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My First Patron. An Artist's Story

My First Patron. An Artist's Story image
Parent Issue
Day
14
Month
January
Year
1870
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

CamUdly, noiv, it is not many year sinee, in obedienoe lo what I felt to be a s'roug impulse, I dotermined to Beleo art as a professioD, and to reuder ibe docided bias of my inclinalion au Lon orable means of livelibood. Seatud oüo day in my studio, engngoc in putting ie finishing touches to a smal] landscape, of wbich a summer trij int o Sbropsbire hüd furijished me witU i preliminar; sketch, I v.ns wondering wbc-n thc lovc for tíio profession I La chimen, and the time nud labor bestowcd upon it, would begio to biing back Bubstantial return iu tbo form oí patronage and cómmissions, wlien I wás startled (rom my revery by a lasty tap at my door, aad a therry voice asking : "Are ycu at borne ? Oh, a!l right !' It was a fellow-artist aud particular cbum of ruy own, who, entering verj' URceremciiiously, and semcwhat out ot breatb, plumped Limself iuto tho onlv vacaut chair, and at ouce procecdcd witb : 'Tve brougbt you good news, my boy ! I'm goir.g to make your fortune !" Being cousiderably intercstod, I bcgcd him to exphiin, aud ouly taking sufficient time to fill hm littlc brown pipe, he at once asseiited, commencing with tbe inquiry : "llave you bad any visitor bcreyet?" "No," I replied. "You are tbe first." "Tbat's all right," be said ; "I wiehed to be tbe first to tell you. Wcll, then, last eveniDg I bad a cali from a gentleman - see, bere's bis card - '31r. francis J. Bouverie,' wbo appears to be aoting as au agent to tbe Marquis of , in coüceting-for tbat nobloman a emall gallery of works by Dativo artists, being evidently a connoissour in tnob things; ar)d Lord is, os you kaow, a capital patrón of our noble profession of the canvas. Rs bas Eclocted one or two of my tbings, and exprcssing a desire for soraething in the soiall landscapo way, I didn't forget you, and shall be very happy if I ve broiight your first patrón." I thnukcd my frieod very heartily for bis good nature, and began to fancv my pet pictures already disposed of. "lie evidently raeans business," he wcnton tosay; "fur he assured me h's lordship is not particular as to the prieo. But wc shall have to send our pictures to be approTed of at an address in Wi;ipole street, which he has left with me. Show him the best you have and confirm tho good cbaracter l'vo given you Don't be afraid of puitiog a good figure on the pictures ; in faet you may ■ take a lesson in that particular, if in no otber, from little Tm Farncombo. Tho little cad was with me wheu th:s party ca'.lcd, and Tom didu't forget to advertiso his own works most energetically. 'I vrast oue or two nice littie bits of landscape,' eays this Mr. Bouverie to me. 'I have a sweet littla thing at home, close by !' cries Tom, running bis íingers throügh his whitey-brown hair, aDd without more ado be staried off to fetoh it. In thc meantime I mentioned you to him, and yon inay expect him, I tuko it, any minute." "Hallo, Brothor Duuba, wbat's the news V" at that moment cama from an' ugly face, with a red 6tubby bead and mustache, and ocherish looking hair, carried behind the ears, peeping in it tbc door. "Iwasjust passing - looked in, you know! Done busiues3 with your friend, Gliarley ?" addrcssing my companioo. "Hallo, oíd fellow, your foüage 3 ra'.her heavy, ain't it ?" to me. "ISy the by, I showed bim- the ageat to Lord , 1 mean - tbat littlc thiug I epoko of. Delighted with it, sir,- de- lighted ! fcliall sead it up to Wimpole street at once. I euppose he hasu't caücd on you, bas ho ?" he added, turningtomo. 