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498 THE PHOTOGRAPHIC NEWS. [OcTORER 16, 1868. Many, evena now, when sitters are scarcer than they were, have a great objection to seeing children enter their studios, and resign themselves to their fate in a grumbling humour, as if they were very ill-used in having to deal with such troublesome subjects, which is not the best frame of mind to be in when you are about to deal with children ; while others will have nothing to do with anything under six years of age. During the carte mania, it was difficult to get a child’s portrait taken at all, except by those whose pictures were so bad that they had little to do, or those who took a delight in the work. I must confess that I am one ef the latter, and nothing gives me greater pleasure than to have three or four beautiful children in the studio, with a carte blanche as to what I shall produce, and with plenty of time at their disposal. I take a pride in never letting a child go away unaccounted for photographically, however young or lively. By far the most beautiful photographis portraits that have been done have been those of children; their attitudes are more free and unconstrained than those of older- persons, while their expression is generally more natural. The wet process is now so perfect that the expo sure, when necessary, may be reduced to a very short por tion of time, and all that is necessary to success, apart from artistic knowledge, is sufficient tact in managing the youngs sitters, who are very clever and quick in finding out whether they are in the hands of a novice or an adept. One of the most charming groups of children’s portraits that have ever been painted is that given in the present illustration by F. Goodall, a class of subject of which the artist was facile princeps, before he altered his style and went to Egypt for inspiration. It is called “ The Swing,” and represents a group of beautiful children enjoying them ¬ selves under the trees a short distance from the mansion, whose terraced walks appear in the background. Of course it would be very difficult in photography to repre sent a similar subject, although it is quite possible; but I introduce it here, not only for the purpose of saying a word in favour of children as subjects for the photographer, but also in order to show, as I have endeavoured to do throughout these chapters, that the same artistic laws apply to all sub jects, however different they may be in character, and how ever diverse in effect. For instance, I pointed out in Chapter 34, in which a meeting of Quakers was represented, how the black shoes of the two sitting figures served to join the groups; in the present illustration we have the picture divided into two principal groups, the children seated and standing under the tree looking on, and the little lady in the swing, and the two beautiful boys on each side of her; these groups are connected together by the light spot formed by the hat in the foreground, which, at the same time, is the supporting base point of each pyramid; place the finger over this spot of white, and the arrange ment of lines will appear weak, and without purpose. Artists should take the greatest care this support is never wanting in their pictures. It may be formed by a light or dark object, by a contrasting line, or by any device that experience or imagination may suggest, but it must always be there. Nothing looks so awkward as a group or figure that cannot support itself. It is for this and similar reasons that the student should well ground himself in the laws of art rather than blindly copy the designs of others who have probably not known what was necessary to the per- | fectness of a composition or the requirements of an artistic I group.