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46 The Color of Water Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

🏆 best the color of water topic ideas & essay examples, 📌 good research topics about the color of water, 🔎 interesting topics to write about the color of water.

• Minority Issues in The Color of Water by James McBride The accuracy in this book brings out clearly the story of James McBride as he tries to understand the realities of life.
• The Color of Water: A Black Man’s Tribute to His White Mother Some readers may have the same mindset as the one the narrator in the book has and actively engage in the investigation of their racial identity.
• The Color of Water by James McBride Her father was a rabbi, and he travelled to different parts of the world, with his family, in search of employment.
• Symbolism in Mother Ruth’s Song: “Love of Birds” in James McBride’s Autobiography and Memoir “The Color of Water”
• The Question of One’s Own Identity, Origin, and Sense of Self in James McBride’s “The Color of Water”
• Further Self-Realization and Professional Success of James McBride in His Autobiography and Memoir “The Color of Water”
• Problems of Marriage Without Love in James McBride’s Autobiography and Memoir “The Color of Water”
• “The Glass Castle” Versus “The Color of Water”: A Comparative Analysis of the Use of Imagery, Diction, Similes, and Humor in the Two Works
• Racial Segregations and Hope for More Equal Life in McBride’s Autobiography and Memoir “The Color of Water”
• The Motivation That Fuels the Future of a Child in “The Color of Water” by James McBride
• Dealing With Racism: Analysis of James McBride’s “The Color of Water”
• The Main Idea of “The Color of Water” by James McBride
• Race, Differences, and Acceptance in “The Color of Water” by James McBride
• The Search for Identity in “The Color of Water”, an Autobiography and Memoir of James McBride
• Finding Yourself: Emotions and Origins in “The Color of Water” by James McBride
• Themes, Symbols, and Metaphors in James McBride’s Autobiography and Memoir “The Color of Water”
• Issues and Problems of Interracial Marriage in James McBride’s Autobiography and Memoir “The Color of Water”
• The Influence of the Civil Rights Movement on the Life of Ruth McBride in “The Color of Water” by James McBride
• Ruth McBride: A Self-Declared “Light-Skinned” Woman in James McBride’s Autobiography and Memoir “The Color of Water”
• The Quest for Individuality in James McBride’s “The Color of Water”
• Moral Beliefs of Ruth McBride: The Importance of Respect and Hard Work in “The Color of Water” by James McBride
• The Truth About Ruth McBride’s Early Life and Long-Buried Pain in James McBride’s Autobiography and Memoir “The Color of Water”
• James McBride’s Relationship With His Mother Ruth in the Autobiography and Memoir “The Color of Water”
• Exploring Mother’s Past, as well as Own Upbringing and Heritage in “The Color of Water” an Autobiography of James McBride
• Symbols in the Work “The Color of Water” by James McBride: Root’s Bicycle as a Constant Need to Move to Cope With Stress
• James McBride’s Life Story in James McBride’s Autobiography and Memoir “The Color of Water”
• The Daily Struggles Because of Race and Ethnicity in James McBride’s Autobiography and Memoir “The Color of Water”
• Problems of Flirting With Drugs and Violence in James McBride’s Autobiography and Memoir “The Color of Water”
• Biography and Complex Life Path of James McBride, Described in the Book “The Color of Water”
• The Influence of Childhood on Realization in the Life of James McBride in “The Color of Water”
• How James McBride Has Gone Through Phases That Change his Personality in “The Color of Water”
• Ruth McBride’s Philosophy of Race, Religion, and Work in James McBride’s “The Color of Water”
• Antisemitism and Racial Tension in James McBride’s Autobiography and Memoir “The Color of Water”
• “The Color of Water” by James McBride as a Vivid Coming-of-Age Portrait
• Life in a Big Poor American-African Family: James McBride’s Autobiography and Memoir “The Color of Water”
• Turning Point for James McBride Within “The Color of Water”
• African American Side of Biracial Identity in James McBride’s Autobiography and Memoir “The Color of Water”
• General Context of Race Relations in America in James McBride’s “The Color of Water”
• The Story of a White Jewish Woman Who Decided to Marry a Black Man: James McBride’s “The Color of Water”
• Questions of Race and Identity in James McBride’s Autobiography and Memoir “The Color of Water”
• Plain and Direct Style of Writing in James McBride’s Autobiography and Memoir “The Color of Water”
• Comparison of James McBride’s “The Color of Water” and Amy Tan’s “The Joy Luck Club”
• Racism, Black-White Relations in the United States in James McBride’s Autobiography and Memoir “The Color of Water”
• James McBride Explores His Mother’s and His Own Identity in “The Color of Water”
• Ruth’s Hunger for Love and Affection in “The Color of Water” by James McBride
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107 The Color of Water Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

Inside This Article

The Color of Water by James McBride is a powerful memoir that explores themes of identity, family, and race. With its unique dual narrative structure, the book offers a wealth of essay topics for students to explore and analyze. Here are 107 The Color of Water essay topic ideas and examples to inspire your next paper:

• How does the dual narrative structure of The Color of Water enhance the reader's understanding of the story?
• Analyze the role of race in The Color of Water and how it shapes the characters' identities.
• Discuss the importance of religion in the memoir and how it influences the characters' beliefs and values.
• Explore the theme of family in The Color of Water and how it impacts the characters' relationships.
• Compare and contrast James McBride's experiences with racism to his mother's experiences.
• Analyze the significance of the title, The Color of Water, and what it represents in the memoir.
• Discuss the challenges of growing up biracial in America as portrayed in The Color of Water.
• How does Ruth McBride's past shape her present identity and relationships with her children?
• Analyze the theme of forgiveness in The Color of Water and how it impacts the characters' personal growth.
• Explore the theme of education in the memoir and how it shapes the characters' futures.
• Discuss the influence of music and culture on the characters in The Color of Water.
• Analyze the theme of self-discovery in the memoir and how it impacts the characters' sense of identity.
• Compare and contrast the ways in which James McBride and his mother cope with their past traumas.
• Discuss the role of storytelling in The Color of Water and how it helps the characters heal from their wounds.
• Explore the theme of resilience in the memoir and how it shapes the characters' ability to overcome adversity.
• Analyze the theme of sacrifice in The Color of Water and how it impacts the characters' relationships.
• Discuss the ways in which Ruth McBride's faith influences her decisions and actions throughout the memoir.
• Compare and contrast the ways in which Ruth McBride and her children navigate their biracial identities.
• Analyze the theme of redemption in The Color of Water and how it impacts the characters' journeys towards self-acceptance.
• Discuss the significance of Ruth McBride's decision to change her name and how it reflects her desire for a new identity.
• Explore the theme of acceptance in the memoir and how it shapes the characters' relationships with themselves and others.
• Analyze the ways in which Ruth McBride's experiences as a child impact her parenting style and relationships with her children.
• Discuss the theme of cultural assimilation in The Color of Water and how it impacts the characters' sense of belonging.
• Compare and contrast the ways in which Ruth McBride and her children navigate their dual cultural identities.
• Analyze the theme of perseverance in the memoir and how it shapes the characters' ability to overcome obstacles.
• Discuss the ways in which Ruth McBride's past traumas influence her relationships with her children.
• Explore the theme of legacy in The Color of Water and how it impacts the characters' sense of self-worth.
• Analyze the ways in which Ruth McBride's experiences as an immigrant shape her sense of identity and belonging.
• Discuss the theme of forgiveness in The Color of Water and how it impacts the characters' ability to heal from past wounds.
• Compare and contrast the ways in which Ruth McBride and her children cope with their shared history of trauma.
• Analyze the theme of resilience in the memoir and how it shapes the characters' ability to bounce back from adversity.
• Explore the theme of redemption in The Color of Water and how it impacts the characters' journeys towards self-acceptance.
• Analyze the significance of Ruth McBride's decision to change her name and how it reflects her desire for a fresh start.
• Discuss the theme of acceptance in the memoir and how it shapes the characters' relationships with themselves and others.
• Analyze the theme of cultural assimilation in The Color of Water and how it impacts the characters' sense of belonging.
• Discuss the ways in which Ruth McBride's experiences as a child impact her parenting style and relationships with her children.
• Explore the theme of perseverance in the memoir and how it shapes the characters' ability to push through obstacles.
• Analyze the ways in which Ruth McBride's past traumas influence her relationships with her children.
• Discuss the theme of legacy in The Color of Water and how it impacts the characters' sense of self-worth.
• Analyze the theme of forgiveness in The Color of Water and how it impacts the characters' ability to heal from past wounds.

In conclusion, The Color of Water by James McBride offers a rich tapestry of themes and characters to explore in an essay. Whether you're interested in race, family, identity, or resilience, there's plenty to dissect and analyze in this powerful memoir. Use these 107 essay topic ideas and examples to spark your creativity and craft a compelling paper on The Color of Water.