'By he way, I don't like that sky ; there's no weather in it. lio told me Lord wantod paintinga by men of note only, and 6o- " "He applied to you, Tom, eh ?" askcd Charley. "Exactly I" roplied the other, apparently unconsciouBof the tono of earoaam accoiupanying the question. "licmembor the subject of mine ? Figures- cbildren - fishing - village pool - swect effect in middlo distauce!" "Ah!" eaya Charley. "A cepy, ÍKi't ít "Copy ! Are jou a copy ? No; skttched it last spring. Asweet tbiog, mind me, no two mistakes a bout tl af ! ' "Well," says Charley, seeiug I w:is becoming hoi ed, "Frank wants to fiuir-h, so come uloug, Tom, and seud your swcet lliing to Wimpole strcet as soon as possible, or lio m;iy chango hú miud." "Not rnuch fear of tliat V' replies Tora ; and aftor a few more suggestions to me, ns to the tuie of tho sky and the hand ling cf the foliagc, my two Irieads witbdrew. In thecourse of the day tho eervant announced a visitor, and lookiug at the card slio presented, I recoguizcd the name meotioDed by Cbarley. A s'ight figure, and geulleman-üke appoaraoce, a fraok and easj addrees, and the general demcanor of a polite man of business. I wus more tban evur ditposed to bo pleascd with my tiew patrón. "I have waited on you," he commenced, u a gingularly soft and pleasiug volco, "as agent of tho Marquia of in seleeting a small gallcry of works by native artists. llis lovdship, ns you are awiiro, id au entliusiast in such maiters, and pessfsses no smalldegree of ability ïiinself as an amate.ur.f4 lic is i.iiiy favorable to the atnaller-Bized paiütings like that ou your easel there, and ir'you are at liborty to disposo of auy ti.at may snit Litu, perhaps wc eau come to terms.:i 1 hasteued to assuio liim I should ouly be toa happy, and very giadly ealld Lis alteutiou to somu of uiy best fforts. "Ah," lie said, etepping back ond arutiuizing eacli as 1 plaed it ia the most favorable positioD, with Lis cyes ai tly eloscd, aud lus liead on one sido, od speakiog slowly, "tliat's the sort of hing. Thai's about Lis lordship's mark, fancy. A helle cold, porhaps, but ery nice. Ah, tliat's a bef er oue lo wy viüiv. Do ycu thiak, uow, you oulJ mauage- say, four of tliesa, and eud tLem at ouce to this address ? I xpeot the Marqoia ia town tho day Iter to-morrow, or it tnay be later ; Le II theu nspect tbe colieolion I liave iada, aud make Lis owa scU-etions V rite ta:üe und prico oa back of eaoh, aud supposa jou favor me willi a cali - we'.l" (referfing (o a pocket diury and makinga note therein), "ihia day week, the 2!th - will that ba oon venieiit ?" I assured Lim uotbing could be bctter, and haviog seen my pk-aant risitor to ihe door, rcturned iii high spirits to tiio completiou of tuy work. Tuking vviiat I thought n:v beet pic tures in a four-wheelar tlic i.üxt day to the address iu Wimpole stroct, I fouod seVeral brother artistsalnady assemblee) there, evidoutly uu the same crrand as myself, araong them ray friood Oharloj and littlü Toni Farnoombe. ï be latter was, as usual, the most noiay, bcing gedio thu argument rupecting tbe bangtng of the "weet tking;" the liglit was baJ, or tbe position uufavorable ; but the uniform urbaoitj of bis lonlship'6 agent emoothed all difficulties, and caluaed the rufiied temper of our friend. Wbether it vvasprofcssioual tnvy on my part, or adeücieucy oi'appreciativö power, 1 am freo to confess I could not sce the grcat merit of Tom's paiating, although the mpetuoua little artist eontinucd to iusist oa its haviag the most favorable jilace in the ro;im. "Dou't you see, my very dear eir," he argued, "imlees you gct the liglit iu that direction you. miss the charmiug effect in the iniddJc distance?" I fancied onee or twioe I saw a rij smile lurk at the corners of the mouth, or twinklo ia the eyea, as wiih unwayerng good temper and p iliteness, Mr. Bouverie replied : "Very true, very truc, indeed I" Having deposited my precious load I was about to retire, wheu, Lüowing rae