, 1886-01-10
RISE AND FALL OF AN ARTIST.


- tFfItt'
pr.ce WIS a painting by Delacroix. The
auctioneer himself had made the first bid
OF 5000 franco. Then two picture deal
e~rs-Abraham and Dupont de Rueil, bid
against each other. Abraham increased
his bid each time by 10000 francs, Du.
pont, who was more prudent, only raised
his bid by the least advance possible. The
struggle had lasted for a whole half-hour,
in the midst of great silence. Finally
the painting was knock down to Abra-
ham
Immediately the victorious bidder and
his rival went of together, chatting In
the ~friendliest way.
"Wh, is it fort" asked Dupont du Rueil
"For Trener, OF the Banque Generate
dies Pays Latins, y replied Abraham.
Another sale under promise of repur-
chase" observed a gentleman who had
heard Trener's name pronounced "That
Abraham he continued, will end by
running the thing into the ground. He
plays too boldly. One of these days, wei
see a smash
Abraham, the picture-dealer, was an ex-
actor, who had abandoned the stage fol
the bric-a-brac business. At the age of p
he had begun to bargain and deal in pict
ures, objects Of vertu, tapestries, etc. His
business venture prospered from the com.
menccment. He had a marvellous head
for business, and a remarkable accuracy
of Judgment. At the time that Daubigny
Millet, and Roussea were ignored, he com
pretended their merit. While the public
ana even the amateurs disdained those
great painters, tho used to buy their pict-
ures or sell them ON commission. His
profits were, at first, exceedingly small
But later on, when these artists came into
fashion thaaa q0nmfaQiOn Of his also
swelled to the dimensions OF large fnan
cial operations. Abraham became very
rich.
His persplcacity in divining the merit
OF Rousseau, Millet and Daubigny had
given him an excessive confidence in him.
self-a confidence shared, however, by his
friends and by many amatuers.
He imagined that he had mad those
artists because he had discovered them.
He had brought out" more than one chef
d'puvre, wherefore he imagined himself
to have been the author, the father of the
masterpiece itself. He thought he could
begin over again what he styled his art OF
creation. But the first process Of creation
had been a very slow one. He had had &c
wait a long time for the public to render
Justice to the masters he had adopted.
Was there not, therefore, some means
by which he could "set o fashion" in art,
by which he could force a public taste, sc
as to take immediate advantage OF It'll
Abraham was a man of powerful imagina-
ton, of quick conception, of bold specula-
ton. He soon found h he was looking
for.
One day he perceived in the shop Of a
fellow picture dealer, a canvas bearing
the already popular signature OF Croix-
vet.
Croixvet was n Young man OF "a, who
painted Renaissance interiors with an In
incompatible richness of coloring. Abra.
ham went at once/to see him. He found
the painter standing before his easel, fin
ishing a Ehalberdier7-superbly posed.
Abraham introduced himself. He looked
a long time at the picture, had several
Others shown him, and then went back to
examine the "halberdier."
II would like very mueh to buy this plct-
ure from you, " he said.
AZ regret to say it is already sold"
HFor how muchin
Fifteen hundred francs"
at is worth more than hat. II you
wish" continued Abraham, "you need not
work any more for anybody except me-. IN
pay you 1900 francs for every picture Of
this size, aud from 5000 to 1900 francs for
lhTRtT CduNdStst VI IbnlpOslllOus incAadlhB
several figures"
Croixvet accepted. The proposal was as
welcome as II was unlocked for. Although
he could already dispose of his work more
or less advantageously, he had never even
dreamed OF such good luck.
Before leaving, Abraham asked for the
address of the man who had bought the
"halberdier."
fau~ lava 1afar he nafd n Wait % thu
amateur. Abraham solicited and OBJ
tanned permission to look at his gallery.
There were pictures by Meissonnier,
Diaz, Corot, Courbet. The merchant ad-
mired all. But he went into wild ecstacy
over the halberdier OF Croixvet.
That is a beautiful picturel7 he cried.
Where did you buy IT. Did you pay
much for itf"
"No.p
Let me ave itin
"Never in the worldl'
Abraham insisted. The amateur, after
long resistance, finally said;
well, upon a condition of exchange,
| viii let you have it at the cost price
1900 francs"
Three thousand francs cried the mer-
chant-@you ask me 5000 francs for that
pieturei"
ayes; that is what l paid for 1t myself"
THAT is not enough; I'll give you 5,0oe
and pay the money down right now"
The amateur was completely bewil-
dered. abraham is going crazy" he
thought. But Abraham pulled out OF his
pocket-book five bank notes for 1000
francs each. The bargain was concluded
there and then; the picture taken down
and carried away.
Abraham rushed off at once to another
amateur, who was one Of his clients.
Here is a masterpiece" he said. II
nave brought to you. You will pay me
5000 francs for it."
Eight thousand francsl-no, mol Too
ALLOW me to differ. DO you believe 1 am
financially solidtA
yes
swell, them You buy this picture from
me for 5000 francs, and will bind my
self to contract TO take 1t back from you
for 10000 francs in two years, II by thst
time you do not want it any longer"
The amateur calculated the prospects,
found the proposal advantageous, INT &C
cepted 1t.
Abraham effected the same negotiations
with several other parties whom he knew
to have purchased pictures by Croixvet.
Everywhere he bought up ~his painters
work" at an advance Of 20 per cent. And
each and all Of these pictures were re-
placed by him at an immense profit; he
always pledging himself TO redeem them
after two years, with a heavy interest for
the purchaser.
BY this ingenious scheme, which de
manded so much audacity, and so much
confidence, both in himself and Croixvet,
Ian
their bargain, In their own picture gal
leries. He took good care that no picture
by"his painter" should be either exchanged
or sold at a low figure. At the Hotel des