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The Color of Water

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Chapters 1-4

Chapters 5-8

Chapters 9-12

Chapters 13-18

Chapters 19-22

Chapter 23-Epilogue

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Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Describe James’s attitude toward the Black Power movement in his youth. In what ways does he find it alluring? In what ways does he find it dangerous? How do his views on Black nationalism evolve over the course of his life?

Despite the fact that Ruth seeks to bury her Jewish heritage, how and why does it emerge as a cultural force in her adult life, particularly with respect to how she raises her children?

Examine the book’s title. What is the importance of the quote from which the title comes? What does it mean to James with respect to the book’s themes?

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The Color of Water James McBride

The Color of Water literature essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of The Color of Water.

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The Color of Water Essays

Literacy v bigotry anonymous 11th grade, the color of water.

It is difficult to embrace oneself when surrounded by rejection. Abraham Maslow, American psychologist, crafted his “Hierarchy of Needs” in 1943. The pyramidal structure caps off with the necessity of “self-actualization,” which stresses the...

Constructing an Identity: James McBride and Richard Wright Serena Huang 11th Grade

The world is full of predispositions that favor the majority and hinder minorities. James McBride’s memoir, The Color of Water , and Richard Wright’s autobiography, Black Boy , both address the disadvantages that minorities face. In these...

Discerning Racial "Color": Ruth's Role in The Color of Water Annmicha Blugh College

In The Color of Water, Ruth, a Caucasian young woman, gravitates toward Black men because of the rejection, lack of love, paternal neglect, and sexual abuse she encountered at the hands of her own father, and because of the first love of her life...

Finding Yourself: Emotions and Origins in The Color of Water Roxana Hosseini 12th Grade

Growing up in a multiracial family can be confusing, especially if one’s family history has been kept a secret for years. This is the problem for James McBride, whose lifelong struggle of self-identity kept him from truly understanding and...

The Color Of Water - Free Essay Examples And Topic Ideas

The Color of Water is a memoir by James McBride, exploring his biracial identity and his mother’s experience as a Jewish immigrant in the United States. Essays on this book could delve into themes of identity, race, religion, and the American dream through the lens of McBride’s narrative. Discussions might also explore the literary techniques employed, the historical and social context of the narrative, and the broader implications of the memoir on discussions of race and identity in America. A substantial compilation of free essay instances related to The Color Of Water you can find in Papersowl database. You can use our samples for inspiration to write your own essay, research paper, or just to explore a new topic for yourself.

In James Mcbride’s the Color of Water, it Tells the Story of Ruth

In James Mcbride's The Color of Water, it tells the story of Ruth, James' mother's family immigration to America, and both her early childhood and adulthood in New York City. Ruth's childhood was pretty difficult. As a teenager, Ruth gets pregnant with a black boy named Peter, which later leads to an abortion. Ruth then becomes upset at a Southern culture that would not let her marry someone she loved because he was of a different race. After graduating high […]

James McBride, Author of the Color of Water

"Here is her life as she told it to me, and betwixt and between the pages of her life you will find mine as well" (pg. xvii). Unveiling the incredible journey of Ruchel Zylska to Rachel Shilsky and finally settling into Ruth McBride-Jordan, readers are allowed a glimpse into the lives of twelve black children and their white, Jewish mother. With locations in the U.S.A. such as New York, New Jersey, Virginia, and North Carolina we see Ruthie's strength and […]

The Color of the Water by James Mcbride

" I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character" This quote is from Martin Luther King. Jr's speech of I Have A Dream. He is an American civil right movement leader famous for having a voice in equal right for all people and all races. This is very relevant to the book, Color […]

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The Color of Water a very Touching True Novel

The Color of Water written by James McBride was a very touching true novel about a son's perspective of his Jewish mother. Throughout the book James searches for his own placing in society as he passes through life. There are many hardships that he, his eleven other brothers and sisters and mother go through to get there, but in the end everything seems to justify means to how they got there and why events had happened in that particular way. […]

Ruth’s Experienced in Life, the Color of Water

Ruth’s experienced in life, The Color Of Water. These qualities that Ruth expressed are what TV scene called to my attention. They are spiritual, such as compassion, unfailing devotion, respect, grace, honesty, integrity, and generosity. She had twelve children born to two husbands, Andrew Dennis McBride sr. and Hunter jordan sr. More than anything else in her life, Ruth values her children and her relationship to God. a white women who married two black men and gave birth to twelve […]

James McBride Explores his Mothers and his own Identify

James McBride explores his mother's and his own identify in her novel "The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother." He writes from the point of view of whatever age is at during that part of the story. Navigating through his childhood and his interview with his Jewish mother. He talks about not only his childhood struggle with not knowing his identity or his mother's identity, but also discusses issues of poverty, racism, and just his […]

The Color of Water an Engaging

The Color of Water by James McBride was an engaging, relatable, and overall triumphant novel about the life of a mother and her twelve children, told mainly from the perspective of her son James, but we also get views from the moms perspective. This novel goes back and forth from the mothers perspective of growing up and James'. The mother, Ruth, takes us through her life as a child and how her family were Polish immigrant Jews looking for a […]

The Color of Water: a Black Man’s Tribute

The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother by James McBride serves as an opportunity for McBride to talk about his own story as a biracial child. Alongside this, just as if not more importantly, this book also serves as a platform in which he can honor his mother Ruth. Ruth McBride Jordan, a white Jewish woman raised 12 successful biracial children, while facing down an intense life that involved navigating through complex racial divides. In […]

The Idea of Race Makes our World Go Round

In today's society, the idea of race makes our world go round. It allows us to have an identity- making us who we are. But, imagine if you didn't have that identity of race. Imagine living in a gray area in between where you couldn't really define yourself. That feeling of not knowing is exactly what James McBride experienced for most of his life; being half white & half black, being Christian with some Jewish roots. The Color of Water […]

The Color of Water is an Autobiography

The Color of Water is an autobiography written by James McBride based on the life and struggles of his Jewish mother, Ruth Deborah Shilsky, born Ruchel Dwajra Zylska in Poland, as she grows up in America. In the book, we see the transformation from a woman who purposely neglects her past and is scared to share it with her son, to a woman who faces self-doubt head-on and expresses her inner self. Ruth has dealt with diversity her entire life. […]

Exploring Identity through the Lens of a Jewish Mother in ‘The Color of Water’

The novel "The Color of Water" by James McBride, is a beautiful heartfelt dedication to a white Jewish mother by her African American son. The novel educates the reader about James McBride's life growing up with the life that was bestowed upon him, the life of a biracial Jewish man and the confusion that was his identity during an era in which people of color were held to a standard of stereotypes nothing more. The novel also covers the treacherous […]

Shepherding Water of the Upper Colorado River Basin

With the growing populations of the cities in the South Western United States and increased agricultural needs, the demand for water placed on the Colorado River has be increasing dramatically. Pair this with reduced inflow to the Colorado River basin caused by the current eighteen year drought and the region is quickly coming to a breaking point where water demand is much greater than the supply. In their paper Shepherding Compact Security Water in the Upper Colorado River Basin, Lawrence […]

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Section 1: How Benjamin Established the Public Library in Philadelphia At the age of 21, Benjamin was a printer at Philadelphia and a great intellectual. Franklin and a few of his friends established a group which had mutual objectives of improving each other’s reading culture, which was known as the Junto. The held discussions every Friday on politics, philosophy, and matters on moral. They later started to meet at a quieter place of one of the friends who was wealthy. […]

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James Weldon Johnson was a well-known black lawyer in the literary world. He wrote a text on the life of a man of color in the USA (The autobiography of an ex-colored man). The text was published in anonymity from the 1900s because the author was afraid for his career in the public service. It was published a second time during the Harlem Renaissance under the name of James Weldon Johnson and laudatory analyzes. The author begins his autobiography by […]

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The Color of Water Summary, Characters and Themes

“The Color of Water” is a memoir by James McBride, exploring some complex themes of race, identity, and family through the lens of his own life and that of his mother, Ruth McBride. 

Ruth’s story is a testament to the art of human resilience; a Polish Jewish immigrant who becomes the matriarch of a large, biracial family, her journey marked by adversity, transformation, and unwavering love.

Born into a family of Polish Jewish immigrants, Ruth’s early years are shaped by hardship and abuse at the hands of her father, Tateh, a failed rabbi turned store owner in Suffolk, Virginia. 

Tateh’s store, situated in a predominantly black neighborhood, becomes a source of contention and shame for Ruth, who is appalled by her father’s racist attitudes and predatory business practices. 

Escaping a life of abuse, betrayal, and the constraints of her rigid family and community, Ruth leaves everything behind, including a hidden pregnancy, for a new beginning in Harlem.

In New York, Ruth’s life takes a turn towards hope and renewal. 

She meets and marries Dennis McBride, a black man, with whom she finds happiness and starts a family. Together, they defy societal prejudices and lay the foundations for a life built on faith, education , and equality. 

