Meissonier, his life and his art . back to, whenever one likes. Whites do not change, so one is certainof what is done. In painting iSoy I began with the sky, which I HIS PROFESSION 213 am now going to simplify by reducing the blues, whicli are too strong. If I spoil the sky after the picture is finished, said I to myself, there will be no means of correcting it. So I did it first of all. An artist must triumph over the inadequacy of his was makincr the studies for the Chauuiicrc Indicimc thesupplied me were neversuitable to the subject,and I used all my skill toovercome the difficu
Meissonier, his life and his art . back to, whenever one likes. Whites do not change, so one is certainof what is done. In painting iSoy I began with the sky, which I HIS PROFESSION 213 am now going to simplify by reducing the blues, whicli are too strong. If I spoil the sky after the picture is finished, said I to myself, there will be no means of correcting it. So I did it first of all. An artist must triumph over the inadequacy of his was makincr the studies for the Chauuiicrc Indicimc thesupplied me were neversuitable to the subject,and I used all my skill toovercome the , when I came tomarking the condition, theoccupation, of each mem-ber of the Doctors es-cort, the carpenter, for in-stance, and so forth, I hadnot space enough above,and that very want gaveme a charming idea forthe composition. Do not approach asubject until you havelived it yourself, until youhave penetrated the mo-tives of your characters,and feel yourself impreg-nated with their being. ^^^ RrpLeircollection.) Whenblocks. No painter can select his background beforehand. There is nopossible set rule on this point. The artist arrives naturally and instinc-tively at whatever will best harmonise with the figure. S:> No, no ; it is a mistake to suppose that poverty is a necessary 214 MEISSONTER experience for the artist. The material difficulties of many yearscaused by my fathers opposition to my vocation undoubtedly turnedme aside from the true path, and made me lose precious time that 1have never been able to recover. The social types I have painted must not be accepted as the trueexpression of my personality. You, dear one, who know me so thoroughly, are well awareof this. I resigned myselfto their creation, dream-in<T- the while of otherthings. My true bent maybe divined from my earlyessays: TIic Siege ofCalais, the expression ofci\ic courage ; Petci thelleniiit preaching theCrusade, and firing of his hearers. I think . I can feeland the domin-
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