The Wichita daily eagle., 1899-07-19
True-Love Story ofthe Beauti'
fhI Countess WyanoE
He LONG LOVED SECRETLY
She Knew 1t When She Caught
Him Kissing Her Picture.

The beautiful woman whom Carolus
Duran enshrined in his beautiful pictd-e
Tho Kiss" is the Russian Tcintess
Marie Wyanoff. She has just cstonished
Europe by her marrying her footman
Behind the marriage is a romance of a
most novel and charming character.
The countess was wearied and perplex-
ed by many richc and noble suitors. Did
she love any of them? Did any one OF
them love her? She could hardly tell
One day she caught the footman sur
reptitiously kissing her portrait. She
learned that he had been secretly N love
with her for years. Here at least was a
man about whose devotion here c3uIi he
no doubt. That settled it. She i:ried
him.
The countess is no lony.r in her first
youth. butherbeau ty has been rather
ripened than diminished by advancirg 6
maturity. OF her it may be said as OF
the most fascinating woman in all his
tory that 'age cannot withai' nor custom
stale her infinite variety" The countess
life has certainly not been Lacking In We
riety. She was born in POLAND VhosS
daughters are famous for their beauty
and for their romantic aud ardent IA
tures. At the age of IS she IN rle Count
Wyanoff, a Russian noble Of fabulous
wealth. Among his many p"fsesIl ms he
had palace n%aI st. PetersDI-s and an
o'her in Paris. All his rich IS he lav,sh.
ed upon his young wife. wn,n he ado ed
She took th. fullest advartaya If his gen.
eI''s;ty. She wore the NEST <I.enj,'d
jewels at the Russian court, which IS
probably the only place in the world
where one may see more of them than
at the Metropolitan Opera House in New
York. She had a priceless collection OF
furs, including a set of Russian sables
that the czarina herself might well envy
She had two hundred horses in her sta
bles, and sleighs Of every shape. size and
style, many being beautifully ornamented
and fitted with silver.
The countess was always a creature
reckless generosity and uerntsrained i'm
pulses. At the opera one night she threw
necklace Of three strands of greav
pearls to a singer who pleased her.
Her fame was not confined to ST. Pet
ersburg or Russia She was equally well
known in Paris. the Riviera, Eau. Ham.
burg and wherever wealth and fashion
congregate. Her horses, her lilmo d.
and her sables were objects Of univ ersAl
admiration and envy.
The countess early DEVELOPED f.,ndness
fc- the society OF artists. palr.a s, mu.
sicians and actors were we;coinei at Ee-
board wherever she might be. Naturaily
they showed profound arss:<tic npprccia
tior of a countess who was lnaGe amia
BILE. beautiful and inexhGlstibIy rici,
Their presence was source OF annoy.
a1ce to some cf her a:Ist1c.:.tic friends
but her indulgent husband did not rebel
At last the husband died and left his
whole vast fortune to his wife. ii in.
cluded gold, silver, copper malarhite
iron and coal mines, the income of which
is almost incalculable. The beautiful
widow found herself the sole possessor
| of a fortune which placed all the luxur.
les in the world within her reach. She
had a large capacity for enjoying them
She entered the artistic life with more
zest than she had ever done before. She
spent more time in Paris than in St
Petersburg. She became shining figure
in the upper Bohemia of Paris. IIel
house on the Pare Monceau, near that
of Meissonier. was the rendezvous Of al
that was famous in art. Among the
countess friends was Carolus Duran
sometimes called ''the splendid Carolus, d
the painter Of beautiful and fashionable
women. and the recipient of the largest
income earned by any living artist. Many
say that Carolus has done wrong to his
natural genius in his pursuit of the dol
lar.
He first knew the countess in the DAYS
when he was painting works of art SIN.
ply. and not portraits of fashionable
women for the largest sums Il money
| obtainable. The countess is a perfect ex.
ample of blond loveliness, "a daughter
| of the gods. divinely tail and most d.
vinely fair" Her hair is pure god, OF
that rare shade which is neither faxer
nor light brown and which natlre alone
can furnish. Her eyes are violet. Hel
features are noble and regular, v!Vaciou:
and intelligent She has a figure that 1:
superb full Of tender graces ana YET
strong and supple. 1t bespeaks heath
and vitality. Its natural beauty has teer
preserved and increased kv Constant
horseback riding. She has never. worr
| corsets.
One day Carolus Duran begged tn,
countess to pose as a moiel 20: HIM
After some modest protests the crun,es
consented. When the nature &c the pic
ture in which she was to figure becamt
more apparent TO her she male some fur
ther protests. but again she yleli@i. I.
doing so she only followed the exarlpl
OF many great ladies OF ancient sud M d
ern times who have posed for artists Il
2 manner that would seem shocking I,
the bourgeois mind. Titan painted tn
Duchess OF Crbino as nature made her
The sculptor Canova similarly reoroduce,
Pauline Bonaparts in marble. 1he lat
Empress Of Austria was .he moial O
Diana in Hans Markets picture. 'Ib
Hunt of Diana" now in New York's Met
rorolitan Museum Of Art.
The Countess Wyanoff enabled Carolu
Duran to paint his great picture. 9Th
Kiss the most inspired work he ha
ever produced. II is fun OF passion. grac
tenderness and realism. A beautiful. fair
haired woman. With upturned face. 1
about to be kissed by her lover. Tn
fair-haired woman Of this picture is III
most perfect portrait OF the Counties
WyanOfT ever painted.
1 AHe SOuAbeSs ps no means connned ne
presence to the artistic society of Paris
She never allowed a season to pass with
out going 20 St Petersburg and takin
part in court festivities 20 which he
rank entitled her. When the present Cza
Nicholas was only the czarOwitch and
very young man. he was fascinated by IN
beautiful countess. A Irritation followet
which pleased her because Il was peril
Gus. The czarowitch showed dcvotio
10 her that became oninous- Then sh
received a warning from the police, doubt
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