Don't read this nasty column

If a good shaft should generate as many clicks as possible and set the powder on fire, we would immediately classify it as a bad shaft.

I was recently in New York on vacation for a few days.

I'm going to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I decided to focus on 19th century American painting.^H a century.

Season

I start with the room where the most famous painting in this category is titled Washington crosses the DelawarePainted by Emanuel Lutz in 1851.

You've seen it already, of course: George Washington, striking a heroic pose, stands in a rowboat, surrounded by his paddling companions.

He crossed the ice-filled river on the night of December 25, 1776, to reach New Jersey and surprise the Germans allied with the British.

It is a huge and influential national painting, praising the boldness and courage of the authentic hero.

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I was alone in the room, staring at him, mesmerized.

Suddenly a noise. I turn my head. A class of 12-13 year old schoolchildren arrives in a hurry.

Fizzing, creaking, commotion.

The teacher, a young man in his early thirties, gave me a smile that meant: Forgive the inconvenience.

I respond with a smile that means: I understand, no problem.

The student stands in front of the group. He has to make a presentation on the board.

Explains the scene, its historical context, etc. He points out the importance of the table, but also highlights the errors it contains.

It was raining during the real crossing, the flag shown wouldn't see daylight until the following year, the night was very bright, and there were too many passengers for the size of the boat.

It seems to me that the young man's presentation is taken directly from Wikipedia, but he does it well and answers his comrades' questions quite correctly.

The teacher then tells the students that they are free to walk around for the next 20 minutes and that he will meet them at the same place.

When the teacher is alone, I take advantage of that. Ask him about the class level, the name of the school, and whether it is a compulsory activity or not.

It is compulsory, but students have the freedom to choose what work to study, Lee said.

France Press agency

I told him about my happy surprise at seeing his class at the museum.

He smiles and says that many of his colleagues find it more important to take young people for a walk in the woods or to talk to them about everything that is going wrong.

Emotion

Ask him if he likes his job.

He looked at me with a funny look, as if the answer was self-evident, before saying: “Yes, of course!”

I felt his passion, commitment, dedication, idealism, and belief in his message and its importance.

I thought to myself that when you practice this profession in the right circumstances and for the right reasons, it is still the most beautiful in the world.