New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-08-22
THE MISERY or PEZONS. THE PITyrpp
From TIC London Gfo,e.

From Thc London Gtose
PcZors in still remembered in French art c;,.t.
a painter of talent and The author of some exc.r
| f0bleduJ de genre. In an unfortunate bour ps1os
| reproduced the image OF PerrOt, and sent ~
painting to tbe Salon. where 1t was much admired
and commented on by critics. who called the as,
tion of the public to the new picture. The jonrnal
declared that PeZOns was the w1ttIest paipts, H.
Paris and his future was at once marked ont m
was doomed to reproduce bis PIerrot not once nor
dozen times, but on every occasion. He was me-
down as the pOrtrarer par excellence OF the wb,ta
faced linen-cad clowns, and nothing else with III;
name could be shown without his being told tho, b
had allowed his better judgment to err, and that IL
| would do much better TO keep to the one suh;ees
Tor which his vocation had evidently itted hin
Amateurs who wanted . t9bleau signed by tba
fashionable artist, and dealers who were ready ~
buy, besieged him with demands for more Pic,
rots. He told them that ne could paint Iandse mes
soldiers, brlgabds, si gler-, and that his l,rn.S
was far more versatile than anyone lnfaa
ined, but an increduioIls smile was the onfv
reply, and the interview concluded with order n,
another PieIrOt. The unkgndest cut Of all vas All
ministered to the unfortunate Pezons by An a.
qaaintauce named Guerinean, who had kept osfS
and restaurant which the artist had irequentea when
lie was a struggling ssudeDt IA the Latin qgarte,
Some fifteen years aiterward GuerIneau pIrehssai
the lease and GOODWILL OF a cafe in the Avea1e IT,
tora. He sent for bis old friend PezOns. shovsd
him his new premises, and told him that he 10.
tended to give him order to 90 the paintings
which were to form an art gallery which would al
tract the pubic and achieve the reputation Of Tho
artist. PeZOns thanked his friend warmly and h.
gan to enumeTate the different subjects with which
he thought he could appropriately decorate the.
walls OF the cafe lie had imagined land.canes
oriental scenes, abtauJ de genre, etc Int Guerinea1
insisted on having PicrrOts. The ARTIST replied that
he wOnld, of course, paint hun one or two PerrDs
but Guernean informed bim that ne would nave
nothing but PIegrots.
The die was cast. Guerineau hired n studio in thu
nelghb0rho0d for PezOns, and the Ia, ter eOnmsnerJ
his task Canvas alter canvas was completed and
the unucky artist attempted ID VAIN to obtain soma
communication OF the sentence which had driven him
to illustrate the same subject over ami over again
until his reason almost uDseated. he terlnrs
continued for three or four years. The Objections
and appeals OF the artist went for nothing his ~.
rant Guerneau would hear OF nothing bat the one
subject and called each day at the studio to invent
some new position for his friends taoleans. PezOns
was only allowed To stop when he had finished bis
fortieth picture his health and his brain demanded
that he should have some rest. with change Of ar
and OF scene. The idea OF GueIineau proved cor.
rect the cafe in the Avenue Victoria became grea;
attraction; everyone came 20 see the wonderful
Pierrots that PezOns had painted, and the daily
Journals were loud in their praise Of the diff
ferent canvases the artist had executed, showing
his hero in different attitudes and under VI
many varied conditions. ChromO-lit biography took
up the question, cheap copies Of PeZ0nss PerrOts
were sold at the picture shops, and there
regular invasion of PierrOts. The artist came back
to Paris in state OF nervous excitement ndueedby
the monotOnOus task Guerineau had set him. Tho
change of scene and the air had been unable 70
cure him completely, and when he saw the pale face
Of Perrot looking at him reproachfully from the
window OF every picture shop. aud rrpIoducedll
every illustrated paper. ne collapsed into state OK
melancholy from which he never recovered Pier
rot haunted him to the very last, and those who
have seen the Cafe des PeuOts' must remembef
that the same drOl and comic faces which the artist
transferred TO the canvas sat BY the side OF his
dying bed, playing him all kinds of tricks. and cans'
ing the expiring man to hide beneath he sheets 10
escape from the pranks of Master PIerrot.