on children as pupils? I thought you told me that you didn't have the patience for dealing with tears and tantrums."
"I confess, I was loath to take on the assignment, but the mother was so earnest." He carefully added a pinch of Raw Sienna to the color he was mixing. "Not to speak of lovely. I found I could not say no."
"A pretty woman?" Jack grinned. "I am glad to hear you have blood flowing through your veins, and not paint"
Lutz flashed a rare smile. "Even dried pigment might develop a pulse around this particular lady." Dipping a sable-hair brush into ajar of water, he twirled it to a fine point "We are ready, sir. Kindly step over here and I shall show you a few tricks for drawing perspective."
Sensing the other man's reluctance to speak of personal matters, Jack did not pursue the subject His relationship with the stoic Swiss was cordial but a bit constrained. This was the first time they had ever exchanged a bit of banter.
"If you look closely at the landscape drawings of Rembrandt, you will see how he creates a feeling of depth through the use of line and tone." Lutz chose a wider brush for the newly mixed color. "He uses a light ochre wash—like so..." For the next quarter hour, the drawing master demonstrated a range of effects.
"Lud, if I could draw half so well as that, I should be a very happy man," murmured Jack. "How did you learn such skills—or do you just have a natural talent for art?"
"Some people may be fortunate enough to be gifted with talent, Lord James. But like most endeavors, art takes a great deal of study and hard work to master."
Jack straightened and sighed. "The next chance I get, I will look at art with a more discerning eye, rather than merely viewing it for pleasure."
"I have an acquaintance, an eccentric connoisseur of art, who lives nearby here. He has a great collection of Dutch landscape watercolors, as well as Italian architectural renderings, that you would find most interesting."
"Indeed?"
"In fact, he is the reason I have come to Bath. On occasion, I am called upon to serve as a consultant for prospective acquisitions. In addition to paintings, he has a treasure trove of rare books and prints from all over the world. If you can take an afternoon away from your archaeological duties, I may be able to arrange for you to accompany me on a visit"
"I should like that very much." Jack carefully collected the practice sketches to keep as reference. "It won't be a problem to request some time off."
"Then I will arrange it," replied Lutz. He began packing up his supplies. "I will be spending the next few days at the earl's estate. In the meantime, practice makes perfect, sir. Work on your washes for our next meeting. And use no other color but sepia."
"I will do that"
"Sehr gut." Lutz rolled up his brushes. "Guten tag, Lord James."
"Good day," echoed Jack, disappointed that the lesson had passed so quickly. As the committee heads were still making a preliminary study of the site, the excavation would not begin for several days, and the lull after all the rushing around in London had left him a little restless.
It was, he mused, a bit like the feeling on the eve of battle—anticipation, anxiety. The resolve to prove oneself worthy of any challenge.
Not that he was about to face a dangerous enemy. Just a fiery female scholar who did not think him deserving of the promotion in rank.
A glance out the window showed that the earlier mists had blown through, leaving the surrounding buildings bathed in a mellow golden light. Taking up his paint box and sketchbook, Jack decided to walk to the Abbey and spend an hour or two sketching the facade. The carved stone, with its pale color and intricate patterns, was a perfect subject to paint with a monochromatic palette.
He took a seat on a low wall, and quickly became engrossed in his work. After finishing several different views, he leaned back and studied the results. Not bad. He was getting better at simplifying his
"I confess, I was loath to take on the assignment, but the mother was so earnest." He carefully added a pinch of Raw Sienna to the color he was mixing. "Not to speak of lovely. I found I could not say no."
"A pretty woman?" Jack grinned. "I am glad to hear you have blood flowing through your veins, and not paint"
Lutz flashed a rare smile. "Even dried pigment might develop a pulse around this particular lady." Dipping a sable-hair brush into ajar of water, he twirled it to a fine point "We are ready, sir. Kindly step over here and I shall show you a few tricks for drawing perspective."
Sensing the other man's reluctance to speak of personal matters, Jack did not pursue the subject His relationship with the stoic Swiss was cordial but a bit constrained. This was the first time they had ever exchanged a bit of banter.
"If you look closely at the landscape drawings of Rembrandt, you will see how he creates a feeling of depth through the use of line and tone." Lutz chose a wider brush for the newly mixed color. "He uses a light ochre wash—like so..." For the next quarter hour, the drawing master demonstrated a range of effects.
"Lud, if I could draw half so well as that, I should be a very happy man," murmured Jack. "How did you learn such skills—or do you just have a natural talent for art?"
"Some people may be fortunate enough to be gifted with talent, Lord James. But like most endeavors, art takes a great deal of study and hard work to master."
Jack straightened and sighed. "The next chance I get, I will look at art with a more discerning eye, rather than merely viewing it for pleasure."
"I have an acquaintance, an eccentric connoisseur of art, who lives nearby here. He has a great collection of Dutch landscape watercolors, as well as Italian architectural renderings, that you would find most interesting."
"Indeed?"
"In fact, he is the reason I have come to Bath. On occasion, I am called upon to serve as a consultant for prospective acquisitions. In addition to paintings, he has a treasure trove of rare books and prints from all over the world. If you can take an afternoon away from your archaeological duties, I may be able to arrange for you to accompany me on a visit"
"I should like that very much." Jack carefully collected the practice sketches to keep as reference. "It won't be a problem to request some time off."
"Then I will arrange it," replied Lutz. He began packing up his supplies. "I will be spending the next few days at the earl's estate. In the meantime, practice makes perfect, sir. Work on your washes for our next meeting. And use no other color but sepia."
"I will do that"
"Sehr gut." Lutz rolled up his brushes. "Guten tag, Lord James."
"Good day," echoed Jack, disappointed that the lesson had passed so quickly. As the committee heads were still making a preliminary study of the site, the excavation would not begin for several days, and the lull after all the rushing around in London had left him a little restless.
It was, he mused, a bit like the feeling on the eve of battle—anticipation, anxiety. The resolve to prove oneself worthy of any challenge.
Not that he was about to face a dangerous enemy. Just a fiery female scholar who did not think him deserving of the promotion in rank.
A glance out the window showed that the earlier mists had blown through, leaving the surrounding buildings bathed in a mellow golden light. Taking up his paint box and sketchbook, Jack decided to walk to the Abbey and spend an hour or two sketching the facade. The carved stone, with its pale color and intricate patterns, was a perfect subject to paint with a monochromatic palette.
He took a seat on a low wall, and quickly became engrossed in his work. After finishing several different views, he leaned back and studied the results. Not bad. He was getting better at simplifying his
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