Identifier: meissonierhislif00meis Title: Meissonier, his life and his art Year: 1897 (1890s) Authors: Meissonier, Jean Louis Ernest, 1815-1891 Gréard, Octave, 1828-1904 Subjects: Publisher: New York : A. C. Armstrong View Book Page: Book Viewer About This Book: Catalog Entry View All Images: All Images From Book Click here to view book online to see this illustration in context in a browseable online version of this book. Text Appearing Before Image: .But how was he to surprise all the details of the action of muscles intheir fugitive mobility ? With that ingenuity which was natural to him, but which his intensely analytical trainof thought had greatlydeveloped, he had a min-iature railway made inhis park at Poissy, run-ning parallel with atrack ; and seated on atrolly, the speed of whichhe was able to controlor accelerate at will, hewatched the movementsof a horse ridden by aservant. By these meanshe had succeeded in de-composing and notingin a flash, the mostrapid and complex ac-tions. Reflection completed what observation had begun. From agiven movement he deduced its consequences. To be a painter,he said, is to have made severe logic a habit, to be always askingthe why and the wherefore, to turn from effects to causes. Natureonly gives up her secrets to those who press her closely. It is notenough to look at her admiringly ; she must be coerced. I am asimple fellow, but I am a kind of gimlet for boring into the heartof things. Text Appearing After Image: A CriRASSIKRs BOOT (1807). (Pencil sketch.) THE MASTER—THE MAN 79 V. The methods Meissonier applied to his studies he observed in theexecution of his pictures, carrying his keen pursuit of truth evenfarther here, if possible. He worked with his sketches beside him,within sight, but very often he returned directly to the model and tonature. Nothing short of imprisonment would have prevented himfrom following out this system. Those first essays, on which manypainters would have relied throughout for the organisation of theirwork, very often only served to give him a sort of general impression.He rarely undertook a commission from a sketch submitted to apurchaser. He liked to feel himself untrammelled. His mind pre-pared, but free, he often struck out new ideas. Then began a realstruggle with nature his favourite and necessary slave. Yes,slave, he would say, emphasising the word ; for she must obeyme. She is not my mistress. This was his interpretation of theclassic adage : homo additu Note About Images Please note that these images are extracted from scanned page images that may have been digitally enhanced for readability - coloration and appearance of these illustrations may not perfectly resemble the original work. http://flic.kr/p/oemAfX
