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HOME AND FLOWERS 



THE RETURN OF THE GERMANS 

 From the painting by Paul Thumann. 



Tentobiirgh Forest" — and if we do a little 

 searching in an encyclopedia or a good 

 general history we find that the Teuto- 

 bnrgh Forest in southern Germany was 

 the scene of a battle a few years before the 

 Christian era, between the trained armies 

 of the great Eoman Empire and the half- 

 civilized tribes of the north. The victory 

 of the Germans at that time checked the 

 northward spread of the power of Kome, 

 and so proved to be one of the great turn- 

 ing points of European history. 



See how cleverly the painter weaves the 

 glances of the different people back and 

 forth across the picture space ! The 

 stately man on horseback is unmistakably 

 listening to the old man's chant of wel- 

 come and congratulation. We are sure 

 at the first glance that the man with the 

 decorated shield is smiling at the chubby 

 son perched on his wife's shoulder. The 

 fair-haired little girl stares with childish 

 wonder and curiosity at the strange faces 

 of the Eoman prisoners. The jolly young 

 savage with the animal's skin over his 

 head — on whom is he leveling the ardent 

 look of those bright eyes of his? It is 

 on one of the two young women in the 



foreground, but which one, do you think? 

 Both evidently admire him. 



There is a great deal to read in this 

 one picture. We might turn to it again 

 and again, each time discovering some- 

 thing more that is interesting. For exam- 

 ple, a little more observation might lead 

 us to think of some of the details, some 

 of the ways and methods used in express- 

 ing the interesting idea. What a good 

 plan it was to show off the imposing figure 

 of the chief by setting him on horseback 

 at the crest of the little hill and having 

 him turn so that the light would fall on 

 his fine head and commanding figure. The 

 poetic form of the old bard or priest is 

 evidently much more effective seen in this 

 way, outlined against the sky, than it 

 could be if it were seen against a back- 

 ground of other people's figures in a 

 crowd. See what a fine contrast is made 

 by grouping close together his massive 

 old head and shoulders, the vigorous young 

 mother, and the dimpled baby. 



This is one way in which to look at 

 pictures. A picture full of incident and 

 dramatic action, like this one, is naturally 

 to be studied largely for its "story/' But 