Their union, however, is not without its trials; Dennis’s untimely death leaves Ruth with eight children to raise alone, a challenge she meets with remarkable strength and resourcefulness. Ruth later finds love again with Hunter Jordan, adding four more children to their blended family.

James McBride’s narrative weaves seamlessly between his mother’s past and his own journey of self-discovery. 

Growing up in a home where race and identity were secondary to moral values and education, James struggles with his own place in the world. His mother’s steadfast beliefs and the rich, albeit complex, heritage she passes down serve as his guiding light. 

From a troubled youth to his eventual success as a musician and writer, James’s path reflects the lessons of resilience and faith instilled by his mother.

Ruth McBride

Ruth McBride is the matriarch of the McBride family and the central figure of the memoir. Born in Poland and raised in the United States within a strict Polish Jewish family, she endures a childhood marked by abuse and racism. 

Ruth’s resilience is evident in her decision to leave her past behind, including her family and Jewish heritage, to embrace a new life and identity in New York. Marrying a black man and converting to Christianity, Ruth breaks societal norms and faces prejudice with courage. 

Her character is defined by her strong moral convictions, unwavering faith, and dedication to ensuring her children receive a quality education and understand the value of hard work.

James McBride

James McBride is the author and a principal character, offering insights into his personal journey of self-discovery and identity. 

Born to Ruth and her first husband, Dennis, James grows up in a large, biracial family, struggling to understand his racial and cultural identity. 

His journey is fraught with challenges, including the death of his stepfather, Hunter Jordan, which leads him into a period of rebellion. However, inspired by his mother’s strength and guided by her values, James eventually finds his path through music and writing , achieving academic and professional success. 

His character embodies the complexities of biracial identity in America and the quest for personal understanding within a diverse family dynamic.

Dennis McBride

Dennis McBride, Ruth’s first husband, is a figure of stability and love in the memoir. His marriage to Ruth signifies a bold stand against the racial prejudices of the time. 

Dennis is depicted as a kind, loving husband and father who supports Ruth’s conversion to Christianity and shares her dedication to family and faith. 

His untimely death from lung cancer has a profound impact on Ruth and their children, marking a pivotal moment of loss and transition for the family.

Hunter Jordan

Hunter Jordan is Ruth’s second husband and a stabilizing force for the McBride family following Dennis’s death. 

A good-hearted and hardworking man, Hunter’s marriage to Ruth represents a new chapter of hope and resilience for the family. He loves Ruth’s children as his own and contributes to the family’s well-being until his death. 

Hunter’s character underscores themes of love, resilience, and the complexities of blended family dynamics.

Tateh, Ruth’s father, is portrayed as the antagonist of her early life. An abusive, racist, and unfaithful husband, his treatment of Ruth and her family contrasts sharply with the values Ruth later instills in her own children. 

Tateh’s character serves as a backdrop to Ruth’s transformative journey, highlighting the courage it takes to escape a toxic environment and forge a new path.

Mameh, Ruth’s mother, is a silent sufferer in the memoir. Disabled and abused, her plight deeply affects Ruth and shapes her understanding of strength and resilience. 

Mameh’s character, though not extensively developed, represents the sacrifices mothers make and the impact of maternal influence on children’s lives.

1. The Complexity of Racial Identity

James McBride’s memoir masterfully explores the intricacies of racial identity through the prism of his own life and that of his mother, Ruth. 

As a biracial individual growing up in a predominantly black community, James grapples with questions of belonging, identity, and self-acceptance. 

His mother’s refusal to conform to racial stereotypes – a white Jewish woman who marries black men and raises her children in a predominantly African American culture – further complicates these questions. 

The memoir underscores the fluidity of racial identity, challenging the binary notions of race and encouraging a deeper understanding of identity as multifaceted and evolving.

2. The Power of Family and Maternal Love

At its core, the book is a tribute to Ruth McBride’s strength, resilience, and unwavering love for her family. Despite facing societal prejudice, financial hardships, and personal tragedies, Ruth’s love remains her children’s constant, guiding them towards success and fulfillment. 

Her sacrifices and determination to provide her children with a better life, emphasizing education and moral values above all, highlight the profound impact of maternal love and the strength of family bonds. 

The narrative celebrates the idea that family is not just defined by blood or race but by the love and commitment that bind individuals together.

3. The Intersection of Faith and Identity

Faith plays a pivotal role in shaping the lives of Ruth and her children, serving as a source of strength, guidance, and transformation. Ruth’s conversion from Judaism to Christianity marks a significant turning point in her life, symbolizing not just a change in religious belief but also a rebirth of self. 

For James and his siblings, faith becomes a foundation for understanding their own identities and values. The memoir illustrates how faith can transcend racial and cultural boundaries, offering solace, community, and a sense of purpose. 

Through the lens of faith, this memoir explores the complex interplay between religion, identity, and the search for meaning in life.

Final Thoughts

Ruth McBride’s legacy, as depicted in “The Color of Water,” is a powerful reminder of the enduring strength of family and the transcendent nature of love. 

Her life, marked by sacrifices and a relentless pursuit of a better future for her children, stands as a beacon of hope and a bridge between worlds. Through her story and James’s tribute, we are invited to reflect on our own identities and the myriad ways in which love and understanding can transcend the deepest divides.

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The Color of Water, Essay Example

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The Color of Water” by James McBride

“The Color of Water: A Black Man’s Tribute to His White Mother” is an autobiographical piece written by James McBride and a tribute to his mother. The chapters of the book alternate between personal account of his mother Ruth about her life and the descriptions of James’s early life. McBride shows contradicting emotions that he went through during his personal struggle of discovering who he really was while Ruth speaks about the trouble she had to overcome being a white Jewish woman who married a black man in 1940’s.

In his book James McBride retraces the footsteps of his mother and recreates her extraordinary story of life. Ruth was born into a loveless marriage of her sexually-abusive father and a handicapped mother. Her father owned a grocery store and made his children work there hard before and after school. Father of Ruth sexually abused her as a child and did not allow to be friends with Gentiles. However, Ruth had a secret friend Frances as well as had a black boyfriend called Peter. At that time segregation was in action and the two had to meet secretly. Having become pregnant from her boyfriend, Ruth was sent to her aunts to make an abortion and find job at the leather factory. Ruth got married with a man Andrew Dennis McBride who was the father of her son James. Andrew was a pastor and a very carrying father but unfortunately he died of lung cancer. Together Ruth and her husband had eight children. Ruth remarried to Hunter Jordan, another black man, and had four more kids. During all her life she was carefully hiding her Jewish upbringing or any of the family members she had.

Ruth has learnt thought her life that “blacks have always been peaceful and trusting”. This comprehensive statement could be made only if the person saw people as a group rather than individuals with differences. She didn’t judge them separately. Ruth and later her son found that blacks on the corner of the street are better than those powerful white men. Woman doesn’t take into consideration the influence of environmental factors and racism.

Another reason for Ruth’s favor of black people over white was in her upbringing and childhood. She grew up as a Jew while her father had strong dislike of Jews. No matter her parent’s impact girl never had any prejudice against her race, but she found herself fit better into the black world than the white one. When Ruth got married to a black man, she accepted Christ and told her kids that “God is the color of water”. She used her chance wise to teach her children that God is color blind and loves all races. Ruth’s family disowned her when she married a black man but it didn’t matter for her. Her husband has changed her life. Ruth became a person she is because of him. Her second marriage was a good one as well. Therefore, with time woman started to associate herself with black people much more than with white. With every new day she realized that these people are much better and kind than those of her own race.

“The Color of Water” emphasizes the power of education and faith. Ruth as the mother proves this in her personal struggle against religion, poverty and race. Her self-determination to assist her children overcome these obstacles and trouble during the time of discrimination is remarkable. She strongly demonstrates that knowledge gives power. Ruth showed that with strong will even a low-income mother could raise twelve college educated, outstanding and productive citizens.

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Water-Color Painting: An Essay Read Before the Boston Art Club

OF the various forms of art, there is, perhaps, no one of which less is generally known in this country than watercolor painting. In Europe, water-colors have long filled an honorable position in the world of art. In America, they have filled almost no position at all. Our artists, previous to the formation of the Water-Color Club in New York, had made no energetic and successful attempt to cultivate a taste for them, either by producing good work, or by bringing it prominently before the people through an earnest and harmonious combination. It is true that here and there we find a name distinguished for excellence in this respect. Malbone (a contemporary and friend of Allston and Stuart), whose paintings on ivory have seldom been surpassed either in this country or abroad; Robert Jones, a pupil of Stanfield, and for many years a scene-painter at the old Tremont Theatre in Boston, whose works showed great power as a colorist; Thwaites, Hitchings, Hamilton, Vautin, Van Beest, Wheelock, Bellows, and perhaps a few others, have long been known among us for their excellence in this branch of painting. But there never was in this country so effective and so well sustained a movement in aid of this art as the one now begun in New York.

