be helpful and inspiring to their
youthful readers. Every time the artists have tried to get a child's
view of things and to draw so that a child will like their work. Their
enthusiasm has been boundless, and their execution remarkably good. Some
of their pictures are gay, some are grave, a few sad; some are highly
imaginative and others very realistic. Not a few are wonderfully
beautiful. Among so many designs, so many kinds, everyone will find
something to admire.
Among the many, let us take a few for a brief study to show that they
may be used with children to make literature clear, to give interest and
keener appreciation.
The very first picture in Volume One (sub-title, _Nursery Rhymes_, page
1) is frankly intended as an introduction to the rhymes which follow,
and is also a good illustration of many of the principles stated in this
chapter.
The little boy is fond of his playthings and especially of his toy cat,
but you see he is giving his chief thought just now to the rhymes and
jingles which his mother is repeating, while the baby is absorbed and
happy in looking at the pictures. Do you see the sewing-basket with the
knitting which the mother has laid aside while she devotes an hour to
play? Do the other books on the table suggest that she sets a value on
good reading as an important element in the training of children even as
young as these in the picture? The idea is carried out further in the
decorations of the draperies around the window. You see there in simple
outline characters which appear in fuller detail with the rhymes which
follow in this volume. The color tones are subdued and restful, not loud
and glaring, but they are so happily blended, or contrasted, that both
persons and objects are clear and distinct. It tells without words the
story of happy childhood.
_Jack and the Beanstalk_ (Volume One, page 159) is a picture which will
repay study. A child's imagination reaches out more or less vaguely,
though often to his satisfaction, for a visualization of the
exaggerations of nature which appear in almost all fables and fairy
tales. Our artist has given this subject a realistic touch, which makes
Jack's adventure seem almost possible.
Does the beanstalk look natural? Does it look like the beanstalk which
grows in your garden? Are the bean pods like those you have seen? Is the
color natural? Does the stalk look strong enough to bear Jack's weight?
How high up do you think he must go to reach the giant's home? How is
the impression of height given? Do you see the landscape stretching away
in the distance? Do the fields and the stream look far away? Do you
think Jack became frightened or dizzy as he went on--up and up? Doesn't
the picture help you to understand his courage and determination to
carry out his purpose?
[Illustration: ALFRED TENNYSON
ROBERT BROWNING
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
SIR WALTER SCOTT
WILLIAM WORDSWORTH
GEOFFREY CHAUCER
JOSEPH ADDISON]
_Nurse helps me when I embark_ (Volume One page 127) is a fine picture
for study. Ask questions like the following: What toys do you see in the
picture? Do boys like toys which suggest adventure? Do you think he
likes his small boat? Why? Did it suggest to his mind that he would call
his bed a boat, and sail away in it to dreamland? Is he saying his
prayer? Will the small candle give light enough? Why does it smoke? What
kind of a bed is it? What is the canopy over the bed made of?
Interesting questions may be asked about the poem: What is a prudent
sailor? What do prudent sailors have to take on board? What is a pier?
What is the pier beside which the boy finds his vessel fast?
On page 262 of Volume One is printed _Wynken, Blynken, and Nod_, Eugene
Field's musical lyric for little ones. The attractive picture may be
looked at before the poem is read. Questions help the children more than
explanations and comments, particularly where they are logically asked.
The natural order is to ask about the prominent things first, and then
about minor details, thus: How many children are there? Where are they?
What does their boat look like? What is the child nearest the toe of the
shoes doing? Where are the other two standing? What have they in their
hands? What are they doing with the net? Are they catching any fish?
Where is the moon? What can you see in the moon? Is the face laughing?
Now let us read the poem, and when we have done so, let us see what
lines in particular the artist was thinking about. Who are the three
children? "Wynken, Blynken, and Nod." What did they do? "Sailed off in a
wooden shoe ... into a sea of dew." What did the moon say? "'Where are
you going and what do you wish?'" What did the children answer? "'We
have come to fish for the herring fish.'" What kind of nets have they?
"Nets of silver and gold." What did the old moon do? "The old moon
laughed and sang a song." What were the herring fish? "The herring fish
were the little stars." How long did they fish? "All night long their
nets they threw." Where did they throw their nets? "To the stars in the
twinkling foam." * * * * Were there really three little children? No.
How many were there? Only one. Who, then, were Wynken and Blynken? The
little child's eyes. And who was Nod? His head. What was the wooden shoe
that sailed the skies? Only a trundle-bed. What then was all this story
about fishing from a wooden shoe for herring fish with nets of silver
and gold? Only a wee one's dream. How can you see the "wonderful sights
that be"? By shutting our eyes while mother sings. Don't you suppose the
artist shut her eyes when she thought of the picture, and perhaps
dreamed of the time when she lay in her little bed and her mother sang
of the wonderful sights that be? Wasn't that just why she made such a
beautiful picture, and thought even of putting wings to the shoe, so it
could sail through the sky? After such a talk as that with a little
child, do you not think, dear parent, that he would come nearer to you,
and while you read the poem softly and smoothly to him he would learn to
like its music, and through its refining influence learn to love you a
little better? When he has grown to manhood, do you not think there will
come times when his heart will be touched, when he will long for the
loving arms around him and the sweet mother voice to sing once more of
the wonderful sights that be? There are holier things to be done for
children than to feed and clothe them.
