famous Presentation of the Virgin, as well as in his Ecce Homo. But these are exceptions. It was late in the history of painting when the animal came into his own, when the perfection of technique made every branch of art possible. We may date the beginning of modern animal art from the seventeenth century Dutch school. From this time on, the most mediocre artist could make a presentable animal picture. But it is only now and then that an artist has attained high distinction in the subject. There is perhaps a general idea that the animal world is not quite worthy the entire life devotion of a master, but a few have forcibly refuted this error and their work reveals undreamed-of possibilities in this direction. When you put the lion of the ten-cent picture book beside the lion of Barye, you see the difference between representing the outer skin and the real leonine nature. One is a stuffed museum specimen, and the other is the king of beasts.
The child’s first animal pictures are single figures, as are his first pictures of children. The simple object, without accessories, appeals directly to him, and is most casily understood. Of course, it would be impossible to make a complete collection of single animal figures from masterpieces of art, but one can get a goodly number of subjects from Landseer and Rosa Bonheur. Landseer’s Newfoundland, and the head My Dog are good examples. Some fine animal heads are among the works of Rosa Bonheur, as the shepherd’s dog of the Wallace collection, the mastiff, Flambau, and the companion subjects
