Ctesar Ducornet was born in Rille,
France, January 10, 1808. Born as he
was, without arms, what was there
for him to do, even in this busy world?
Each foot had but four toes, but he
early learned to use these to advant
age. When very young, lie could
with ease throw a ball, cut with a
knife, and draw lines on the floor
with chalk, even cut figures on paper,
with bis mother’s scissors. He early
became a good penman. From this
he passed to drawing, and natural
enough to painting, the wide space be
tween his great toe and the next, en
abling him to grasp his brushes firm
ly. At the age of thirteen, his pro
gress astonished Watteau, professor
at the school of design in Lille, who
received him as a pupil. Only three
years later, he took the first prize, for
a drawing of the human figure, from
nature. After this he pursued his
studies in Paris. Ho was of a lively
temperament, and when in conversa
tion he became animated, ho was in
the habit of gesticulating with his
legs, as other persons do with their
arms. Some one has described a visit
to his painting room, which is inter
ting:
Across the whole extent of the can
vas ran, with incredible agility, like a
fly upon the wall, the stunted trunk
of a man, surmounted by a noble
head, with expansive brow and eye of
fire; and wherever the apparition
passed along the canvas, he left the
traces of color behind him. On ap
proaching a few paces nearer, we were
aware of a lofty but slender scaffold
ing in front of the canvass, up and
down and across the steps and stages
of which climbed, and couched, and
twisted—it is impossible to describe
how —the shapeless being we hud
come to see. We saw then that he
was deprived of arms ; that lie had no
thighs ; that his short legs were close
ly united to his body ; and that each
of his feet wanted a toe. By one of
his feet he held a palette—by the other
a pencil; in his mouth also he carried
a large brush and second pencil. 