to the door, he aid - 'Don't forget th;s day week, tho 2-lth. Dou't be later, as 1 eball be glad to nake an end of thü- settle all'claims, and return to bis lordship's to supcrinend the hacging of the pictures. Gflod day, my dear sir ; I tbink I may con tra'ulato you beforehand on tho salo of all your picturee." Sanguine with tho hope vvhicb. these jartiag vvords raised, 1 returned to my studio, more enthusiastic tLeu ever, and noro grateful, if possible, to ray good friend Charley, wlio had afforded me the pportunity of estabüshing guuh a valun-o coüDeutioD. The timo seomed to pass slowly until to appoiuted day, and being pretly well cft to myself- except for a visit or two from Tom Farncombo, wbo called, ap paren'.ly, for the purpise of findiug fault Ti'ih my works, and cxtolling bis own - ïad plenty of opportunities for induling n those delightful druams of future fame and competeuce which the farewell words of my new friend bad so uiateriaüy eucouraged. I had had ono or two misgivings as to he prico I had aflixed to eacb picture, ïad I asked cnough ? Did the paintnga really possess more merit than I iad uiodestly believed ? The Marqnia of was a Etauuch patrón of tho arts had ahvays heard, aud was yery rich Oq the other band, I thought I bad erred perbaps on the ligbt sido, and my uoderate demands might all the more irmly secure a patrón, wheu be found works of ability or promi=e valued at a easonable sum by the arlist. Yes, altogetbcr I had acted wisely I oncludei, and I bu=ied rnyself with layog in for other landscapes from tbc keiches beside me. On tbe 24th I determincd to walk aie'lynp to Wimpole Btreet, in tbe arly part of the day, so that I might be before band with tbc rest of mj brotherrtists, ob'.ain tho settlement, as proposd by Mr. Bóuverie, for the acepted Otures, and in case of any being rejectd, reiurn with them quictly to my tudio. I was surprised, therefora, oc arriving t the address to iind that tho othershad ncled apparently on tho eame impulse s myself, for I found tbe door open and ho hall full. L'ut I waa st iU more mazed wben I fouud that they were ngaged in a furiouaaltercation with the andlady of tbe house. Loudest amon bem I could distinguish Tom Parnombe's violent and persistent demand. "But where is Mr. Bouverie ? I inist on soeing Mr. Bouverie I" "Good gracious, gentlemen!" cried he landlady, "wliat onearUi is tbc good f aaklngmo ? IIow should 1 ko Ho took niy ground-floor front for a week ; said ha was a picture dealer, and lcf't for Liverpool four days ago, taking uil t'no piotures witb hini." 'Tlieu, by Jove !"' cried Charley, as a ne w light suddcnly dushod upon s, "tlie fillow's a swiadler, and we have beon done I" "And the scoundrel, by this üine," cxdaimoil another, "is on bisway ti AniOiica, and all the paiotioga wiih himl" '13ut did lio leave outhing bohiod liim - a letter or n paper, or anythiug we could trace bim by ?"joined in a lattd, as the recollcctiou of hours of nnxious and unremuneiatud labor prububly re corred to hiui. "He kft ïintliing but a picture," replied the landlady. "A picture !' wo all seemed to say at on cu. "les, sir ; and a pleasanter and more lionorublo gentleman I ncver know ; for he not ooly paid the fu!l weck in advanco, but at parting inado me a prcsnnt of the puiatiug to picase the obildren." "Whcreis ii?'1 we all thundcred out. "In the parlor ; picase, gentlemen, to step in uid look at it." And there, hanging alone on nn other-viso bare wall, wns a Bn-ill landscape - childnn, figures fishing, village p ol. "Gentlemen," says Charley, gravt-ly, "I nin very sorry for uil of us - weVe been thumefully gold. Eut, Tom," he udds, turning to the iittle man, who vb ing perfect ly nghatt, "I am most sorry for } ou. Tbat sveót thing of youra isn't good enongh even to bc- stolen !"

Article

Subjects
Old News
Michigan Argus