To define with the pen the exact rules for simplicity with the brush, though often attempted, has never yet been satisfactorily accomplished. It is almost certain that it never will be done, for the simple reason that it cannot be done. The world of literature and the world of art are distinct spheres. The pen can give but little help to the brush. But it may be said that artistic simplicity consists in judiciously stopping short of that point beyond which the material workmanship of the painter’s hand cannot well pass, and where the work of the beholder’s imagination should begin.

“Painting.” says Coleridge, “ is a something between a thought and a thing.” To the quality of simplicity the material of water - color is especially adapted. Its inferiority to oils in some respects only heightens its superiority in others. Its delicacy and harmony in the blending of a general effect, its remarkable power of representing distance by aerial perspective, its chiar-oscuro, its luminosity, its liquidity and transparency, approximating to atmospheric light and prismatic brilliancy, are equaled by no other material for the purpose of conveying the refined and subtle poetry of which landscape art is capable. The peculiar excellence of water-color painting lies especially in its capacity for expressing a sense of distance and light, or what a painter calls " aerial effects.” This it does with a brilliancy and freshness unequaled. To what is this superiority due? To the pigments, to the vehicle, or to the ground? The pigments are the same, or nearly the same, as those used in oils. So that its excellence must rest either in the vehicle and the ground, or in the manner of applying the former to the latter. It lies undoubtedly in each. In the first place, paper properly prepared for water-colors is white (or at least light-tinted); secondly. it is absorbent ; thirdly, it possesses a certain roughness or granulous texture. These qualities are characteristic of paper, and are possessed by no other material in an equal degree. In the rough surface, the little elevations receive and hold less color, and the little depressions receive and hold more color. The finest effects are usually produced by broad washes, applied with a rapid and accurate hand, and with a full brush; by these means the color is floated over the paper-ground, and then allowed to lie quiet in its place until it sets and dries. As a rule, the less it is disturbed before dry, the better the result. What are called “accidental” effects, it is true, are sometimes produced in various ways, as by wiping out with bread, by hatching, stippling, etc. But floating washes are the distinctive peculiarity in the handling of watercolors. Both the vehicle (water) and many of the colors are transparent, or semi-transparent, and allow the white paper beneath to show through them, more or less. The minute projections and cavities of the paper assist the effect of its whiteness, by creating an alternation of lights and half-lights, and casting infinitesimal shadows and halfshadows. Thus we see that the projections receive less color but reflect more light; the cavities receive more color and reflect less light. These alternations of lights and darks, and variations in depth of color, are harmonized by the wonderful capacity which the eye possesses, and are so blended together by it. — though perhaps unconsciously to the beholder — as to produce those effects of luminousness and of tender gradations of airy distance which are the property par excellence of modern watercolor when rightly handled, and which it shares with fresco.

The idea is sometimes entertained that the art of painting in water-colors is a modern one. The English claim that it originated in England and with late English artists. In an extremely restricted sense — probably the one in which most Englishmen take it —there is perhaps a grain of truth in such a statement. The English Water-Color School is, as the words imply, of English development, and of a comparatively recent date. It did not exist before Girtin and Turner; and even since Turner’s death some improvements have been made in the technical processes. 1 The art as at present practiced had its origin in England from the custom of making what were called stained drawings. A class of topographical draughtsmen, in the latter part of the last century, were in the habit of touching their drawings, which were in Indian ink, with a few tints of local color. In the South Kensington Museum there are specimens of such drawings by Webber (who accompanied Cook on his last voyage to the Pacific) and by Poeoeke, which were executed in 1790; by Rooker, in 1795; by Hearne, Alexander, and Payne (the inventor of the pigment known as " Payne’s gray”), in 1790. These topographers were chiefly employed in making transcripts of the ruins of castles, abbeys, and cathedrals in England. Literal truth, minute and accurate copy of details were their chief aim. Beauty, grandeur, sentiment, poetry — all the higher qualities of art — were unrepresented by them. But the men above named, with Paul Sandby, who died in 1809, Varley, Malton, Dayes, Byrne, and a few others, laid the foundations of what Cozens (a grandson of Peter the Great, of Russia) and Girtin and Turner subsequently raised to the dignity of art. Samuel Prout, Robson, Copley, Fielding, Barrett, Rowlandson, Dewint, Dadd, Blake, Lewis, Harding, Hunt, Cattermole, and Cooper also deserve most honorable mention. The reader who is familiar with contemporary English art can readily supply other names deservedly eminent in this respect.

The form in which many are wont to think of water-colors is in the comparatively small easel pictures, adapted for hanging in frames on the walls of public galleries or private dwellings. But in reality, fresco painting, tempera painting, scene painting, missal painting, and miniature painting are as much watercolor painting as what are distinctively called easel or cabinet pictures.

A wide survey of the history of art shows us that there have been, in general, four different methods of representing nature; namely, tempera, encaustic, fresco, and oil. Of these the oldest is undoubtedly tempera; then follows the encaustic painting of the classic Greeks and their imitators; subsequent to this was the fresco of the Renaissance in the fourteenth and the fifteenth century; and last of all, after the middle of the fifteenth century, came oil. Modern water-color is a modification of ancient tempera.

Water-color painting is in fact not only an older, but a very much older process than the use of oils. Water-colors were used by the Egyptians, the Hindoos, the Chinese, the Assyrians, and the Etruscans, long before the birth of Christ. The earliest work extant painted in the present method of using oils, according to Sir Charles Eastlake, is at Frankfort, Germany. Eastlake says its date is 1417, A. D. But a more recent authority sets it at 1444. It is consequently now about four hundred and twenty-five years old. The name of the artist who painted it is Peter Christophsen (called by Vasari, Pietro Crista), a scholar of Hubert Van Eyck. The earliest European water-color extant is undoubtedly the one found in 1843 in Italy, in the necropolis of Veii. Its date, if it had one, antiquarians say would be about the time that Rome was founded, and it is consequently now about twenty-six hundred years old. The name of the artist who painted it is not known.

Oil was undoubtedly employed in certain ways, previous to the time of the Van Eycks. But the art of painting in oils, as now understood, was probably invented by them. 2

It was the dictum of Michelangelo that “ oil painting was fit only for women and for the luxurious and idle.” He acted up to his belief, for it is by no means certain that there is a single oil painting by Michelangelo in existence. The reverse of this opinion seems now to be commonly entertained, and Michelangelo’s dictum about oils is held by many in regard to water-colors. It is a quite prevalent idea that the material of water-colors is adapted by its nature only to the lower ranges of art; that it is limited in its resources to pictures comparatively small in size, and to subjects of such a kind as are best characterized by the term prettiness; that neither force nor feeling can be expressed in this material, but only feebleness; that however successful it may be in rendering grace or beauty, strength and grandeur are beyond its grasp. On the other hand, it is often believed that the higher ranges of art are monopolized by oil; that the best expression of the noblest ideas is only to be found within the resources of this latter material.

To see that such an opinion is a mistaken one, does not require a long consideration. Most of the great painters of the Renaissance won their immortal fame by water-color. It is by watercolor that a very large proportion of the noblest and highest achievements in art has been accomplished. Cimabue, Giotto, Masaccio, Ghirlandaio (Michelangelo’s master), Michelangelo, Perugino (the master of Raphael), Raphael, Lionardo da Vinci, Fra Angelico, Filippo Lippi, Andrea del Sarto, Andrea Mantegna, Correggio, and the great host of the Renaissance were water-color painters. Buonarotti’s paintings of The Creation and The Last Judgment, in the Sistine Chapel, Correggio’s paintings in the Cathedral of Parma, Raphael’s School of Athens, The Scourging of Heliodorus, and his other paintings in the Loggie and Stanze of the Vatican, are “ only water-color paintings.” And the history of water-color or fresco painting in the revival of art in the fifteenth century is the history of art itself. Moreover the practice of fresco has been renewed in modern times, and many of the chief pictures of Germany, England, and France have been executed in this method.

Fresco (the Italian adjective fresco , fresh) is the name given to mural paintings which are executed on freshly laid plaster. It is not therefore exaetlv synonymous with tempera, as this latter term is properly applied only to paintings on dry plaster. The tempera process is probably far older than that of real fresco. The latter was not much in use till near the end of the fourteenth century. The method of working in fresco is, in general, as follows. First, a finished sketch in color of the intended picture is made. This may be either of the same size as the proposed fresco, or it may be smaller. The outlines of the design are carefully drawn on thick paper or pasteboard, which is securely fastened to a cloth stretched on framework. The sketch on the cartoon is then transferred to the wall. Different methods of conveyance are made use of. By some, tracing-paper is laid on the cartoon and the design traced upon it. The tracing is then put upon the wet plaster, and the design pricked through. By others, a blank sheet of paper is placed behind the cartoon, the design pricked through on to the sheet, the sheet laid upon the wall, and black powder dusted through the holes of the paper on to the plaster. Still another method is to draw a series of small squares upon the cartoon, and also another series of larger squares upon the wall. By aid of these to guide the eye, the transfer is made. Thus the use of the cartoon by the fresco painter is similar to that of the clay or wax model by the sculptor.

