Tuesday Treasures

The Reverend Robert Walker Skating on Duddingston Loche

by

Sir Henry Raeburn

That's his real name but at our house we call him "Skater Boy", and yes, we do talk about him as if that's his name. You see, he's part of the family.

I first saw Skater Boy when we visited one of Tom's cousins' homes. Theirs was an old, charming century home and I fell in love with the house and the yard. I do that frequently. (Fall in love with old houses, that is. . .)

Ah, but when I went into their living room, there he was in all his Puritanical glory! "Skater Boy!" It was love at first sight! That moment I knew I needed to have that picture in my home.

And so began my hunt for Rev. Walker. This was before the days of google searches and online shopping, mind you, so it took several years for me to find him. Believe it or not, I found him at a flea market in Glasgow, KY at a booth that was selling posters of NASCAR drivers and kittens hanging upside down with the caption, "Hang in There." Those didn't grab me--but what did capture my attention was a rack of catalogues of Fine Arts Posters at the booth. I searched through several and finally found him! He had to be ordered, but I had found him!

What is it about art? What makes a painting interesting? Enticing? Unforgettable? I'm not sure I can answer that question. I am sure it's different for every person. After all, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, isn't it?

Which brings me to my Grandma Smith.

Not long after I had Skater Boy matted and framed and hanging above my buffet in our home in KY, Grandma came for a visit. She took one look at him and asked, "Why do you want that picture in your house?" To my sweet, Pentecostal Grandma, he seemed cold, austere, and severe, not at all the kind of image one should want to associate with the role of Pastor.

I tried to explain to her why I liked him so much. To tell the truth I hadn't really tried to put it into words before.

He was going somewhere. Where? Why did he look so stern? Was he really looking stern? Or was he just concentrating? (I look very stern when I am thinking and my face does not reflect the content of my thoughts, only the depth of them, so I could relate to that) What was he thinking? Was he praying? Was he thinking about his duties, his pastorate? Was he late for church? Were his children ill? Is it possible that he was simply skating and enjoying himself?

Grandma looked at me as though I had lost my mind. But several times I found her sitting in a chair, contemplating the Reverend Robert Walker. I had a small note card with the image of Skater Boy on it and so when she left, I gave it to her as a memento of our visit.

Recently, I've been considering adding another skater to my living room; The Skater by Gilbert Stuart.


In fact, right now I have him as my desktop image so I can "live" with him for a while to see if he really fits our family. I think I like him, but to tell the truth, it isn't love at first sight.

Now, why don't you go visit Faith and check out the rest of today's Tuesday Treasures.

Related Tags: art, fine art, The Rev. Robert Walker, Sir Henry Raeburn, The Skater, Gilbert Stuart, Tuesday Treasure

The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance. --Aristotle