The Lamar register., 1891-04-11
HE WAS AN UGLY GENIUS
A pisAoREEABLE MAN THOUGH
A GREAT PAINTER.
Such was Meissonier. and He Took D..
light In HIS Mennness-He Carica-
tured Mrs. Mackay In
Her Picture.

Everybody dislikes disagreeable
i-an, but the same everybody likes to
read about them, for they enjoy seeing
such people shown up TO the world in
their true light Meissonier was one
OF these disagreeable men, even though
a genius. And geniuses are not the
least OF those given to petty meanness.
Meissonier never professed to be n
portrait painter. He did paint an ex
eellent II rather flattering. likeness of
himself. But when he was called
upon by milIionaires and their wives
TO hand their features down TO fame he
seemed TO take a cruel delight in exag-
gerating the grossness and in ignoring
whatever was refined in the features of
his sitters- His portrait Of the late
William H. Vanderbilt is n triumph OF
art, but Holbeiu himself could not
have painted n more unaattering like
moss. The portrait of Mrs. John W.
Mnckuy the wife of the California
millionaire. shows that even with
women the great master could be a
saiirist The Illustrated American
has, for over a year, hnd in its possess
sion the only photograph OF this no.
toriCtis picture that exists in the Unit
ed States II was given to the editor
on the understanding that it was not 10
be published until either Meissonier
or Mrs. Mackay died. The artists
death removed the restriction. and in
it- issue Of February 81 the Illustrated
American presented to it, readers the
IL.
kept the busy tongues OF the Paris
houleYards gossips wagging for many
a day.
Mcissonier behaved in a most un-
Warrantable manner TO Mrs. Mackay
with regard to this portrnit. When
she veniured TO criticise It a. like
ness. he r,idely replied that II she did
not accept Il he would send it to the
Salon. where he could get larger
price for it than what she had agreed
10 pay. Admirable though It was as
work Of art, the picture was a gross
caricaiurc OF the fair sitter. who IS
handsome retned-looking woman. and
not the vulgar washerwoman masquer-
aiding in medieval costume that Mes
sonier represented her to be. Mrs.
Macsay was not willing that this clever
cnricature Of herself should be hawked
about. She paid the price agreed upon
and carried tho picture home. The
boulevard sheets declared that she
burned Il. They poured such vial of
abuse upon her thRt Mrs Mackay shook
the Parisian dust from her skirts and
carried her household goods to London.
OyerbcSring and capricious IN char
actor. Mcssouicr WIS never so happy
us when he was warning with the Phil
istincs. An EnglishmAn once asked
him 10 paint his portrait for 81 600, on
the condition that II Il was not finished
within fortnight s. should be de-
ducted from the price for each day over
the two weeks.
You are not the sort Of subject
care 20 paint 90 replied the artist, as he
tried 10 how his unwcleoIae visitor out
OF the atolicr. The Englishmhn thought
Melssonicr was joking. offered to pay
the ~ 900 down and said he would not
insist on the proviso. Meissonier
opened the door with his right hand.
and by movement OF his left showed
that he preferred the British art
patrons room to his company.
What do you meau?' exclaimed the
Philisttnc from the other side OF the
channel
simply this. " replied Meissonier,
Won have made a mistake in imagin-
ing that mn an animal painter. do
paint horses. but | draw the line at
ours.