The pigments used are chiefly earths, since the chemical action of the lime destroys animal and vegetable colors. Lime is mixed with them in fresco and secco, but not in tempera painting. Great attention was paid by the ancient and Renaissance painters to the careful preparation of the grounds, which were either of burnished gold or white plaster, as the luminosity of the picture depends on these being preserved pure and clean.

The fresco painter has many difficulties to contend with, arising from the nature of the materials with which he works. This is especially the case with true fresco (buon fresco) as distinguished from dry fresco (fresco secco ) otherwise called mezzo (half) fresco or “ Florentine " fresco. Strictly speaking, there are three distinct kinds of wall painting, namely: the true fresco, which is executed on wet plaster, and with colors mixed with lime; second, the dry fresco, also executed with lime colors, but on plaster which has dried and been remoistened; third, tempera (or more commonly, distemper ), without lime mixed with the colors, and on a dry wall. It is quite common to use the terms secco and tempera (or distemper) as synonymous, though speaking accurately there is the above-mentioned difference.

Discoveries of old fresco and tempera pictures — some beneath whitewash, others beneath accumulated rubbish — are frequently made at the present day.

As examples may be mentioned those found in 1863, in England, in Astbury church, Cheshire; those in Stone church, Kent; and those in Eaton church, near Norwich. These were probably executed about the beginning of the fourteenth century. In France, paintings in secco have lately been exhumed in the rooms of the Roman villa in the Department of Allier, near the railway station of St. Gerand le Puy. The villa belongs undoubtedly to the Augustan age, and at the breaking out of the FrancoPrussian war was undergoing excavation.

Modern chemistry has supplied another method for wall painting, called stereo-chromic. It possesses some advantages over ordinary tempera, on account of its supposed greater durability and the facility with which paintings done in this method can be glazed and retouched. It was invented by a wellknown chemist, J. R. von Fuchs, of Munich. The essence of the invention consists in mixing fluoric acid with a proper proportion of water; this mixture is then profusely sprinkled over the picture. The chemical action of the solution (“ water-glass,” as it is called) renders the colors, and the plaster on which they are laid, one uniform flint-like mass. A longer time, however, than has yet elapsed since the invention of this process is necessary before its merits or defects can be definitely ascertained.

One of the great troubles in the management of fresco consists in the fact that the eggs, which are mixed with the colors to render them of the proper consistency, dry so rapidly that it is difficult to unite the tints in the more nicely modeled parts of a picture. But this technical difficulty is in reality productive of a virtue. For it renders retouching impossible. In oil painting it is practicable to retouch, to glaze, and to use numerous appliances known to painters, by which the desired effect, if not produced at first, can yet be subsequently obtained. But in fresco painting this is out of the question. The plaster in drying forms a crystalline surface, which gives a clearness and sharpness much superior to that of which distemper is capable; and great care is required in the manipulation, because the stucco has only a limited capacity for the absorption of color. If this capacity is overworked, the plaster becomes what is called “rotten.” The rottenness is not perceptible until after the plaster is dry, so that the artist must thoroughly understand his business, must possess an experienced judgment and a swift and resolute hand, before he can produce good and durable work. This necessary simplicity in the manipulation compels the fresco painter to avoid the display of mere mechanical skill —the parade of artistic fire-works, so to speak. Soft and delicate finish, roundness, depth of color, and all the other inferior resources of art are therefore placed beyond his control. It is impossible for him to conceal poverty of invention or of poetic feeling behind the mask of artificial decoration and mechanical elaboration. Simplicity and breadth of treatment, grandeur, harmony, truth and purity of character, nobility of composition and expression, — the higher qualities of true art, — are the only fields in which he can display his triumphs. Without these he is nothing. Vasari has rightly called fresco “ the most manly of all modes of painting.”

Coleridge says that the measure of greatness in a work of art is its suggestiveness. He means, possibly, that great work is never simply specific in effect, but carries the spectator out of himself as it were, and beyond its own mere surface into an atmosphere akin to that in which the work was created. There must therefore be a greater or less degree of sympathy and congeniality between the mind of the beholder and the mind that creates. The effect of a great work of art is not one of sense alone. It is an effect not to be looked for in the work of little men; it is a spiritual essence—a quintessence beyond them, intangible and everlasting. We can, it is true, lay down the dictum that a work of art, to be the most complete, must exhibit in itself an excellence in the three directions of sensuous, of intellectual, and of spiritual beauty. But it is this intangible quality of suggestiveness which exerts the greatest influence on the true lover of art, be he professional artist or humble layman. When we see more with our minds than we can with our eyes, then comes the keenest delight.

This property of suggestiveness is a vital element of the simplicity and grandeur of fresco painting, and it led the great artists of the Renaissance, even after the invention of oil painting, to select fresco as fittest for the expression of their best thoughts. The necessity of forbearance in the technical management of frescoes; the inevitable law that in them all cannot be said, but that much must be left unsaid, enhance their parity and unity of design, and appeal to the spectator in a manner that, if he is of susceptible fibre, fills his mind with visions of purest delight. In their proper treatment all profusion of ornament is avoided, and their greatness is not infringed by a multiplicity of constituent parts. An easel water-color ought, in a less degree, to possess these characteristics of fresco. Dignified simplicity and directness should be the first objects aimed at. Elaboration is not its appropriate possession. Even rudeness and roughness, if accompanied with a manly breadth, are better than the most patient minuteness of detail. One of the chief requisite conditions in a work of art is that it should be rendered without confusion. When a water-color becomes elaborate in texture, and in what is called quality of color, it infringes on the peculiar province of oil painting, and the painter wastes his time.

Besides fresco and tempera, watercolor painting had an immense field for its development, especially during the Middle Ages, in the wide-spread fashion of ornamenting manuscripts. Miniature illumination, particularly as practiced in its later days, was a new resource in art, distinct from fresco and from oil. The illumination of MSS. forms the principal existing link between ancient and modern art. For those two enemies of art, time and barbarians, have destroyed nearly all the other varieties of pictures. It is chiefly in the illuminated Bibles, missals, rubrics, psalters, hymnals, chronicles, and other MSS., handed down to us by their royal or monastic owners, that we can find specimens of the art of painting as practiced in Europe in the time between the fifth and the twelfth century. Paintings on walls, canvas, or panels are of necessity more exposed to injury and destruction than paintings in books, these latter being easily deposited in places secure from violence; and the books being kept closed, the pictures they contain are protected likewise from atmospheric influences. It is not true, however, as Vasari and other writers have frequently asserted, that art in forms other than illuminated books was not cultivated in Italy during the period from the fifth to the thirteenth century. 3

Without colored illustrations it is impossible to give a completely definite notion of the art of illumination ; and half a dozen pages are small space in which to review the work of over a thousand years. A careful comparison of the many MSS. extant shows—as is natural from the fact that the art of illumination was practiced for fifteen hundred years or more, and by many nations, European, African, and Asiatic — wide-spread diversities in design and execution. The different nations naturally formed different schools of art. And an elaborate treatment of the subject (impossible in these pages) would require a consideration of the different styles of Byzantine, Greek, Latin, Frank, Gallic, Franco - Gallic, Keltic, Anglo-Keltie, Saxon, Persian, Arabic, Hindoo, Japanese, Chinese, and all the other varieties of European, Asiatic, and African art.

Miniature painting is the term originally applied to the practice of illuminating books with colored letters, previous to the invention of printing. The word miniature is an instance of the change always taking place in language. The primary meaning of the word miniature is red-lead, from the Latin minium. Now it signifies, of course, a portrait of small size, usually executed on ivory or vellum. In the Middle Ages it was the custom of the book-writers to distinguish the beginning of chapters and paragraphs by marking the initial letters in minium or red-lead. This practice was the humble beginning of what subsequently gave employment to some of the greatest artists of Europe and Asia. By degrees these red letters — at first used simply as a matter of practical convenience, to distinguish the beginnings of paragraphs —came to be adorned with many fanciful ornaments, the illuminator adding arabesque borders and scroll-work, and finally little pictures containing birds, animals, foliage, fruit, flowers, insects, human and imaginary grotesque figures, unicorns, griffins, chimæras, and other fantastic creatures, illustrative of the context. To this the general term miniature was applied. The name of the material in which they were done was thus transferred to the pictures themselves. At first, the initial letters were of the same size as the rest of the text; but by degrees it became the custom to make them larger than the other letters, so that in some MSS., especially the choral books of several of the Italian churches, they range from two inches to twenty-four inches in length.