In Volume Two, on page 121 may be found the picture _Shuffle-Shoon and
Amber Locks_. How many persons are shown in the picture? How is the old
man dressed? In what is he sitting? How is the boy dressed? Where is he
sitting? Can you sit comfortably that way? What does he hold in his left
hand? What is the little boy doing? How many blocks are there in his
building? How many blocks are on the floor? What is the old man placing
on top of the blocks? What is on the wall back of the chair? Of what is
the curtain made? Which is Shuffle-Shoon? Why is he called
Shuffle-Shoon? Why is the boy called Amber-Locks? What is the color of
amber? Do you think the old man has a kind face? How old do you suppose
he is? How old is Amber-Locks? Do you like his face?
From Volume Two, page 264, _Tom and The Dragon Fly_: What is the first
thing you notice when you look at this picture? What is the second
thing? Where is Tom standing? Where is the dragon-fly? How many wings
has it? How many legs can you see on the dragon-fly? Does Tom's hair
look as though he had just come from the water? What is he looking at?
Does he seem to be afraid, or happy? Can you tell where the surface of
the water is? Is any part of Tom in the water? Can you see sky or clouds
in the picture? Does any land show?
From Volume Two, page 69, _The Swallow and the Stork Came_: After a
picture has been examined, as has been explained, it is sometimes a good
thing to study the way in which the artist has produced his effects. The
effects in this picture are remarkably fine and Mr. Rudeen has
accomplished his purposes very skilfully. What effect is given by the
mass of white in the center of the picture? Does it help to give
emphasis to the principal figures? Does the artist use his colors in
proper tones and shadings? Does he succeed in making the birds seem
really to fly? Do you see the face in the fir tree? How are the eyes
indicated? Are the lines and patches that make the face any different
from those that indicate other leaves on the tree? Why then does it look
like a face? Does the face have an expression of surprise? If the
branches and leaves on the left side of the tree were curved downward
instead of upward, would the expression be changed? Is there any
indication of feathers on the swallows? How are feathers indicated on
the stork? The artist drew the original of this picture with pen and
black ink. The engraver made one plate for this drawing in black, then
another plate for those portions of the picture which have any shade or
tone of orange, and still another for the blue tones. The green is
produced by printing from the orange and the blue inks over the same
surface. Facing page 82, Volume Two is the portrait of Hans Christian
Andersen. This was taken from a photograph, and under a microscope it
can be seen that the ink is put on in fine dots. The border was drawn
with pen and ink. The original photograph of Andersen was photographed
through a screen and reduced to the size you see it. The pictures in the
book are printed from the metal plates which put the ink on the paper in
little dots. These prints are called _halftones_: the pen and ink
drawings in the texts are called _zinc etchings_. The original of the
colored frontispiece of the same volume was a water-color painting by
Mr. Henderson. This was reduced in size by photography and four plates
were made, one showing all the black, and another all the red, a third
all the blue and a fourth all the yellow in the original. Then the paper
was run through the press four times, each time with the color of ink
for which each plate was etched. By printing one color over another this
way, the different shades were made. No better way is known for
reproducing colored pictures. The border was drawn with pen and ink. The
title page was drawn with pen and ink and a zinc etching made by
photographic process, from which an electrotype plate was made. The end
sheets are decorated by a zinc etching reduced from a large drawing made
by Mr. Mitchell. The title and ornaments on the back of the books are
made from strong brass dies that were engraved from drawings made by
special artists. Gold leaf is laid over the section to be lettered and
the dies are pressed upon it with such force as to fasten the gold upon
the cover. Then the parts of the gold leaf that have not been pressed
into the cover are brushed away and the design is perfect.
To learn what a picture really contains, to appreciate its purpose and
merit, we should study it systematically. The following topics suggest
themselves:
1. The general view.
2. The details.
3. The center of interest.
4. The purpose.
5. The artists' conception and its appropriateness.
6. Elements of beauty.
As in other cases, the best way to explain a method is to apply it.
Accordingly, let us study by this method the picture _Down Tumbled
Wheelbarrow_, on page 46 of Volume One.
1. _The general view._ Here is a picture of a man wheeling his wife
through a London street, and the breaking down of his wheelbarrow.
2. _The details._ The man, and his wife sitting in the wheelbarrow; the
cobbled street, the sidewalk, the houses on one side of the street, the
arch-way with the house above it, and the street showing through the
arch-way; the man in the distance. A shop in the middle ground, with
fruit and vegetables displayed outside the window. The man with the
wheelbarrow is dressed in the fashion of the past, with tall hat, blue
cut-a-way long-tailed coat, black breeches and blue stockings, white
vest and white gloves. His neckerchief and shoes are orange color. His
wife is also fashionably gowned. Her bonnet has blue and orange
feathers, she has an embroidered shawl of orange color, with a blue
overdress and a gray skirt; her blue parasol is in the air, dropped in
the shock of the breaking of the wheelbarrow. Her arms are extended in
effort to save herself. The wheel is bent under the barrow.
