ANGELS' HEADS
Original Picture: National Gallery, London,
England.
Artist: Sir Joshua Reynolds (rĕn´´ŭldz).
Birthplace: Plympton, Devonshire, England.
Dates: Born, 1723; died, 1792.
Questions to arouse interest. What do you see in this picture? Why do you think these heads look alike? How do they differ? How many are looking up? Which one is looking right at you? Where are the others looking? Where does the light come from? Where does the ray of light strike each head? Which looks the happiest? the most thoughtful? Which one seems to be singing? Which one do you like best? why? How many know a little girl with blue eyes and light hair who looks something like one of these?
The story of the picture. Far back in a beautiful yard, so large that it was almost a park, was a house so fine that people drove past just to see it. In this house lived a nobleman, his wife, and one lovely little daughter. Their names were Lord and Lady William Gordon, and the little girl's name was Frances Isabelle Gordon. Perhaps you have already guessed that she was the little girl we see in this picture. And this is how she happened to have her picture painted: The artist, Sir Joshua Reynolds, was a great friend of Lord and Lady Gordon and used to visit them very often. He would ride in a splendid carriage which was gilded and carved on the outside and decorated with wonderful pictures painted by himself. He had a coachman and footman, too, and when he came riding up the long driveway, little Frances must have run out to see the great carriage, for no one else had one like it.
Soon Sir Joshua Reynolds and Frances Isabelle became great friends. He could tell such good stories! And then he liked to play games with her, and above all he liked to tease her. But she did not mind his teasing, for she could run away from him when she did not like it.
Sometimes he would invite her to ride home with him in his carriage. Then he would show her his studio where he painted, and let her play with some of the toys he always kept ready for his little friends. Very likely her mother would tell him to send her home in an hour. How she must have enjoyed the ride back all alone in the big carriage, with the tall coachman and footman sitting so straight! No doubt she pretended she was a great lady riding in state, and sat very still and proper.
Sir Joshua Reynolds loved this little girl very much, and he was glad indeed when one day her mother brought her to have her picture painted.
Angels' Heads
There were no photograph galleries then such as we have now, so there was no other way to have one's picture taken. The great artist put his piece of canvas on an easel and mixed his colors. Then he told Frances Isabelle just where to sit. Although Sir Joshua Reynolds painted very rapidly, she had to sit still for a long time, and come several days, before the picture could be finished.
First he drew her looking straight at him watching him arrange his paints. Then he began to make sketches of her in different positions, but he liked her so much in all, that he could not decide which one to use. Finally, he thought of painting them all in one picture. Then, as little Frances looked so lovely and so like an angel, he decided to add the wings and clouds and call his picture "Angels' Heads."
You see at that time, not having any photographers, no one thought of showing a person in different positions all in one picture as we do nowadays. People were very glad then to have one good picture of their friends.
Imagine how pleased and delighted Lord and Lady Gordon must have been with these five pictures instead of one, and all so like their little girl! The angel heads seem to be floating in the clouds, their faces lighted up by the bright ray of sunlight which is reflected in the golden hair of each. For Frances Isabelle had the most beautiful golden hair and the bluest of blue eyes.
The head at the lower left-hand side of the picture is serious and thoughtful, as if some hard question had to be answered. The one just above seems quiet, as if listening to the two other angels, who are singing happily. These four have quite forgotten us, but the little girl who looks straight at us seems to be right here in the room, watching us and wondering about us. A happy, healthy little girl, she looks as if she would like to run and play with us. Such a sweet, winsome face! No wonder Sir Joshua loved her very much.
People came from far and near to see this beautiful painting when it was finished. Finally, years later, Lord and Lady Gordon gave it to the city of London to hang in the National Gallery of paintings for all to see. There it still hangs, and people who go to London always look for it, and find it just as lovely as ever.
Questions to help the pupil understand the picture. Of whom is this a picture? Where did she live? How did she happen to have her picture painted? Who painted it? What kind of a carriage did he have? What did he sometimes ask her to do? Why did she not go to a photographer to have her picture taken? How long did it take Sir Joshua Reynolds to paint her picture? Why did he paint so many pictures of her? Why did he call the picture "Angels' Heads"? How many faces are looking at us? Where do they seem to be? Which one is the prettiest? Did Lord and Lady Gordon like this picture?
The story of the artist. Sir Joshua Reynolds's father was a teacher in a private school, and to this school Joshua was sent as soon as he was old enough. Even when a very little boy Joshua liked to draw. He liked so well to draw that it was very hard for him to study in school. He always saw so many things to draw that he could not wait until after school, but drew them on the back of his lesson papers.
One day he drew all over his number paper, and when he handed it in, his father could not read the numbers on account of the drawing. His father was disappointed because his son's paper did not look so neat as the other boys', and so he wrote at the top of the paper, "Done by Joshua out of pure idleness."
Joshua had five brothers and sisters who liked to draw just as well as he did, and who could all draw very much better than he could.
It took so much paper and so many pencils for all his children, that finally the father told them they might draw on the walls of the halls. These walls had been whitewashed and the children used burnt sticks for pencils.
At first the older brothers and sisters used to help little Joshua by guiding his hand, but he soon learned to draw as well as they. His first drawings had been so funny that they had laughed at him. Now they praised him instead.
When he was only eight years old Joshua drew a picture that every one praised very much. It was a picture of the schoolhouse. His father was so pleased when he saw it that he said, "This is wonderful!"
In the little town where Joshua lived the people went to church on Sundays, of course, and sometimes also during the week. One day, Joshua went to church. At first he sat very still; but the sermon was a very long one, and finally he grew so tired he could not listen another minute. He thought he would like to draw a picture of the minister, but he had nothing to draw it on. Then he remembered that he had a pencil in his pocket, and that he could draw the picture on his thumb nail. That is just what he did.
The church was near the river, and after church Joshua went down to the river bank. Finding a piece of an old sail, he carried it to a boathouse, and here, from the picture on his thumb nail, he drew on the piece of sail the portrait of the minister. Then he painted it, using common paint such as is used to paint boats. Joshua was only eleven years old, and had finished his first oil painting. His father had wanted him to be a doctor, but after seeing this picture he decided to let Joshua have his own way and be a painter. He sent him to a good teacher, and lived to see his son a great artist.
Questions about the artist. Who painted this picture? What did Sir Joshua Reynolds like to do when he was a boy? Who was his teacher? How did he spoil his number paper? Why was his father disappointed? How many brothers and sisters did he have? On what did they draw? With what did they draw? How old was Joshua when he drew the picture of the schoolhouse? What did his father say when he saw this picture? How did Joshua happen to paint a picture of the minister? On what did he make his first sketch? Where did he finish the picture? On what did he paint it? What kind of paints did he use? What did Joshua's father want him to be when he grew up? After he had seen this picture, what did he say Joshua might be? Why do we want to remember him?