New-York tribune., 1899-06-10

4 - .~..+,1.t,r~ that the artists prices were
-. t,o .poks IN Mr.. George Moore about ~
and that gentleman put the matter pefore MI
| whistler. saying: I'VE know quite wen your
| prices but as a friendliness. you might se'
| aside your usual considerations and just oo q
] bit of a pastel or a water-coor, the sne
| little thing for just nothing at ai-say I'm
| f1OO to 1850" The artist was complaisant' ne
set to work upon the portrait. On 81 'aieh.
tines Day Sir William called at the stuulo' anu
saw that the work was all but completed lie
put a sealed envelope In Mr. Whistler hanu'
iocularly observing that It contained valen-
tine The patron departed. The artist openeu pa
his valentine" He found a check for loo
guineas. the minimum price for the por'ra''
and at the spectacle Of the Baronets deciding
,,hou ono u,av or the other instead Of leaving
It to Mr.. Whistler to say whether he wanteu
.ha b,yber or lower figure or some figure In be-
tween that genteman's gorge rose, ana ne sent
q letter of acknowledgment in which irony anu
noIiteness were judciously mingled. Sir VIII
lam waxed wroth, and there was an interVie"
the next day. In which oil seems to nave peeh
poured upon the flames. However, Mr. Whis'iei
kept the check and Sir William went ABROAD
IT was not until some time after that the ba'o-
net learning that the portrait had peeh pun
licly exhibited. demanded that II be delivered 'o
him Mr. Whistler refused to give it up. Nay,
he cont hack the valentine" instead and paint
ed out the head in the portrait. Legal pro-
ceedings ensued. Learned counsel maze
speeches in which seme highly edfying oDserVa-
tions on art in general and Mr.. Wnlstier III
particular were mixed up with much learning
Here the reader may pause TO take breath. anu
skipping all the divagations OF the lawyers, turn
his attention to the upshot OF the matter 10
Sir William the Court gave back the Ioo guineas
he had originally paid, with D per cent interest
thereon, and damages to the extent Oh loVV
francs To Mr.. Whistler was given the right
to retain the portrait with the understanding
that so long as he allowed it to remain in any
way q likeness Of Lady Eden he could not make
any use Of it. public private"
We may ignore the divagations OF the law
yers but not those Of the principals in the
mighty combat Sir William Eden, early in the
fight, made a statement of his case to report
er Mr. Whistler promptly got into PRINT caii-
ing attention to the facts that the Baronet
has brought out his basket, and that the scav-
enging interviewer has not left him rag!
Sir William was this Bunko Baronet' in this
genial epistle. and Mr.. George Moore was duly
scorned. Mr. Fred Morton Eden countered with
q public letter saying Of the Whistlerian screed
that "for yulgarity insolence and cowardice
combined" II would be hard to beat, and ask
ing why the artist should be excused from de-
iyering a portrait that had been paid for, when
a tailor would be expected to send home when
completed, the breeks he had been paid for IN
advance. Followed the artist, with more pretty
talk Then came the legal eloquence and the
Judgment and after these the book. Mr.. Whis-
tier jauntily assumes that he has closed the
matter las man wipeth dish-wiping 1t ana
turning it upside down. No doubt he and the
Baronet are both we'll satisfied with themselves.
The mere outsider only marvel at the
WEAKNESS and dreariness Of the whole sordid
business. That dish, turned upside down, places
before us a rather ill-tasting ola podrida. The
sauce that made THE Gentle Art of Making
Enemies so palatabe-namely deft and
ready wits now missing. The artist has lost
his wonted brilarcy a writer, and The
Baronet and the Butterfly is a labored pro-
duction. The chief reflection 1t provokes is that
a great artist is better employed in painting
great pictures than in making book out of
petty quarrel