To the historian as well as to the artist, the illuminated books of the Middle Ages are invaluable. For, besides exhibiting the development of art, they supply the most accurate illustrations of the social manners, the religious conditions and customs, the utensils, arms, furniture, dress, and architecture peculiar to the times and countries in which they were produced. One of the first pictorial evidences of a knowledge of the existence of America is to be seen in a painting of the Adoration, belonging to the Chapter House at Viseu, Portugal. In this picture one of the Magi is represented in the dress of an American brave. From miniature illumination very valuable information on the subject of topography is to be obtained. For the illuminator followed the general practice of most of the early painters in similar cases. They painted what they saw. Rembrandt, when representing the Nativity, for example, gives us the view of a Dutch cowhouse, and not that of a Jewish stable; Raphael pictures a Roman matron for the mother of Christ; a Burgundian, in painting the Fall of Adam, represents the fruit of the Tempter as a bunch of grapes, while a Norman makes it an apple, and a Provençal, an orange. So the mediæval limner, in illustrating the Bible, introduced scenes which were familiar to his own experience. Suppose, for example, he were a Frenchman illustrating the Crucifixion. Instead of attempting a view of Jerusalem, which he never has seen, he simply inserts for a background in his miniature a view in Paris or some other French town.

And we thus obtain a correct idea of how Aix-la-Chapelle appeared when Charlemagne made it his residence, or how Notre Dame or the Louvre looked to the painter’s contemporaries. What is called the Talbot Book, given to Margaret of Anjou by Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury, contains, among numerous tales of chivalry, the Life of Alexander the Great. There is a miniature in it of a view of Babylon, in the foreground of which is a very neat row of watermills, such as the painter daily saw around Ghent or Bruges. In Queen Mary’s Prayer Book, a MS. of the thirteenth century, is a drawing illustrating the death of Absalom. Absalom is represented hung to a tree, dressed in a coat of chain-mail, and surrounded with knights war-horses of the days of chivalry. Joab, likewise in armor, with his visor down, is busily at work, spearing Absalom with a long lance. Another MS., of the fourteenth century, represents King David playing, not upon the harp, but striking a row of silver bells after the manner of the Saxons; David is attended by four other figures, playing respectively on a harp, an organ, a violin, and the bag-pipes. In a medallion of Juvenal des Ursines, of the fifteenth century, which represents the shepherds receiving the glad tidings of the Saviour’s birth, there is a landscape of the river Seine, with accurate drawings of the church of Saint-Jeanen-Griève, the Petit Châtelet, the Butte Montmartre, and the Tower of the Temple.

This kind of decoration, like tempera and fresco, existed before the Middle Ages and even before the Christian era. The ancient Egyptians illuminated their papyri with elaborately painted vignettes, similar to those of the Catholic missals. The Greeks and Romans had a like custom. In Europe, its early history is quite obscure. It seems to have been practiced by Byzantine artists about the third or fourth century. The earliest Greek illuminations are very simple, being not much more than a mere framework around the page, with a colored border. A few pictures are introduced in this early work, square in shape and likewise surrounded with a border and a dark margin. Among the oldest extant specimens of illuminated books are a copy of Terence in the library of the Vatican, supposed to be of the fourth century, and the Dioscorides of the Vienna Library, executed about 354 A. D. The Vatican Vergil is also one of the most ancient. It contains about fifty miniatures and was written in the fourth or fifth century. The oldest illuminated MS. in the British Museum is the Codex Geneseos, probably of the third century; all but a few leaves was unfortunately destroyed by the great fire of 1731.

It was in the latter part of the Middle Ages — the period between the ninth and the sixteenth century —that this art was brought to its perfection. Like the mural decoration of the Renaissance times, illumination owes its development to the Christian church. To the embellishment of missals and breviaries the medialval monk resorted, for the purpose of recording his piety by painting his ideas of sacred subjects, or of whiling away the ennui of cloister life. There was also another incentive in the fact that a peculiar merit was attached to this kind of work. The following subscription is found on many mediaeval MSS.: “This Book, copied by X—for the Benefit of his Soul, was finished in the Year —. May the Lord think upon him.”The persecutions of the early Christians repressed the growth of this art for the first two or three centuries. But with the accession to the Roman empire of its first Christian ruler, Constantine, in 306, the art received a vigorous impulse. In the year 305, St. Anthony first established convents in which were collected the devotees of religion, previously compelled to live in secret places. These convents were so many laboratories for copying and illustrating MSS.

Large numbers of illuminated books are preserved in the various libraries and private collections of Europe. It is not improbable that there are rich and unexplored mines in the Eastern convents, especially of Arabic and Persian work. For during more than one thousand years — that is, from the reign of Constantine in 306 A. D., till the capture of Constantinople by the Turks in 1453, and the growth of learning in western Europe — that city was the chief seat of scholars and of book-making. The business of transcription and embellishment was most assiduously carried on, not only in the city proper, but in the monasteries of its suburbs, and throughout Asia Minor and the islands of the Ægean Sea. Cyprus, Eubœa, and Crete were especially prolific. No place was more productive than Mt. Athos, which stretches into the Ægean Sea from Macedonia. The promontory was literally honey-combed with monasteries, the occupants devoting most of their time to this work, which they have even handed down to their successors of the present day. For at the breaking out of the Greek revolution of 1828, there were more than twenty monasteries on Mt. Athos, containing over four thousand monks, most of whom were picture - makers. And in 1846, Papeti found them still illuminating books, guided by ancient models and by a receipt-book, the latter containing the most minute details in regard to the costume and even the facial expressions of all the saints in the Greek calendar.

It was only about a quarter of a century ago that one of the oldest known specimens of scriptural illumination — if not the oldest—was discovered at Jerusalem by Poujoulet, a French traveler. He describes it to be a Bible, probably of the fourth century, executed in a coarse style of Byzantine art, containing miniature paintings representing the chief scriptural personages from Adam to Christ. During the past four hundred years frequent visits have been made by European travelers and men of learning to the Egyptian monasteries, for the purpose of unearthing MSS. Among these visitors may be mentioned Robert Huntington, who in 1678 made the collection of Oriental MSS. now in the Bodleian Library at Oxford, England. In 1715, Asserman and Sicard gathered for the Vatican a number of Coptic, Syriac, and Arabic books. In 1730, Sieur Granger visited the Natron monasteries of North Africa. He says “ the buildings at that time were falling into decay and the dust destroying the books and MSS., of which the monks made no use whatever. Their own patriarch had represented to them that the sum which the books would produce would be sufficient to enable them to restore their churches and rebuild their cells; but they declared they would rather be buried in the ruins” than part with their unused books. A hundred years later, Lord Prudhoe, in 1828, visited these same monasteries. He says that in one chamber he found a trap-door, through which he descended, “ candle in hand, to examine the MSS., where books and parts of books in Coptic, Ethiopic, Syriac, and Arabic were lying in a mass, on which,” he says, “I stood. To appearance it seemed as if on some sudden emergency the whole library had been thrown for security down this trap-door, and that the books had remained undisturbed in their dust and neglect for some centuries.” The British Museum has quite a large collection of MSS. made by Dr. Tattam, who twice went to Egypt solely for that purpose. In a vault of one of the monasteries he found the floor covered eight or ten inches deep with the fragments of books, which had apparently lain there many years. Over one thousand MSS. were collected from Egypt, Asia, and Mesopotamia, written in the Syriac, Aramaic, and Coptic dialects, and at different times between the fourth and the thirteenth century. Most of the MSS. above mentioned have been secured for European libraries. But these instances, and especially the late discoveries of Papeti, Poujoulet, and Dr. Tischendorf (an account of whose finding of the Mt. Sinai Bible is in the preface to the thousandth volume of Tauchnitz’ publications), lead one to hope that, in spite of previous active search, there may yet be found still more additions to our treasures of mediæval limning.

Subsequent to the fifth century, the influence of Christian art is plainly visible. In the sixth century a stimulus was given to illumination by St. Benedict. The influence of this remarkable man over the monastic institutions of western Europe was felt for a period of three hundred years. It was in the year 500, that, coming from Asiatic Greece, he established numerous convents in the west of Europe. The rules of life which he originated were adopted universally by the different religious communities; and they were exclusively observed until the ninth century. St. Benedict’s last dying injunction to his brethren was, “ Read, copy, and preserve books.” In the eighth century many Eastern artists were dispersed over western Europe by the iconoclastic emperors of Byzantium. Charlemagne took advantage of the expulsion of ecclesiastics and artists from Byzantium, and afforded them a generous support and employment at his court and throughout his empire. The Byzantine style of art, which from the idiosyncrasies of its Eastern character is readily distinguished from all others, was thus gradually amalgamated with that of the Frankish and Teutonic schools, and a great improvement made over the coarse and rude productions of the Empire of the West. During the ninth century the ecclesiastical power was much extended, and with it the production of missal paintings. Byzantium was still the place where the greatest technical perfection was attained, but its influence extended throughout western Europe and even invaded Ireland. The art continued to advance for the next hundred years. The Menelogium is the name of a celebrated calendar made about the year 1000 for Basilius II. Although nearly one half of this book is lost, only the months from September to February inclusive being left, there still remain about four hundred and thirty miniatures on grounds of gold, illustrating scenes from church history. Near the beginning of the eleventh century there was a marked decline in art, but it again received an impulse from the church. Gregory VII. issued his fiat announcing the universal dominion, temporal and spiritual, of the Roman Church, and the gorgeous cathedrals, especially those of southern Europe, began to glow with the productions of artists. The first crusaders, on their return from the Holy Land, likewise aided the movement by bringing with them a demand for Eastern luxury. This luxury is apparent in illumination in the increased practice of writing copies of the Bible in letters of gold or silver, on leaves of vellum stained with a beautiful purple.

