The Washington times., 1901-12-01
An Entertaining Legal Battle With
an Artist.
TRAGEDY OF THE PICTURES.
Louis krOnberE- Portrait Painter
Had to Follow the Eccentric Ac-
tor on the Road to Get Charac-
teristic Poses for His Portraits.

!
| The eminent actor has been outdone by
a mere artist, painter of pictures, in
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 MIR. Mansfield, repre-
| senting him in his well-known roles of
Richard III. Shylock. Prince Karl. Beau
Brummel. Baron Chevrial, and Cyrano de
! Bergerac.
The Baron and Cyrano occupy places Of
honor in the Mansfield portrait gallery.
Richard III may so there on snffrance
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 mutilated
that nothing now remains of them but a
| few shreds o, painted canvas. dangling
from stretchers in Mr.. Kronbergs studio.
| The Tragedy of the Pictures" in which
| these six oil paintings figure as the stage
properties, was not announced on any bill
boards, but on court docket instead.
Two years ago the first Incidents oc-
CURED in this drama of the pictures.
Mr.. Mansfield had an ambition to have
| himself painted in the characters in which
he had achieved fame-Beau Brummel,
Richard III, Shylock, Cyrano 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 acting them
should be shown.
But I must be satisfied cried the
actor. pacing nervously up and down the
library. You must paint portraits that
1 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.
six pictures-a fortune to him-readily
accepted the conditions which Mr.. Mans
field dictated.
They were considerably out of the ordi-
nary. Instead of the actor going to the
artists studio in Boston to pose in
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 an
other whim, or idea, as you may be pleas
ed 10 call it. He wanted his own per-
sonality indelibly stamped on every pic
ture.
Cyrano's big nose must not hide what
there was of Mensfeld's own nose be-
hind it. shylocks flowing beard must not
conceal the real outlines of the actors
own face Richard HIS makeup" must
let the true Mansfield" expression shine
through it. For this reason the actor
wished the artist to study his person
ity, his moods and expressions off the
stage, as well as on it. 1t was a task
that might have appalled, an older artist,
or one less confident in his own genius.
But Louis Kronberg gladly accepted it
and signed the singular contr, ct 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 dramatic company-an actor who
did not have a speaking part" and did
not even appear as a super" on the
stage. The other members of the com
pany called him The Shadow" for he
followed the star silently and persist
emily everywhere.
To Washington went the actor and the
new artistic member OF his retinue. Dur
ing Mansfeld's engagement there. and fol-
lowing that in Baltimore. Pittsburg. 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
Mansfeld's home in New York.
Early this year the portraits approached
a state where judgment could be passed
on them; some were finished, others
nearly so. Mansfield looked upon the
likeness of himself in Baron Chevrial and
III tSlhAo anu was piesi9tu' A'uN "HNA-
his eye fell on Richard III, Prince Karl,
Shylock and Beau Brummel he became
furious.
They do not satisfy me-" he declared.
Il shall refuse to take them or to pay
for them. You have disappointed me"
The artist expostulated, but that only
made matters worse. Perhaps the expos
tulations, or maybe II was the sarcastic
smiles. of Prince Karl and Beau Brummel
enraged the tragedian still more.
That face is an. outrageous caricature.~
he shouted.
savage cash across the features of
Prince Karl wiped out the sarcastic smile.
Mr.. Kronberg gasped.
And il that is Beau Brummel"-
slash. slash-"I fan TO recognize it."
Then Mr.. Mansfield strobe out of the
room.
The artist was in despair. He had de-
pended on the sale of these pictures for
months
The next incident in the tragedy occur
red in the Municipal Court of Boston,
when the actor received a summons to ap-
pear and show cause why he should not
pay for the four pictures that did not sat
isfy Kim
The judge ordered that Mr.. Mansfield
should pay $500 for the Shylock, but need
not pay for the Richard III. Prince Karl
and Beau Brummel were not considered