The Savannah morning news., 1901-12-29
MANSFIELD IN OIL.
SIX PAINTINGS WHICH THE AC-
TOR REFUSED TO ACCEPT.

From the Baltimore Sun.
1.-THE Tragedy of the Pictures" with
Richard Mansfield, tragedian, and
Louis Kronberg, portrait painter, in a
double-star cast, has been played in
Boston, and the honors have gone to
Mr.. Kronberg. The eminent actor has
been outdone by mere artist, a paint
er of pictures, in a play which. under
the heading of a serio-comic drama, is
deserving of class all by itself. AS
for the plot it was woven around six
oil paintings-full length, life-sized
portraits of Mr.. Mansfield represent
ing him in his well-known roles of
Richard III, Shylock, Prince Karl,
Beau Brummel, Baron Chevrtal and
Cryano de Bergerac.
The Baron and Cyrano occupy places
of honor in the Mansfield portrait gal
lery. Richard III. may go there on
suffrance and Shylock under protest.
But Prince Karl and Beau Brummel
will never go there at all.
They have been hacked to pieces,
torn to ribbons and so vigorously null
tilated that nothing now remains of
them but few shreds of painted can
vas, dangling from strechers in Mr..
Kronbergs studio.
THE Tragedy of the Pictures" in
which these six oil paintings figure as
the stage properties, was not announc-
ed on any billboards, but on a court
docket instead.
Two years ago the first incidents
occurred in this drama of the pictures.
Mr.. Mansfield had an ambition to
have himself painted in the characters
iEs-which he had achieved fame-Beau
Brummel, Richard Ill, Shylock, Cyra-
no de Bergerac, Prince Karl and Baron
Chevrial. Louis Kronberg, the young
Boston artist, was beginning to be
known as a portrait painter of ability,
Mr.. Mansfield heard Of him, saw some
of his work and then summoned him
to his own home in New York.
There the two men met for the first
time. The great actor told the artist
what he wanted-not ideal paintings
of the characters of the drama which
he mentioned, but portraits in which
his own features and manner of act
ing them should be shown.
Queer Conditions.
"But / must be satisfied" cried the
actor, pacing nervously up and down
the library. You must paint portraits
that ] shall be satisfied with-that
must be in the contract" And he sat
down to his desk and wrote out an
agreement.
The artist, confident of his own
skill, eager to paint so celebrated an
actor, anxious to earn the sum of 5000
each for six pictures-a fortune to him
readily accepted the conditions which
Mr.. Mansfield dictated.
They were considerably out of the
ordinary Instead of the actor going to
the artists studio in Boston to pose in
a series of 'sittings," Mr. Kronberg
was to accompany him on the road. He
wished the artist to study him on the
parts to be painted, just as he acted
them on the stage.
More than this, Mr.. Mansfield had
another whim, or idea, as you may be
pleased to call it. He wanted his own
personality indelibly stamped on every
picture.
Cyrano's big nose must not hide
what there was of Mansfield's own
nose behind it. Shylock's flowing beard
must not conceal the real outlines of
the actors own face Richard Ills
makeup" must let the true Mans
field" expression shine through it. For
this reason the actor wished the artist
to study his personality his moods
and his expression off the stage, as well
as on it. 1t was a task that might have
appalled, an older ortist or one less
confident in his own genius. But Louis
INlOAOClS 6ldNiy dNGplGu IL anu SlBnCo
the singular contract that bound him
to give his whole time to the actor till
the portraits were done.
He became, in fact, one of Mr.. Mans
fields dramtic company-an actor who
did not have a speaking part and
did not even apear as a super on
the stage. The other members of the
company called him THE Shadow" for
he followed the star silently and per-
sistently everywhere.
Only Two Suited.
To Washington went the actor and
the new artistic member if his retinue.
During Manshelds engagement there,
and following that in Baltimore, Pitts
burg and Philadelphia, Kronberg was
ever present, making endless sketches
and studies, and finally began to create
the final portraits. For twelve weeks
continuously he was at Mansfield'S
home in New York.
Early this year the portraits ap-
preached a state where Judgment could
be passed on them: some were finished
others nearly so. Mansfield looked upon
the likeness of himself in Baron Chew
rial and in Cyrano and was pleased.
But when his eye fell on Richard III,
Prince, Shylock and Beau Brummel he
became furious.
"They do not satisfy me-" he de-
clared. 81 shall refuse to take them or
to pay for them. You have disappoint-
ed me-"
Tragedy I'm Real Life.
The artist expostulated, but that
only made matters worse. Perhaps the
expostulations, or maybe it was the
sarcastic smiles, or Prince Karl and
Beau Brummel enraged the tragedian
still more.
THAT face is an outrageous carica-
ture!" he shouted.
A savage cash across the features of
Prince Karl wiped out the sarcastic
smile.
Mr.. Kronberg gasped.
"And if that is Beau Brummel!'-
slash, slash-'I fail to recognize it,"
Then Mr.. Mansfield strobe out of the
room.
The artist was in despair. He had
depended on the sale of these pictures
for months.
The next incident in the tragedy oc-
CURED in the Municipal Court of Bos-
ton, when the actor received a sum-
mons to appear and show cause why
he should not pay for the pictures
that did not satisfy him.
The judge ordered that Mr. Mans
field should pay 5000 for the Shylock,
but need not pay for the Richard III
Prince Karl and Beau Brummel were
not considered
Settled at Last.
An appeal was taken by the artists
lawyer. But Louis Kronberg, despair
ing. stung to the quick by his enemy's
triumph and exultation and his own
public humilia ton, cared no more for