[Christie Johnstone by Charles Reade]@TWC D-Link bookChristie Johnstone CHAPTER VI 2/4
The million subtleties of light and color; learn them by heart, and say them off on canvas! the highest angel in the sky must have his eye upon them, and look devilish sharp, too, or he shan't paint them.
I give him Charles Gatty's word for that." "That's very eloquent, I call it," said Jones. "Yes," said poor old Groove, "the lad will never make a painter." "Yes, I shall, Groove; at least I hope so, but it must be a long time first." "I never knew a painter who could talk and paint both," explained Mr. Groove. "Very well," said Gatty.
"Then I'll say but one word more, and it is this.
The artifice of painting is old enough to die; it is time the art was born.
Whenever it does come into the world, you will see no more dead corpses of trees, grass and water, robbed of their life, the sunlight, and flung upon canvas in a studio, by the light of a cigar, and a lie--and--" "How much do you expect for your picture ?" interrupted Jones. "What has that to do with it? With these little swords" (waving his brush), "we'll fight for nature-light, truth light, and sunlight against a world in arms--no, worse, in swaddling clothes." "With these little swerrds," replied poor old Groove, "we shall cut our own throats if we go against people's prejudices." The young artist laughed the old daubster a merry defiance, and then separated from the party, for his lodgings were down the street. He had not left them long, before a most musical voice was heard, crying: "A caallerr owoo!" And two young fishwives hove in sight.
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