Pablo de Segovia, the Spanish Sharper

by Francisco de Quevedo

It is most evident in his power of expressing many facts with the fewest possible lines. Each one of these lines is put down with the thought of the engraver for ever in his mind. This, however, does not mean that he is less free in his handling. It merely implies his complete command of his materials. The art of leaving out, and yet conveying the right impression, probably is the most difficult in the world. Like all art, which is most subtle, it appears ridiculously easy. Every line is drawn with the utmost care—a care so great that it is not apparent. The figures in the little pictures are worked out with a thorough knowledge of anatomy. The architecture and landscapes, and especially one or two drawings of mountains, have been studied and rendered in marvellous fashion. All these pictures are filled with the sunlight and atmosphere of the south; and all look so simple and so slight that anyone would think he could almost do them himself. Possibly he could—almost. For the boundary between good work and bad is nearly imperceptible; in fact, it is quite so except to a few artists. And it is really only to those few artists that a work of art does truly appeal in its entirety.

This, as a whole, is the last and the most important complete work which Vierge has ever produced. But for a man who probably has so many working years before him—Vierge cannot be much more than forty—it may be the first of a long series of masterpieces. I know that he has schemes for such work in his head, and he has now found the most important person for an illustrator—a publisher. But even should he never be able to realise his dreams of illustrating the great authors of his own country, he has already done more than most men: not only has he produced work which has delighted the artistic world, work which will live, but he has created a method and a science of illustration acknowledged by the few to be hitherto unequalled for brilliancy of execution and adaptability for the printing press.

Joseph Pennell.

NOTE.—At my request, Vierge has furnished the following brief details of so much of his life and work as he wishes to make public:—

20 Fevrier, 1892.

...Je suis né le 5 Mars, 1851, des l’âge de 3 ans je commençais à crayonner, il parait que c’était mon seul amusement d’enfant; mon pêre me voyant des dispositions serieuses pour le dessin me fit travailler sans relâche.

Ma santé jusqu’à 7 ans était délicate; pour ce motif mes parents ont quetté la ville, pour habiter un endroit, prés de Madrid, nommé Pinto, et là tout en remettant ma santé du matin au soir je prenais des croquis d’après nature.

En 1864 j’entrais à l’école des Beaux Arts de Madrid, J’avais comme maîtres, Madrazo, Fédérico, M. de Hatt, Borglini, etc. En 1865, le 18 Juillet, j’obtonais une mention honorable notée excelente. En 1866, le 8 Juillet, même récompense; en 1867, le 16 Juin, un diplome d’honneur. C’est à cette époque que j’ai illustré “Madrid la Nuit,” écrit par Eusebio Blasco; “Les Mystéres de Rome et du Globe.” A la suite au musée de Madrid, j’ai copié quantité d’études de peinture d’après Velasquez et Gohia. En 1869 j’arrivais à Paris avec l’espoire de ne faire que de la peinture, à peine dans cette ville la guerre Franco-Allemande éclata, par cet incident je me suis trouvé accaparé par “Le Monde Illustré” et par “La Vie Moderne.” A cette même époque j’ai illustré quantité de livres, entres autres, “Les Travailleurs de la Mer,” “Année Terrible,” “Notre-Dame de Paris” et d’autres écrits par Victor Hugo; “La Mosaïque,” “Le Musée des Familles,” “Le Magasin Pitoresque,” “Le Grand Tacagno” de Quevedo, “Les Contes” d’Edgar Poe, et aussi “L’histoire de France et la Revolution” de Michelet et quantité d’autres. En 1882 je fus nommé commandant ordinaire de la Reine d’Espagne Isabelle la Catholique. Le 29 Septembre, 1889, j’ai reçu la médaille d’or à l’Exposition Universelle de Paris de 1889, et le 29 Novembre, 1889, ma décoration de Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur....

Vierge.