Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1892-04-28
THE SLIPPERY STAIR.

THE SLIPPERY STAIR.
Let me retcll story of Flemish art
and Flemish love which may serve
you as amusement, instruction, and
| incentive.
David Teniers the younger, who was
born in Antwerp in 1910, educated in
| part by his famous father and the still
more famous Rubens, made such pro-
gress in art under his teachers that
| early in his career he was appointed
court painter to the Archduke Leopold
of Austria, governor of the Flemish
provinces. Teniers' fame becoming
wide he received so many orders that
he was scarcely able to satisfy the de-
mand for his paintings.
One day the Graf de Eglentier, a
friend of Archduke Leopold, sum-
moned Teniers and said:
Il wish you to paint for me picture
for which [ will pay you your own
price. The subject which [ have
chosen for YOU is most difficult, and
one which have never seen repre-
scented truthfully on canvas. AS in
tend in a few weeks to marry. | wish
to have picture of Hymen which will
do Justice to the beauty of welded life
with her / love-"
Teuier did not repeat the Italian
| proverb:
.'Wen doth the man unmarried clothe his wife
| And well the chidless forms his children's
| life"
which came to him as the ardent lover
talked, but contented himself with re-
| plying:
Herr Graf, Twill take your order
and will employ my best skill in paint
ing this fairest form which you have
| pictured in glowing words"
| The marriage eve came and the
great painter placed before the Graf de
| Eglentier II picture of Hymen which,
| said writer of those days, "was as
fair as the antique Adonis, for never
were such sweet outlines illumined by
a more fascinating smile. Nor had he
forgotten the torch; and no iambeau
of Love had ever rayed forth a lovelier
light"
The count looked at the picture long
| and earnestly; at length he turned TO
| the artist and said in tone OF disap-
! pointment:
This is only the idea of the dull
world that knows little of the true
charms Of marriage. The form, the
| beauty, the fascination, which I pOr-
| trayed to you as my conception Of
Hymen, are all absent from this
| picture"
Teniers was a courtier as well as
painter. and so with admirable tact
replied:
"You are right, my noble count, for
when | recall your description ana re-
fleet on the surprising lOvelihasc of her
! YOU wed tomorrow, and consider the
| prospect of your lasting happiness, ]
wonder at myself that | could have
produced such a dull picture. Let me
| retOuch it under the stimulus Of your
lady's beauty-and this conversation. :"
The painter carried the "disappoint-
ING Hymen" to his studio. where it re-
manned untouched for five months. At
the end of this time Teniers once more
visited the Graf de Eglentier and
showed him the picture. The count,
Notwithstanding reporter of his day
| wrote that his wife was endowed with
rare beauty worthy of the pencils of
Murillo and Rubens," found her less
fascinating as the welded days passed
by. So now he said to the painter
who stood before him, with a quiet
smile:
"You have indeed retouched the
| picture most skillfully and improved
it as work of art, but you
have gone far beyond my ideal of
Hymen. This figure is too smiling
and lively. You have made him more
god of love than the sober god of
marriage. You should have repre-
scented him with, perhaps, little sad
| expression"
Teniers, though courteous in bear
ing and polite in speech, was COM
PEELED to reply:
My lord, your heart, not the
picture, has changed. That which was
too little for the ardent lover is, too
much for the tickle husband"
The count. chagriEed, would have
taken then the picture and paid the
price, but Teniers said:
Grant me few days more of work
upon this painting and | promise you
that full satisfaction will be given"
The great artist sought his studio
and produced a curiosity in art upon
which the greatest praises were be-
| slowed. The Graf de Eglentier-fickle
lover that he was-did not become its
owner, for the archduke, having seen
and admired it, purchased it for his
gallery and placed it in recess at the
end. To ascend to the alcove in which
the "philosophic picture" as it was
called, vas placed, it was necessary to
mount very slippery stair, before
reaching which the painting was
beautiful, but after crossing the slip
perry stair was harsh and even repul-
sive
Though the picture was in the arch
dukes gallery, Teniers was not yet
done with it since it had much to