Trafalgar School - Echoes Yearbook (Montreal, Quebec Canada)

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It is sad to reflect that this great artist, ' whose paintings are con- sidered to-day the finest that adoiu the Louvre, died in poverty, neglected by the country to which, through his art, he brought glory. It was not till after Rembrandt ' s death that artists began to paint landscape.. It came graduall}-, starting with paintings of cattle, and flowers from the wealthy merchants ' gardens. Finally, the figures in the picture diminished in importance, while the whole of the artists ' skill was devoted to the landscape. It is almost incredible to think, that in seventy years, Holland pro- duced three to four hundred painters of ability, and two at least— Rembrandt and Hals — of genius. H. T., Form VI. LIFE. This life ' s a hollow bubble, Don ' t you know ! A painted piece of trouble, Don ' t you know ! We come to earth and here we stay Doing something different every day. First, there ' s school through which we sail, Exams to pass — we often fail Don ' t you know ! Next comes society — that ' s dress, Don ' t you know ! And a source of much distress Don ' t you know ! To determine what to wear When to go, and likewise where? — And the way to part your hair Don ' t you know ! Thus we worr) ' through each day Don ' t you know ! In a sort of kind of way Don ' t you know ! So there ' s nothing really in it For we live just for the minute We grow older — then we die — Sort of exit Don ' t you know ! M.S. VI. 16

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THE DUTCH SCHOOL OF PAINTING. On Mav 3rd. Professor Ramsav Traquair oi McCJill Uni crs!t ' , Cfave us an extremely interesting illiistraled lectnre on Tlie Dutch School ot Painting. Professor Traqnair stated that up to the fourteenth centur -, the only kind of paintings known in Holland were religious jxinels and illustrations for books. In the beginning of the fifteenth century, however. Hubert and Jan an Evck distinguished themselves as portrait painters and ])ainters of still life. They made the important discovery that a mixture of linseed oil could be used with excellent results on canvass. The pictures of these two men are remarkable for their clear, br ght, vivid colour, jan Van Eyck ' s best known portrait is called ' The Man with the Pink. The character portrayed in the man ' s face is extrat)rdinary. The sixteenth century |)roduced few artists owing to the fact that Holland was engaged in wars with Spain and all her energies were devoted to foreign aflfairs. In the seventeenth centur ' there were many great artists and several lesser ones. Of the tirst Franz Hals deserves mention. His Banquet of Officers at St. George, Cavalier. The Man with a Sword, are all fom- ous. Hals ' Gypsy Girl is a charming portrait full of that virility which is so characteristic of all his pictures. The greatest of all Dutch painters, however, was Rembrandt. He was. said Professor Traquair. not only a painter but an artist. He then proceeded to explain the difference between the two. A man ma ■ lay the colotir on the canvas ])erfectlv, his techniqtie may be faultless, et if his picture lacks sotil, if it is devoid of that elusive something best defined as inspiration, he is only a painter, he cannot be called an artist. Rembrandt ' s picture had that power of expression, the imagination which ranks him as a true artist. His ]MCtures are remarkable for their light and shade eft ' ects. It is interesting to note that Rembrandt was the first artist of the Dutch school who attached mitch importance to shadow. Rembrandt contributed to art the greatest picture of group por- traiture ever painted. He called it The Xight Watch, and it represents a company of militia guarding the gates of a city. This masterpiece, how- ever, was not hailed with delight by those who posed for it. They thought their features should have been more celarlv defined, and they resented the fact that some were standing- in a more prominent position than others. Rem- brandt painted a vast number of portraits, perhaps the most famous of which are The Burgomaster and The Shipbuilder and His Wife . These portraits show character and virility in every line. The colours .are laid on simply, but with the simplicity of a master hand. Great as Rembrandt ' s paintings are, however, they were not popular in his lifetime. The burgomaster and prosperous merchants whom he painted wished to be represented as famous, rich, and powerful. They liked their rich attire and costly ornaments to be painted with precision. Rembrandt was, however, absolutely insensible to p ' ublic opinion. He painted because he loved it, and he did not cheat his art by allowing the petty vanities of people to influence his work. 15

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THE SIXTH FORM CLOAK-ROOM. Time: Monday morning. 8.30 - 9 a.m. Enter H. T. (g-azes around and vainly attempts to piece together the mirror.) Enter R. B. at 25 to 9. I got up at 8.30 this morning girls. H. T. 1 think I ' m going- crazy ! why did Eleanor break the mirror. ' ' Entered O. R. Have yon done your French? T simply couldn ' t make it out (all three scramble for the mirror.) R. B. Who has got my running- shoes? I put them here two weeks ago Friday. (Enter R. D.. president, in great haste). Oh girls! I should have l een here at halt past for basket ball, give me my girdle. Oh ! Isabel, did you bring- your comb, will someone put m - things away — thanks {hy this time she is half way up stairs). Enter D. C. Good-morning- girls. Don ' t you think Brutus was in the rig-ht and that C?esar ought to have been punished? J. de S. Oh no! I just hate him, poor Caesar was so nice in every- thing-. D. C. ell, I can ' t stop to argue, I must do some German. J. de S. Well I do think Caesar was nice, but mv, I ' am sorry Eleanor broke this mirror! I can ' t get near that cracked one. Enter Pussy. Girls. I had the grandest cold bath (shivers in fond memory) where ' s Roba. she hasn ' t gone yet, mv running-shoes — I ' m late. J. R. I do think Miss H. will give us a Botany test. I don ' t know anything. What is pollination, any-way? Isn ' t it something about the algae? Enter E. C. Hilda is here ! and I waited twenty minutes for her. i I. L. Eleanor, what does acrimonious mean? E. C. (puzzled) I think it ' s faithful, but of course I ' m not sure. D. C. ( witheringly ) Of course not. it means caustic, we came across it in Warren Hastings, two weeks ago Thursday, on page 110, line 11, the fifth word from the end of the line. (A mornent of awed silence in the cloak-room, but the tension over. J. F. arrives fashionably late, with a new hat.) R. B. Jean, your hat is angelic. D. R. Let me try it on. D. D. Which side do you turn to after prone fall ( arious in- formation is given leaving no one the wiser, and the poor Gymnast wonder- ing what Miss E. will say.) J. F. (brightly) i Iv running shoes have disappeared. D. D. (sweetly) How peculiar. I never heard of anything being- lost here before. ' ' D. R. Well, it ' s just almost time to ring the gong. You ' ve got a seventh of a minute longer. R. B. Oh no Dorothy, you know the clock is seven minutes fast. j Iy - vatch is right I set it last week. Bang — Bang — Bang. Girls in various stages of dress and undress rush from room, leaving it in a state of devastation, similar to the land of t he Rohillas. 17