The Portland daily press., 1888-07-24
THE SITUATION AS REGARDS TEMPERANCE
IN. Y. Independentl
MISSIONER THE GREAT.
Stories of the Most IIlustrious Paint
or of This Age.


Paris Correspondence of Chicago Tribune.l
One of M. Meissonier's houses is in the
heart of the art quarter of Paris. The other
is in the suburbs, at the ancient town of
Poissy and this latter is his favorite resi-
dence. 1t occupies the site of the great
Abbey of Poissy, the most splendid estab-
lishment OF the kind in France, which was
destroyed during the Revolution. The house
is partly built on the cid foundations of the
abbey, which were laid away back in the
dark ages. The grounds are extensive, and
afford room also for the mansion of the art
lists son, M. Charles Meissonier, himself an
artist OF rare ability, but overshadowed and
made obscure by his fathers fame The
son IL, however, no disciple of his father in
art. While the elder Meissonier laboriously
bends over his microscopic work the young
er paints huge canvases with broad and
dashing strokes and free and daring hand.
But though he does not initiate his father he
worships him, and he follows his example in
the thoroughness and conscientiousness of
his work. He is firmly persuaded that his
father is the greatest painter the world has
ever known, outranking not only Poussin
and Claude, but Angelo and Raphael as
well. The father, too, is fond and proud of
his son. Indeed, think M. Messonier is as
accomplished grandfather as ever Victor
Hugo was. His grandchildren are the only
privileged visitors in his studio, and when
they invade his precincts he is easily per-
suaded to lay aside his brushes and spend an
hour in romping with them.
remember seeing at distance at Poissy
scene which ought to have been immortalized
on canvas by M. Meissonier himself; but
will not, more's the pity The great artist was
on his lawn playing with two of his grand
children. He was pran cling about on the grass
on all fours, while one of the little ones sat
astride Of his back With mahlstick for a
lance and the other thought to accelerate
his movements by pelting him with flowers.
| There is told also story of how his 6-year-old
| granddaughter received white satin fan for
birthday present, whereupon M. Messonier
| offered to adorn it with painting. But this
| offer, which an Empress would have accept
| ed gladly, was refused with scorn. Il won't
| have you spoil my nice fan with your ugly
| old paints" she said. The same unappre ia
tive young lady was one day found playing
with some rather plebeian children, and was
cautioned to be more careful in her choice of
company. 81 don't see," she said, why |
can't play with them. Their papa is a paint
er, too, and great deal better painter than
I my papa or grandpa, for he paints houses,
| and barns, and fences, while they can only
make pictures on pieces of cloth %
M. Meissonier has nearly finished his auto
biography, on which he has been engaged for
| years. 1t is a yolumnous work. in which he
has set down the story of his life, with all the
| painstaking details that characterize his
| pictures. 1t will doubtless prove to be one of
| the most interesting works of the kind pub
| lished for many years. His early life at
Lyons, where he was born, was struggle
for bare existence His only inheritance was
poverty, and every mans hand was against
him. There was not one to offer him help
ing hand. One meal day, and a scanty one
at that, was often his only portion. Who his
parents were is unknown, nor is the year of
his birth known to anyone, though. he him
self thinks it was 1911 or 1872 At the age Of
| 10, approximately, he walked from Lyons to
Paris and entered his career as an artist at
the capital. AT that time he was already an
accomplished artist. Where had he studied?
VINO mad taught him? No one can tell. He
9oes not know himself how he learned to
uiaw and paint. l have seen some of the
pictures produced by him in 1881. soon after
MS arrival here, and when he was about 20
| years old. They show the same refined taste
and exqlsite finish of his later masternieces
| And yet he painted them for almost nothing
For months he kept himself bareIy alive hv
painting pictures at the price Of dollar
| apiece; and they averaged a ward souare i
! And now he can get $4,000 for pictnre a
| few inches square! But he persevered' and
| finally got an order for some Illustrations for