New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-06-03
THE ARTIST AND HIS PATRON.

The French papers are full OF la Question
ROdin." The cause Is explained ms follows:
There beng no monument 10 Balzac In Paris,
the Societe des Gems de Lcttrcs resolved 70 re-
pair the omission After various negotiations.
which at one time promised TO result In a statue
by VI. Chapu, and. after his death in a develop
ment Of his sketch by VI. FalglIicre. the com
mission was given TO NJ Pod!n. he most lido
syncratic and esoteric sculptor IN France. He
sent his model to the Salon OF the Champ Dc
Mars. AS VI. Georges Rodenbsch conclsely puts
It, "Quelques-uns admircnt. Beaucoup con
spuent" AS many epithetg OF contempt were
flung upon II as might bc found In dictionary
Of Partisan slang According TO NJ. Andre Michel.
the statue represented IA seal In n strait-walst-
coat. Even among the sculptor's supporters It
was said "Cest IN grand artistic, mails cctte
fols II s'est trompe" which, being interpreted.
means that the speakers were loyal. but felt
compelled to admit that upon this occasion the
master had made a mistake.
The SOcet6 des Gems de Lettrcs sent n pro-
test to NJ Rodin observing that they refused 70
recognize Balzac in his sketch He rctortcd In
effect. that he was sorry for their limitations.
but he never pretended to be q photographer
and they might make the best OF It. Then NJ.
over the heads Of the men of letters. He had
purchased Manet's famous portrait OF the en-
graver Desbouties when 1t was refused admit
lance TO the Salon Of 1876, and he liked the idea
OF once more appearing the Deus OK ma
china. At the same time some one suggested
that the municipality of Paris should award a
kind OF consolation prize TO NJ RodIn by pur-
chasing the "Baiser" which stands beside the
the property Of the State, and the project fell
through. AT present no man can tell just what
will become of the Balzac, though It seems
probable that In the long run Paris will have
two monuments to the novelist the one by
Rodln, purchased from the Societe dcs Gems de
Lettres and erected by the sculptor's friends,
and another work ordered from a more accom-
modatng artist by the disgruntlcd authors.
In the mean time the outside world may re-
fleet on the relations between the artist and his
employer. Is the former released by his high
vocation from anything more than nominal
obligation to the latter? 1t has been observed
that in the private talk and public speeches Of
many artists the patrol is regarded as neg
ligbe quantity In everything save the pay
ment of the bills He must take the portrait
that ne has ordered and be thankful for the
privilege Of purchasing a masterpiece. That
the portrait libels the sitter is matter of no
earthly consequence "See that brushwOrk. OBJ
serve those textures. Are they not superb?
Don't be bourgeois. Don't talk about the like
ness. Remember you are In the presence Of n
work Of art" Thus are the tlmid complaints of
the patron stifed He knows there is some
thing wrong. but feels his ignorance and breads
to make an exhibition Of himself. He smiles
good-naturedly. draws his check and when the
portrait comes home he turns II face 10 the wall
II he were TO decline the canvas he would be
privately characterized as stupid curmudgeon,