IV. Discuss the following.
1. Does advertising mean a lot in life? Prove it by the text.
2. How did Lautisse use people's interest in his so-called "art" to prolong
his fame?
3. Do people who visit picture galleries or collect pieces of art always
understand art? Why do they do it then?
4. Does it often happen that a name means more than talent?
V. Retell the text on the part of 1) Lautisse, 2) Betsy, 3) Gerston.
TEXT 10. A GOOD START
Bill liked painting more than anything in life. He
started painting when he was 15 and people said that as a
painter he had quite a lot of talent and had mastered most
of the technical requirements. At 22 he had his first one-
man show when he was discovered by the critics and his pictures were
all sold out. With the money he could afford to marry Leila, rent a studio
and stop being a student. To complete his education he went to Italy but
after 5 months all the money was spent and he had to return.
Bill never had another show like the first one, though he became a
better painter. The critics did not think him modern enough and said he
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was too academic. From time to time he managed to sell some of his
paintings but eventually things had got very tight and he was obliged to
look for a job.
The day before he went for an interview with his uncle Bill was
especially gloomy. In the morning he went up to one of his unfinished
pictures in the studio but he felt he couldn't paint. He threw down his
brush and a bright red spot appeared on the board already covered with
black and yellow paint from his previous work. The board had been used
to protect the floor and was at that moment a mixture of bright colours.
When Bill left, Leila got down to cleaning the studio. She took up
the board and put it against the wall to clean the floor. At that moment
Garrad, Bill's dealer, came in. Bill had asked him to come, look at his
work and arrange a show but the dealer had for some time been
uncertain on the matter. So he was looking around the studio, explaining
how the gallery was booked up for a year and how he could not really
promise Bill a show yet for two years or so.
Suddenly the board against the wall attracted his attention.
"Leila, my dear," he exclaimed. "I felt that there must be
something like this. Tell me, why is he keeping it away from us?"
Leila was too shocked to answer. But Garrad went on: "I think it's
wonderful. I never doubted Bill would catch up with the modern trends.
Now Leila, are there more pictures for a full show? I must go now but
I'll be ringing him up. I'm going to change the whole plan and show his
new work in the autumn. Tell him not to waste time. As to this one if he
wants to sell it, I'll buy it myself."
Leila stayed in the studio till Bill came back. She was too excited
to tell him the story clearly and Bill could not understand anything at
first. When he realised what had happened he shook with laughter. "You
didn't explain the whole thing about the board to him, did you?" he
managed to say at last.
"No, I didn't. I couldn't really, I believe I should have, but it would
have made him look too silly. I just said I didn't think you'd sell it".
What was Bill to do? Think of your own ending.
(What was Bill to do? What a thing, he thought, to find waiting for
you on your return from taking a job at two pounds a week. He could
paint more for an exhibition that very evening and show them to Garrad
the next day. After all, why not use it as a start for a good painter's
career?)
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