Hello Oilpainter, assuming monitor 1 is on your desk and monitor 2 is next to the easel.  In the display settings, click on monitor 1 picture, under Multiple displays, select option duplicate these display.  Tick the box below, make this my main display.  Reboot to see if both monitors are on and displaying the same screen. 
As an artist I want to use a second moniter next to my easel to have reference photos showing. No videos or computer stuff, just the photos from my Picture settings that I have edited with Photoshop. I spoke to Dell Support and was told all I had to do was plug into the HDMI port nect to the VGA on the back of my computer and then plug other end into my second moniter. I got the basic blue desktop with no icons, but I cannot get a picture to show on seconf moniter even though it is on the desktop moniter. What am I doing wrong, or is there more to do? BTW When I go to Settings to see where it shows which or both screens I want to see there is not that feature in my settings. This 80 y.o is very confused and frustrated.
Adding second moniter