New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-02-22
MISSIONER AND CHAPLIN.
OPPOSITES IN FRENCH ART-PERSONAL
TRAITS.
Paris. February 6.

| ing. led home life. went to bed nearly every
evening at 10, and was regular in his SUNDAY
attendance with his wife tan Alsatian LADY, ana MS
children at the Protestant Church of the Rue ue
Roquepne. lie was English in all his tissues
though French in all his habits from infancy ne
having first drawn breath at the picturesque Durg
of les Andeys. near Rouen. and having lived
all his life in France. He was straightforward
religious, asked the uniform price 10000 francs
for his half-length portraits. seemed to look al
his sitters, when they were young, through a rosy
light, and, to Judge from his paintings, was
possessed with the lust of pink and white hesn'
the beauty of which he enhanced with the clouds
of lace and lawn in which he mutiied it. lie ana
NIessoner at opposite poles. There was 10
love lost between them. Meissoner, like young
cock hedgling, was always fighting his way up
to the top of the nest and carrying of the biggest
prizes Chaplin never pushed. II is SAID that
Mcssoners last act of cnmity to that painter ana
his family was to die the day after Chaplin and
so draw public attention from his obseques, which
were celebrated in a simple manner in the Church
Of the Rue dc Roquepinc
| never knew dwari.sh man who was not
vanglorious and scfassertivc and | think that
in these respects Messonier was most remarkable
Mlitarism vast the fashion when. he was at his
apogce He nattcred himself that nature hal
Cross Of the Legion of Honor entitled him to be
buried with n detachment Of military force, which
gave his funeral almost the aspect of review
Batteries of artillery squadrons of horse and a
regiment of infantry, with its band. fell into the
cortege. He looked forward to this spectacle
with sense OF pride When the fact that he
had been awarded the Grand Cross of the Legion
Of Honor was notified to him he said to his chill
dren:
Though were now TO die as poor as Lazarus
you will have the satisfaction of seeing my re-
mains taken to the grave with the honors here
t0forc only awarded to the greatest statesmen or
generals
But he did not die poor man Far from it.
The preparatory studies for bis famous NapOleonic
pictures are all unsold. and are likely to fetch
100000 francs Ills town.house L. a valuable
property, it being in the new and highly fash
ionable Boulevard AIalcshcrbes. where that avenue
enters ~ PLANE de Courcelles. now the abiding
place Of prosperous artists. dr2mltIsts and highly
successful actresses such rs Leondc Leblanc and
Sarah Bcrnharlt. The Ncissonicr mansion is as
odd-looking as the master who built it. The
central court is a pseudo coistcr Windows are
rather designed to the keeping ont Of thieves
than tho letting IN Of light The rooms, being
dark, look pol;y." The stairs. 70 which n deal
of space was sacrificed. fail 10 impress one with
an air of grandeur. The Or-handlcs. chimney
pieces. locks AMI KEYS show good deal OF cunning
workmanship But there is little no furniture
to match them. In word, the master seemed
to have no abiding place in his town house He
lost all taste for brc-a.brac once he became in
1859. a military painter and thcnceforth thought
chiefly OF procuring booded horses. An equestrian
studio big enough to serve "a rfling-housc was
then up at loissy. where he had his country
house
He stayed in Paris little rs he could help
until his second maj rlagr two years ago. Madame
Meissonier hated the country. She kept him in
town for the greater part Of last summer by
setting him for n task the cpopec Of Joan of Are
!Ic went daily and nightly with her To the hippo
dromc 70 see Signor Livitsy as the Maid, and
used 10 sit in a front box watching The action o:
the horses lie was proud to have SO tall wife |
to show 70 the public. aud entered with her on
his arm" his head thrown back and his beard
flowing - his waist. She is a fine looking woman, |
rs Rubens might have understood the word. and
lowered above her husband. There had been a
long attachment before they resolved to get mar
ricd. Her maiden name Besancon. and she
was native Of Metz. This was why Mcissonier
when Gambetta made himself, IN 1870. Minister
OF the Interior, went ond imporcd him to name
him Project ar Metz. where tie lady and her
family were. lie wanted 10 brace up tie mill
tary commander. BaZainc. whose measure he had
taken when doing his equestrian portrait TO bring
him into a group IN which Napoleon III WIS
foremost figure. Metz WIS completely invested
and Mei,soncr was only known as a great painter
Gambctta was amused at tie patriotic and the
military spirit which burned in the LITTLE art st.
but preferred not to risk life so precious by
sending him to get into Metz and govern it and
the military commander There was no mere
rcsolutc obstinate outspokcn, sclf-willed person
than Mcssonier. He was too pcppcry to mind
giving offence when thwartcd. Who can say that
his presence might not have ovcrbornc the apathy
Of Bazainc and prevented the fall of Metz? He
would have stirred mp the whole town 10 revolt
had he seen things going wrong and was capable
of blowing I}azanc's brains out if he uttered the
word surrender
Meis5uncr was too conscious Of his own merits
and too touchv not To quarrel frequently with
wealthy men and women ambitious of making
collections of fine pictures. He quarrcllcd with
Mrs Mackay because she invited him 10 her
omnium gathcrums' and not to any Of her din
ners at which there were royal guests. The pre-
text was n note he received from the Countess
Telfner. Mrs. Mackay's sister. in which she said
the portrait Of Mrs Macliay did not come mp to
her expectations. and that he would therefore
have to change il take il back. | do not be-
lieyc that MciSsonicr would have minded losing
the 10. 900 francs which Mrs. Mackay had agreed
to pay him. The point was that his artistic con
science had been ignored, and he was treated as
a mere artisan who had made bad job of work
for which he had asked n high price An artist
is always the judge of his own work. and when
he is satisfied there should be no appeal from his
Judgment The Countess Tefner committed the
further crime of ending her note with the words,
have the honor to salute you, formula which
might he properly used in giving an order to her
milliner She was brought up in America and
was not What foreigner is who has not been reared
in Paris :? up to the shades of consideration which
can be expressed in the closing phrase of a French
letter.