Four circumstances in the twelfth century contributed as many impulses to the culture of the fine arts, namely: the growth of the power and wealth of the trading classes; the establishment of universities; the rise of the Italian republics ; and the adoption of miniature illumination by the Arabs, the Tartars, and the Persians. The peculiar decoration styled arabesque was, as its name imports, developed by the Arabs. The Arab artists were compelled by an article of their faith to resort to the depicting of the flowers, stalks, fruit, and leaves of plants, or to the imaginary productions of their fancy. As this people advanced in luxury, however, under the dominion of the caliphs, they gradually introduced the representations of insects, birds, and quadrupeds. In the thirteenth century, the art continued to improve. In the opinion of Ruskin the thirteenth century is the period of the climax. About the year 1200, illuminators began to use foliage in illustrations; and it was during this period that the peculiar species of illumination known to bibliographers as “ bestiaries” flourished. It takes its name from the numbers of real and imaginary animals, fantastic and grotesque, with which the illustrations are filled. In the fourteenth century, Cimabue and Giotto, with their predecessors and immediate followers of the Greek school, were the precursors of the great era of the Renaissance. And the miniature art of the time gives token of their influence.

In Flanders the churchmen adopted a method of instructing the ignorant populace by miniature illumination precisely the same in principle as that for which fresco was used. Pictorial representations of the most important subjects in the Scriptures were issued under the name of the Armen Bibel (Biblia Pauperum) or “the poor man’s Bible.” The earliest specimens of this book contain a series of forty leaves, exhibiting illustrations of the Old and New Testaments. It was designed not only for laymen but for unlettered priests. Each page of this book contains three designs arranged in a row, the central picture illustrating some scene from the life of Christ, and those on either side scenes from the Old Testament, showing a parallel or collateral incident. For example, the Adoration of the Magi is flanked on one side by Abner visiting David, and on the other by the Queen of Sheba’s visit to Solomon. The illustrations are accompanied with an explanatory text. The leaves, put back to back, are gummed together in imitation of a book printed on both sides. This invention extended from Flanders to other countries.

Beside scriptural subjects, other classes of works received the attention of the illuminator. The songs of the troubadours, and metrical and prose romances, furnished many themes for the artist’s fancy.

In the fifteenth century large quantities of MSS. were brought to western Europe from Constantinople by the Greeks, who fled from that city after its capture by the Turks in 1453. And in the Italian cities great numbers of scribes and illuminators flourished, there being over fifty in Milan alone. Some of the most renowned artists were engaged in this work. Limning in its earlier days was cultivated almost entirely by ecclesiastics; in its later days, laymen and professional artists shared the labors and the glory of the monk. In Italy are to be found Fra Angelico da Fiesole, Simone Memmi, Giotto, Franco Bolognese, Squareione, Gherardo of Florence, Gentile da Fabriano, Girolamo, and Francesco dai Libri (contemporaries of da Vinci), da Vinci himself, Raphael, Titian, and, perhaps the greatest of all in this art, Giulio Clovio. In the Low Countries, the three Van Eycks, Roger dc Bruges, Van der Goes, and Hans Memling rivaled, if not surpassed, their Italian brethren. The passion for illumination was so great in this century, that even medical diplomas and legal documents were adorned with it. The fifteenth century and the first quarter of the sixteenth century was the time of the climax of this art. It received a mortal blow, though one not immediately fatal, from the invention of printing. With this invention the demand for MSS. of course gradually ceased, although illumination was applied to printed books for full a century afterward, blank spaces on the pages being left by the printer for the painter. For more than a hundred years after the invention of printing, official illuminators were retained by the Apostolic Chamber, the Popes of Rome, and the Doges of Venice. It was not till the reign of Louis XIV. of France (1643), that the art became practically extinct. The latest of the illuminated missals, according to Madden, is the immense folio in the Library of Rouen. It is almost three feet high, and employed its limner, a monk of St. Andoen, during thirty years of hard work. It was finished in 1682.

The two vast fields which water-color has already filled — fresco painting and miniature illumination —have shown its artistic capacity. In the small scale of treatment, it has existed in the form of miniature illumination for over one thousand five hundred years. In the large scale of treatment, it has existed in the form of tempera and fresco more than four thousand years at the very lowest estimate, and it is not improbable it may have flourished for more than double this period. In both forms it has shown a capacity and a permanence greater than almost any other of the creations of man. Still a third form, entirely distinct from either of the other two, is just coming into existence in water-color landscape. There is a magnificent opportunity for these earlier productions to be rivaled, if not surpassed, in the new and untrodden paths now lying open to the landscape water-color painters of America. The previous conditions requisite for a noble unfolding of art in this country have, in a great, measure, already been fulfilled. The necessary political and social status is nearly ripe. Taine has truthfully expressed the conditions needful for a full artistic development. “ In every country, a rich invention in the field of art is preceded by indomitable energy in the field of action. A father has fought, founded, and suffered, heroically and tragically; the son gathers, from the lips of the old, heroic and tragic traditions ; and, protected by the efforts of a previous generation, less menaced by danger, installed on paternal foundations, he imagines, expresses, narrates, sculptures, or paints the mighty deeds of which his heart, still throbbing, feels a last vibration.” Taine brings forward in support of this assertion the productions of the French between 1820 and 1830, after the great Revolution and the wars of the empire; Dutch art, after the struggle of the Netherlands for independence from Spain; Gothic architecture and the poetry of the troubadours and minnesingers, after the consolidation of feudal society; the literature of the seventeenth century, after the establishment of a regular monarchy in France; Greek tragedy, architecture, and sculpture, after the defeat of the Persians. And to these examples he might have added the Elizabethan age of English literature.

In seeking to establish a national school, while we lack the advantage of the hereditary transmission of skill, we have, on the other hand, no preconceived, traditional types, nor long-established, conventional styles to contend against. The same independence and energy of thought and action which characterize our politics, our literature, our commercial and domestic life, have equal opportunity in art. When we have acquired the science of art with the same thoroughness and vigor with which the foundations of the nation have been laid, then the higher artistic imagination will form the superstructure. “ Always,” says Taine again, “ a new conception of divine and human things produces a new mode of comprehending beauty.” If these two dicta of Taine are correct,—and unquestionably they are so, — no country ever had before it so glorious a future for its art, as the United States.

Henry S. Mackintosh.

• Turner died in 1851. The first public exhibition of modern water-color paintings in England took place in the spring of 1808. ↩
• John Van Eyck, who did the most towards developing this process, was born sometime between the years 1390 and 1395. He died about the year 1445, or almost exactly at the time of the invention of printing. ↩
• See Studii sui Monumenti dell’ Italia Meridionale dal iv. at xii. Secolo, by Demetrio Salazaro, Inspector of the Pinacoteca in the National Museum at Naples. The work is illustrated with excellent chromo-lith ographs after fresco mural paintings, some of them executed as curly as the fourth century. ↩

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Blick offers a wide range of watercolor paper, including individual sheets, pads, sketchbooks, watercolor blocks, watercolor panels, watercolor boards, and even elegant watercolor cards for creating one-of-a-kind hand-painted greetings — and we go to great lengths to ensure that every watercolor paper order reaches you in the best possible condition . The type of watercolor paper you choose will ultimately determine the quality of the paintings you produce. There are two main grades of watercolor paper — artist grade and student grade.

Artist Grade Watercolor Paper , sometimes known as archival paper, is acid-free and will protect your art from becoming yellow and brittle over time. For professional watercolor works, an acid-free, 100% cotton rag paper is preferred, as it will last virtually forever.

Student Grade Watercolor Paper is designed to have a texture and feel similar to artist grade paper, but they are not made of archival grade materials. Although they are acid buffered, the buffering will eventually be used up, depending on air quality, and the paper will begin to discolor and deteriorate. If you’re just starting out, it’s good to keep in mind that even though most student grade watercolor paper may feel and look like professional watercolor paper, the artwork you create on them won’t last as long. Professional artists may find the quality acceptable for practicing and refining their work, but they won’t want to use them for finished work that might end up in a gallery, museum, home, or office setting.

