Show STUDENT LIFE 103 able as well as that of movement and change as being necessary elements In the production cf a beautiful painting when such a conception is pictured as is described in the last forty-seve- n lines of the poem beginning with the lines ‘Give me six months then go see Something in Ambrogios! I shall paint God in the midst Madonna and her babe Ringed by a bowery flowery angel brood Ladies and vestment and white faces sweet” From the selections quoted you will observe that Fra Lippo recognized the fact that by nature he was not one of the spiritual class of painters that he was so only as the result of his instruction lie tells us that his first realistic painting wa3 loudly praised by the monks — “till checked— taught what to see and not to see” Later in his career he says “And yet the schooling sticks the old grave eyes Are peeping over my shoulder as I work The head shakes still— Its art’s decline my son!” As a reason for his natural inclination toward realistic painting he says “To me I think I speak as I was taught I always see the garden and God there man’s wife and my lesson learned The value and significance of flesh I can’t unlearn ten minutes afterwards” In such an artistic conception as the following which seems to be such as Fra Lippo’s inclination would lead him to paint every principle of art is embodied The artist’s skill may be exercised in the reproduction cf the various forms of nature into a harmonious whole with suggestions of life and motion and behind it all the highest ideals of the creator “You’ve seen the world — — The beauty and the wonder and the power The shapes of things their colors lights and shades Changes surprises — and God made it all! — For what? Do you feel thankful aj-- or no For this fair town’s face yonder river’s line The mountain round it and the sky above Much more the figures of man woman child They are the frame to? What’s It all about? To be passed over despised or dwelt upon ng e Wondered at? Oh this last of course! you say But why not do as well as say — paint these Just as they are careless what comes of it? God’s work— paint any one and count it crime To let a truth slip Don’t object “Ilis works Arc here already nature is complete Suppose you reproduce her (which you can’t) There’s no advantage! you must beat her then For don’t mark? we’re made so that we u j-o- love First when we see them painted things we have passed Perhaps a thousand times nor cared to sec And so they are better painted— better to us Which is the same thing Art was given for that God uses us to help each other so Lending our minds out” The First Night of a Play The young people in the little town of Blakely once gathered together their bits of talent and good looks and decided to exhibit them to the public in a play called “Down the Black Canon” A great deal of rehearsing was done and the town people were worked up to a high pitch of excitement before all was ready The evening of the play was a pleasant one at the time of the year when darkness does not come till late Men came home from their work earlier than usual and housewives served easily prepared suppers so that they might have more time to dress About a quarter of eight by the clock the crowd began to gather The opera house was in the second story of a livery stable It was newly built and still had the odor of pine about it The theatre part was ordinarily used for a dancing hall and you entered it by a dark narrow stairway on the outside of the building Its capacity was just great enough for the people of the town The stage had been erected for the occasion from loose planks and props Although it was nailed in places it looked very frail and I fancied I saw it tremble when the villain got into a rage As the seats were used only on such oc |