Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1890-06-20
"UNFINISHED."
ny f. u. CALDWELL

une arllStS anu you cOnnolSSeurS are lust
puzzled by them. know what you are
saying to yourself 1t is when the
man could get qualities like that, could
see things in that astounding way, why,
In the name of all that exists, did he not
do morel what did he leave his things
IN that condition for2 and what under
the sun is the matter with them2 1 can't
pick out one that is not a failure, not
outstanding the delightful color, and
that feeling in their execution, which is
SO delicate and subtle as to be almost I'M
canny. But there is something wanting,
something left undone, as though the
hand had been arrested in the making, SO
that bit of the soul of the thing had
been left out. 1t is so with the least
scrap of sketch you have here Curious
We'll, sir, give those pictures that cor
nef OF my studio, and I usually let peo-
pie look and marvel about them, but I
have never fully explained them to any
one.
"You, sir, say you are a motaphysician !;
that you are interested in the curiosities
OF hupan nature. 1 feel impelled to
give you the history of the man who
painted them. He was my chum when
was student in Paris, ten years ago. I
did not know him before, though we were
both Americans. was from California.
aud he was from the South-from Georgia.
His name was Ralph Esby. l shall not
soon forget the day Ralph Esby came
walking into the studio. We were under
Bonnat--a splendid lot of young men,
that class was-Amcricans, Frenchmen,
English, Greeks, Danes, and don t know
what other nationalitics. Hc came walk
Ing in, looking like IL young god. A tall
fellow, of about twenty three, with n
certain slendcrncss, although rather
strongly built. And he had grace of
movement which matched lis beautiful
face. Yet, strange to say, he would
sometimes do things in the most awkward
ana rigid way, rs if to contradict the
assumption that he possessed this charm
ing grace. For instance, he would throw
himself back from his work to give it II
critical look, with motion in which
therc WINS more of IN inspiration, to us
fellows, than in the prettiest model we
h"d. When, suddenly, just us you felt
nn admiIing thrill going over YOU. cs-
pecially if you had conceived the en-
thusiasm for Esby which had, he would
give your ;cthetic nerves shock by
drawing himself up rigidly-snap!-as
though something had left him. And
hed abandon his work, and off he'd 70
without word to amy one There would
be his study, more of less finished
sometimes just skctched in, sometimes
quite going on, and it would have in it
just such qualities rs you sec in these can
vases. never knew him to put through
the week on one model. Every one felt,
if Esby would only finish, he'd be the
biggest man among lis.
We had such respect for him and
his work though, that no one snid much
That might look critical. Occasionally.
q fellow, with more callous scusibilities
than common, would 80 up to his easel
with Isn't that jolly, now, now; but,
| say, Esby, why don't you fnisb.' He'd
Just get Il little red, smile, with a strange
look III his cyc-if he had let himself out
more you might have called it n hopeless
sort OF look-and he'd turn off with n
Joke about something no one ever
senturcd to notice. This was personal
popularity of his. The cont sleeve of
his left arm was empty. 1t had come
from no accidcnt-hc had been born
without the arm. What he would say
was; You can't expect an unfinished
fellow to finish his picture 1t wasn't
III character for him to make Joke of
that kind. 1t rather Jared upon YOU.
we uSn1 tn ,risl
would let him alone.
"Bonnat treated him with great deal
OF courtesy. lie was pleased enough
with his work ut first remembered
Bonnat once saying, about the figure of
a boy he had commenced .C'est
charmante.' And afterward, when he
fonnd his things never carried on, he
would pass him without much criticism.
but made no complaint-he seemed to
understand that it was something peculiar
and constitutional.
IL attached myself to him from the
beginning. am an enthusiastic person,
and naturally express what feel. But.
IN spite OF my enthusiasm for Esby, which
grew daily, there was always something
essential lacking in our friendship. 1t
reached stage when You could grasp it
as a solid fact-call it n completed friend
ship, if one may so speak. And could
not help feeling that it was something in
Esby himself, though could not Law nv
finger on the reason. For never thought
OF complaining of want of response to
my affection, Notwithstanding that he
was so undemonstrative. No one could
call him cold. l felt that he liked me to
like him, and felt that he liked me.
Yet, us say, we never reached a COM
plete understanding. After our intimacy
came to u certain point, it stopped grow.
ing. And though there was q great deal
which was very delightful to me in know
ing him, something beautiful and OK
4ulsite in our intercourse, which no other
man could have given, used to get quite
melancholy over its lacks. | couldn't
help connecting it with the way his
painting was done-so much beauty with
that strange, unsatisfying quality.
although / never said anything to
him about 1t, thought he felt it, too.
For there were times when we would oct
to talking on serious subjects-the i'm.
~ 20