New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-04-19
RECOLLECTIONS OF MAKART.
FEATURES OF The FALL OF FAMOUS
ARTIST.

FEATURES OF The FALL OF FAMOUS
ARTIST.
,,,o,, 40 occ ,e,ox.r CORRESPONDENT OF rRIBtIHHl
F'o" -" e VfKNNA, March 3D..
A sale in Makart's studiol crowd OF men smok-
ing women chattering, noise, dust ana naKeu Pro'o
in the sanctuary of art and culture ana gooa tsVe'
There IA no dissertation which mpresses one more
painfully than the changes which houses anu rooihs
undergo A cultivated Engllshman with whom
paid a visit to Makarts studio. in coming away
ssid. aThis was unite the thing best worth seeing
in all VIENNA" But it is as difficult 10 descrioe Us
ae.y to remember. Imagine little man. who by
the work of his hands. which is to him enioyment,
not earns of thousands OF t0IlnsoVery
v,ar who is endoN ed with a light-hearted careless
na,ure not dreaming of the morrow, and VINO
scuapders his easily acquired wealth IN the manner
of princes of old. With his purse always iull Oh
money travelling all over the world. MakarV hau
keen eve for beautiful things wherever nc met win
theuu and this Is how he ainasscd MUSEUM Vi AT
treasures If any in Vienna wanted TO sell some
really handsome article, ho always went 10 Nakart
first BECAUSE he seldom refused to bny, anu always
maid fine hest price, In one instance poor woman,
reduced to inter misery by "a prolonged Illness oil
her husband went to Makart with her beautiful
bead of golden hair, which traed on the ground.
He allowed her to cut 1t OIL and gave her one thou
sand aorins for it, certainly better prico than
bairdresser would have paid. When Makart sent
ont invitations to fancy ball, he gave the date anu
STYLE with which the dresses to be worn must
coincide and when his guests came TO consult niW'
he made draw ings of costumes for them' ana "heh
he had doubt whether the expense wonid exceed
the means of some pretty women whom lie especiahy
cared TO SEQ in his house. he ordered the dress oil
his own costumer, and sent it to the lady with
sketch by his own brush. This is the reason why
there are several hundred fine old costumes among
the things lett behind all of which at the very
first glance prove that genius directed the hand
that made them.
Costume WAS Makarts best feature, and lie often
delighted in "malsiag VI" famous actresses Tor
thar parts in pieces where the dresses were his
torical Thus he once arranged Charlotte Woter rs
Messal,na The painted her IN the part afterwardl'
and he came on the boards of the Burgtheatre to
give the last touch to her folds" as she lay half
reclined on a couch. But poor Wolter had trusted
too much to his able fingers, and forgot the iact
that no man can stick PIN into anything without
its coming out at the wrong moment when she
rose from her couch to address her Emperor all the
pins in the bodice gave way at once and she had 10
run of the scene fast as her Roman garments
would allow her.
All the pretty, and costly things, rs well as
number of Makarts pictures. and OF paintings pre-
sented 10 him by brother artists now being sold
off 10 the highest bidder There Is saying that the
most unlikely things always sure to happen. and
IN this case the saying comes true. IL ID Impossible
to give the reader an adequate idea OF how vienna
honored and spoiled her darling Makart daring his
lifetime Ladies of high dcgree courted him, anu
men of all classes were his slaves AT the time OF
the great procession held in honor OF the Empcrors
silver wedding there seemed but one name worth
mentioning in all Vienna, and that name was Hans
Makart. And now, five months after his DEATH TINS
wealthy city docs not muster persons enough 10
buy his pictures and vauabes at the price at which
they have been valued so that art publisher who
directs the sale buys the best things at prices fixed
by himself and there is no one to dispute his right
1t is true Makart forfeited public sympathy on the
dav--four years ago-when he married a ballet
dancer no longer young and by no means in TIE
odor of sanctty. All the many women with whom
he had had love affairs and whose hearts nc haa
against him like an army. and poisoned PdDnc
opinion. But bis pictures werc admired no less on
that account the only difference was. brilliant hne
and clever people no longer went to see him. aud he
who 10 we'd splendor and NOISY festivities ana had
always regned among his guests Ike q fiorentlpe
prince reduced to quiet game OF WHIST III me
evening with his wife for q partner. and his wnes
uncle tor third. Wedlock seems to have been The
very worst thing for Makart., He went ont OF his
mind very soon a painful physical rnalady fol-
lowed, and before the end came on he Withdrew 10
quiet corner of his splendid house, with his
mother Tor Ills SOLE companion, ahu u,cu W
see his wife. Makart leaves two children by his
first wife. boy and a girl,-iians and Grete,-and
as there is no provision for them. everything left is
sold and will be divided into three equal parts one
for each child and one for the widow,
Yesterday Makart's last picture. "spring,,", a
colossal painting with about twenty graceful life.
sized figures on it, was sold for about $4,000, to
the anctioneer no fit price for Makarts last pict-
nre upon which he spent six months OF unceaslng
utensils paid little higher than they had been
valued, but nothing fetched really, good
price nothing except very foolish alto reliepo In
white marble, representing Ophelid, and modelled
by Sarah Bernhardt. who gave IL to Makart IN
return for lfe-sized portrait which he painted of
her The famous actress did not inspire HIM much
Makarts worst. and was not admired when 1t occU.
pied prominent place in the exhibition. Makirt
caricatured his own work one day by. taking q
bit of string making tassel Of it at each end, and
tying n kuot above one tassel to represent Sarah
Bernbardts head. This caricature was sold in all
| the streets for couple of days at half cont
apiece and was generally styled Makarts portrait
of s. By But she Is still alive and Makart Is Dead
and her bit of an OpheHa in very mediocre work:
manship was sold at 2,700 forms. whilst some OF
Makarts pictures were nj sold at all.