3. _The center of interest._ The center of interest of most pictures is
found near the center of the picture. It is plainly so in this picture;
the man with the wheelbarrow, and his bride engage our attention, while
secondarily we note the rough cobbled pavement and the narrow street.
4. _The purpose._ The artist's intention is to show the dramatic moment
when the wheelbarrow broke, and the bride got the fall.
5. _The artist's conception and its appropriateness._ In choosing the
line "Down Tumbled Wheelbarrow," the artist selected the moment which
was the climax of the adventure, and in so doing he shows the shock of
surprise and alarm in the attitude and expression of both bride and
groom as contrasted with their very fine holiday costumes, which show
how much care they had given to their preparation for their wedding
journey. The artist has not overlooked the opportunity to show us a
typical London street of the olden time, narrow and paved with cobble
stones. The arch-way gives us the assurance that the street was very
narrow, so that the wheelbarrow had to go over the rough cobbles. The
conception seems appropriate and true to the story in the simple rhyme.
6. _Elements of beauty._ There are two main elements in this picture,
which contribute to the pleasure it gives us, aside from the story it
tells. In the composition of the picture, the artist has placed the main
figures in the foreground and drawn them in full detail. Note the
contrast of the masses of black with the open spaces of white and light
shadings. The walls of the houses are indicated by few lines which are
sufficient but which do not draw the eye from the center. The rough
street is skillfully indicated by a few deftly drawn round cobbles,
leaving the larger white space to give air and light to the central
figures. The treatment of color is the second element of beauty to be
noticed. Not all the picture is colored; in this class of illustration,
the white spaces have the effect of giving background to the colors, and
bringing out their best values.
Another profitable study can be made on the full-page illustration that
appears on page 159, in Volume Five. Questions best induce interest in a
picture, but the questions should be asked systematically. The following
is a model on the picture named above, _Geraint hears Enid singing_.
1. _General view._ How many men are in the picture? What do they appear
to be doing? What is the building at the right?
2. _Details._ Who is the man on horse-back? How is he dressed? What is
hanging from a chain on his breast? What is he looking at? What is the
expression on his face? What is the color of his horse? Have you ever
seen a bridle and a harness like these in the picture? Do you think the
man loved his horse and took good care of him? Who is the man standing
beside the horse? How would you describe his garments? What has he in
his right hand? What is its use, and what does it signify? What does the
gesture with his left hand indicate? What do you think of the building
on the right? Is it new or old? What seems to be growing on the walls?
What does this mean? What seems to be growing up between the stones of
the pavement?
3. _The center of interest._ Are the men talking together? If so, why
are they not looking at each other? Does the attitude and expression of
the man on the horse suggest an interesting topic? (Tell the story in
part, and read the lines covering this episode, page 156. Is the center
of interest now made clear?)
4. _Purpose._ What did the artist mean to do by means of this picture?
Did he select an important and interesting event in the story?
5. _Conception and appropriateness._ Has the artist followed the text
truthfully in his conception? Do you think there is a dramatic interest
in this scene, which made it appropriate for illustration? Would it have
been as effective without the old man in the picture? Why? Does the man
on the horse show his character in his bearing? Has the artist succeeded
in portraying the old man in the character described in the text? Does
the picture please you? Do you think it is a success?
6. _Elements of beauty._ Do you like the soft, even tones of the
picture, the heavy touches of the pen in the main figures and the light
touches in the background? Is the day bright or gloomy? Is the effect of
light on the wall, balcony and doorway pleasing? From what direction
does the light come? How does the artist indicate surfaces in shadow?
Does the outline of the castle through the arch add interest and beauty
to the picture?
After the children have been taught to observe properly, you have in the
pictures numberless interesting subjects for language exercises. A good,
clear-cut description of a picture is worth reading, and to write one
means thought and study. The exercise may be varied by asking the child
to describe the picture before he has any knowledge of the subject and
then asking him to call his imagination into play and write a story to
fit the picture. Later you may read him the story the artist meant to
illustrate.
* * * * *
Besides the color plates and halftones which are found in their proper
places in the several volumes, the following pen and ink drawings are
good examples of the kind of pictures that best repay study:
Volume I, page 22.
Volume I, page 30.
Volume I, page 35.
Volume I, page 67.
Volume I, page 159.
Volume I, page 203.
Volume I, page 375.
Volume I, page 391.
Volume II, page 111.
Volume II, page 228.
Volume II, page 384.
Volume III, page 141.
Volume III, page 324.
Volume IV, page 452.
Volume V, page 97.
Volume V, page 253.
Volume VI, page 145.
Volume VI, page 361.
Volume VII, page 281.
Volume VII, page 439.
Volume VIII, page 160.
Volume VIII, page 321.
Volume IX, page 118.
Volume IX, page 248.