The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1897-01-06
STUDENTS FRIEND.
A DEALER IN COL oRs IN THE LATIN
QUARTER or PARIS.

Many artists who Fave arrived" Owe
~ Much 80 IL. Foine*s Love Of Art aud
Denevoienes-Ise Popular suppers Given
In Eis Ltt:se Shop.
IF Ell art student of the Latin Quarte,
knows nrs ID. Foinet, that student is
but hnE. be creature, pitifully rev to
tbs rernbFs CT painters. And who is
Fctnes? He has little shop in an an
cient Winding street of the old quarter,
the Ree Eotre Dame de Champs, and
there keeps celcrs fer the accommoda.
tion OF impecun3cus painters. 1t is lit.
tie sinp truly, with a bandbox Of a sale
nazser iaat behind, the minute salon
aud living rooms above, but many a
celehs;ty laid the foundation for his
fame 70 the pigments eheerily furnished
By Foi1et. Now e3, good nature and
the wholesome reflection Of his bsnevo-
lence from tie fancies Of a thousand
frienSa havs kept this marchand de
cou]saB b tie appearance Of 40. His
yosshsslness remarked, "Ah," he says,
with twinkle Of his kindly blue eyes,
st keeps one III good color to deal in
good oo!crs!'' Is he deals only in the
best Of eclcze, "tiscse fit fer the making
Of masterpieces, it Ia quite in keeping
that ne should have the rosy freshness
tha* reddish hair and mustache compile
lneas, and " hich seem to belong only to
the glow Of yiecr still in flower.
Having had twoscore years Of en-
perienee IN the trade that is SO closely
akin to art. Foinet has more the chafac.
ter Of en Artist than Of traaesman, aud
Il gIsncs nzound the walls of his costly
establishment betrays who cre his
friends among those who hsve "ar-
rived. Eese ire pieces by DatailIe. by
EonDat, By Jean Paal L4aurens. by Ca
rolHs- Duran, by Cazin, by Geri Melchers,
By Chretien, by Paul steek, by Yongind
twhose little pieces have sold for as
much es 5000 and 1900 francs each
since his dsasa }, ito original of Frago.
nsrd's ''La Balanccire," evidences
enough CT Foines's intimate relations
With artists who, famous afterward,
have been indebted to the man Of colcrs
for many a sustaining kindness.
A veritable patron, Afpcenas Of points,
it is necessary tina. Foinet be we'll to Go,
and we'll to Go he ie, and with the means
to crafty h:s beneyoleRee he has also
the taste to minister comfort to the re-
aned appetite. Fcinet's hts.e suppeEs in
the shop are as celebrated 81 Foinst him
self, snd 10 bs hidden to one Of them is
q mark Of dis.incsion-sn honor she
ambitious youth eovess, courtesy tho
n;oss Successful esteams. The suppers
are served in tte shop. and wines OF
choice vintage, served in bottles crusted
with cellar mold, a-e so literally dis
pensea tbs. so5riet7 ut tho end Ct the
.7entNa is accounted al insult to the
host. ,E..aoins is the presiding deity
over, AID N:1>a his rotsries revolve into
the salcn w,.src 1cY~e ID poured il Is not
permitted that one o. tins :. he abe per-
fccty to declare kaw many candles ere
burning. Yet wee to tie culp,it who
has so weak 5 head that be riots in his
cups. Fo;n,t vaIses him and lis psoa-
poets not a jat. Eden who lave it i'll them
to "errive" will not Islander sesod wine
ty playing the f3ol nnier it, is No;nst's
opinion.
If q carefully watched yorng painter
Suddenly gets we'll hung or captures
somewhere ;s medal. the color merchant,
radiant ever the achievement, gives one
Of these notable suppers II konor OF Aic
protese, and the result l.. much tho same
as when Bean 1rumnel made man
by taking his arn for walk in the
Aall. Tho supper is che confession of
faith-Foinet's irtinaaticn that be be-
heves the painter It's. to all inteuts and
purposes, arrived, though he says one
required Is years in which really ITO
arrive. - What phrase that isl How
significant! And what vast force II
has in the Frenci, world Of art and let
ters! "He'll arrive" No higher compli-
ment may be spoken BY master Of pupil.
"He he's arrived" The crown is on his
head. And so Foinet, who has seen so
many men "arrive' and knows BY sort
Of nasterly intuition who is likely tc
"errive, has that superb patience an'
that unwavering confidence which are
necessary to MAGE either q great genius
or noble creditor.
Let any student with talent only az u
grain Of mustard seed and with it hon
est perseverance go to Foinet, and the
ruby faced patron will trust him till tho
light goes out CT the moon or floods into
the painters atslier. Indeed, Foinet lie
as little III love with a sensitive debtor
as he is with a too temperate banqueter
Be 1t understood that more than one
art student in the QUARTER Latin would
find it impossible to pursue his or he,
studies were it not for the philanthropio
Foiust. who gives them credit month
after montil fer their paints and has thu
grace OF sosl not to impose upon them
the mhrtyrdom Of debt Paints are ex-
pensiye, and some students who have
barely enough for bread would fare i'll
for working materials bat for this stm-
pie hearted and genuine hienfaiteur in
the old fashioned street Eear the Lux.
enbourg. That this frank generosity is
not ignobly betrayed may be inferred
from the faos Of the Dealers compare
tive opulence. Nevertheless he will
shake his bead in compassionate sadness
as he says: 'Thero are too many stu