Watercolor Tape-Bound Pads feature either archival or acid-free paper. Archival watercolor papers are made with a fiber source, such as 100% cotton rag, that will last for centuries without conservation. Acid-free papers, based on cellulose fiber, will eventually yellow as their buffering is exhausted, depending on atmospheric conditions where they are stored and displayed. Although conservation is possible, their lifespan without conservation should be measured in decades, not centuries.

The choice of paper weight and finish are also important things to consider.

Lastly Watercolor Stretching Boards are useful when painting on watercolor paper sheets. The board is used to stretch sheets of watercolor paper before painting in order to prevent the paper from buckling and forming ridges when wet.

Frequently Asked Questions

What surfaces are suitable for watercolor painting.

The most common is watercolor paper, but other surfaces such as vellum, parchment, clay mineral panels, sumi rice paper, or thin fabrics such as silk can be used.

Why do artists "stretch" watercolor paper?

Watercolor paper generally has to be stretched before use. This is especially true of lighter weight paper, which will otherwise buckle after absorbing water. Watercolor painting boards are helpful tools for stretching your paper. They provide a hard surface on which to mount the paper in preparation for painting. After wetting and then stretching the paper, allow it to completely dry before painting to prevent it from rippling.

You can paint directly onto paper without stretching it, but it would be better to try this using a heavy paper that can absorb a fairly large amount of water without wrinkling.

Why use a professional-grade watercolor paper?

Stronger and more enduring, professional-grade papers are acid- and lignin-free and made of cotton fiber rather than cellulose. With proper treatment, a painting on high-quality professional paper can last hundreds of years. The paper's texture and surface is brought out by the transparency of watercolor paints — one of the desirable qualities of a fine watercolor painting.

Why use a special watercolor paper rather than ordinary paper?

Watercolor paper is specially made to be resilient and to absorb water evenly and slowly. Because watercolors are transparent, the surface takes on enhanced importance. Watercolor paper comes in many weights in smooth (hot press) and textured (cold press) surfaces. The type and amount of sizing in the paper controls water absorption and paint flow.

What’s the difference between hot press and cold press watercolor paper? And what does it mean when a watercolor paper is sized?

Hot press watercolor paper has a smooth surface, while cold press watercolor paper has a slightly raised, bumpy surface. Rough watercolor paper has a surface that has even more texture. A "not" watercolor sheet is “not hot press,” and the term is often used instead of cold press. The decision comes down to which surface you prefer for the type of watercolor painting you practice. Sizing is often added to make a watercolor paper more water-resistant, keep it from absorbing too much moisture or pigment, and maintain the brilliance of watercolor paints or inks. Internal sizing is added while the paper pulp is still in a liquid state, while external sizing is applied to the surface of the paper after the sheet is formed and dried. Some papers are both internally and surface-sized.

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Essay on Water for Students and Children

500+ words essay on water.

Water is one of the most important substances for life on earth to function. It is equally important for humans as well as animals. Water does not merely help us survive, but it is significant for our day to day functioning. It has numerous uses when we come to think about it. Majority of our earth is covered with water itself, but, not all of it is safe for consumption. Therefore, it makes it essential for us to utilize this transparent substance chemical wisely. Moreover, if we look at the shortage of water happening in our country, it makes it all the more important to conserve it immediately.

Uses of Water

As we have already said that water has numerous uses, we will see where it is used. This part will most importantly help us realize the importance of water . It will make humans aware of what absence of water in the following areas can do to human life. As India’s main occupation is agriculture, water is exhaustively used here. Irrigation and cattle rearing requires a lot of water. Thus, a lot of farmers’ livelihood depends on it.

Further, industries use water for various purposes. It comes in handy when cooling, manufacturing and transporting several goods. For instance, thermal power plants consume quite a substantial amount of water for their running.

Furthermore, the domestic use of water cannot be left behind. In the day to day life of the common man, water plays a vital role. That is to say, from drinking water to washing utensils, we need water every step of the way.

After that, plants need water to survive and make food. It is one of the main elements which help them grow. Hence, water is extremely important for humans, animals, and plants to survive .

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Do not Waste Water

While water is quite essential and yet so scarce, however, people fail to realize this fact. They waste water with little or no care for the results of this activity. There are various ways in which one can avoid wasting water . To begin with, all households must get their leaking taps checked. They should fix them immediately as every drop is precious.

Similarly, we must choose buckets instead of showers for bathing. This is a very debatable topic and it needs to be settled. Showers waste a lot of water, so people must prefer buckets. This particular habit is quite commonly found in most of the households. People do not turn off their taps while brushing their teeth and washing utensils. Always remember to keep the tap off when doing so.

In addition, encourage rainwater harvesting system in all homes. This can help conserve water like never before.

In short, water is essential for the survival of mankind. But, it is, unfortunately, being waster rapidly. Every citizen and government must come together to tackle this issue. Governments must ensure all areas get water equally. On the other hand, citizens must keep in mind to use it wisely and not waste it unnecessarily.

FAQs on Water

Q.1 State the importance of water.

A.1 Water is of the utmost importance for human and animal life. It gives us water to drink. It also comes in great use for farmers and industries. Even common man requires water for various purposes like drinking, cleaning, bathing and more.

Q.2 List the ways to avoid wastage of water.

A.2 Everyone must avoid wasting water. We can do so by fixing our leaking taps, avoiding showers for bathing, and turning off taps when brushing. Furthermore, we can adopt rainwater harvesting system to conserve water.

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Japanese bazaar downtown brings together different strands of culture, celebrates community

Downtown Buddhist temple opens its doors Sunday with events designed to teach visitors about Japanese culture and the Buddhist religion, and to bring people together for good food and fun

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There was a little bit of everything for those who showed up at the Japanese Cultural Bazaar Sunday at the almost-century-old Buddhist Temple of San Diego.

Foodies chomped on strawberry mochi, tender chow mein and savory Japanese chicken.

Art lovers witnessed Taiko drums, dancing, a painting demonstration and storytelling.

Plant parents adopted succulents, tomato spouts and other green things at budget-friendly prices.

But the main attraction of the annual event: building culture and community.

The bazaar, which drew a steady crowd to the temple’s indoor and outdoor spaces over five hours Sunday, brought together multiple strands of Japanese culture on a mild, overcast day that seemed custom made for hanging around and socializing.

At her booth, Wendy Nakamura, a fine artist who has studied both Japanese and Chinese brush painting, was selling art on rice paper, as well as pendants and flat and folding fans adorned with flowers.

She described herself as a Sansei — a third-generation Japanese American.

The Japanese Cultural Bazaar is an important chance to bring her brushwork artistry to others, Nakamura said.

“I want to share it and keep reminding people that it’s part of our culture,” she said. “It’s important to me, so that’s why I choose this art form.”

“Watercolor is interesting,” she said. “Oil — you can wipe it off and start over again. But this is a one-shot deal.”

With brush art, the artist loads the brush with ink and then “You feel the energy. And it comes out on the brush.”

Nakamura, of San Diego, has a larger work — a scroll roughly the size of a person — with abstract, curvy sosho calligraphy that will be exhibited in the San Diego County Fair art show this summer.

A few booths down was the Japanese American Historical Society of San Diego. The group’s president, Kay Ochi, said one thing that makes the event special is the presence of so many generations.

The elders, in their 80s and beyond, were forced by the U.S. government to live in incarceration camps during World War II. Born after the war, Ochi is a member of the next generation. The youngest children are what’s called fifth generation.

When she was growing up, it was her parents’ generation who was in charge of the cooking and preparation for temple events.

“I think important to acknowledge is the fact that the people now who are running this cultural event are third generation, and so most of our second-generation folks have passed on,” she said. “And so a lot of today is about honoring everything they did.”

Japanese culture is important to her community, she said, because for many people who grew up in San Diego after WWII, “it was not comfortable to embrace our culture, to speak Japanese language. And fortunately it has improved a lot with everybody’s understanding — our own understanding of what the war was, what it did, why the government unfortunately incarcerated our families.

After the incarceration and the subsequent experiences of Americans of Japanese ancestry, “we are embracing, with a lot of gratitude, our culture and our heritage.”

That was the same impulse that led to the creation of the historical society more than 30 years ago, Ochi added.

At the children’s play area, Morgan Marumoto, 36, of Santee, was waiting for her daughters, 2 and 8, to ply their luck and skill at one of the games.

“This is the first time I’ve been here, but my husband grew up coming here, so it’s kind of cool to share it with the kids,” she said. “He’s one of 13 cousins, and they all come down here every year.”

Marumoto said she has loved learning about the history and culture, including the Purple Hearts her husband’s uncles were awarded after serving in WWII, she said.

“It’s pretty cool to be part of the family and know that history,” she said.

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