Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1902-06-12
CONSTANTS BIG FEE
HIS PRICE FOR EVERY PICTURE
JUST 10000.
NO MORE AND NO LESS
Declines to Receive an Extra $4,000
Which Pleased Patron Sent
Some of Most Famous of Modern
People Sit to His Brush-His First
Visit to America.

The New York World says in
reference to Benjamin Constant, the
noted French artist just dead:
only the rich could get portraits
from him, for his price was $4,000
That was his memorable fee. Charles
T. Yerkes, the American multi-mil
lionaire, recently sat in Paris for q
portrait, and when it was delivered tc
him in London he was so pleased that
he sent Constant a check for $4,000
By return mail he received the fol
lowing Acknowledgements:
While approaching your amiable
intention, | must decline the volun
tary increase. My price cannot Vary
one way or the other according to tn,
degree of satisfaction felt by my sit
tiers. Therefore, upon receipt OF
your permission, / will turn the $40,
900 into fund of public charities
w. X. Vanderbilt some time age
commissioned Constant to paint the
head of his daughter, the duchess OF
Marlborough, in Gainsborough hat
Constant also painted portraits OF
Mrs. w. X. Vanderbilt, Jr. Mrs. j,
Pierpont Morgan and other New York
ers. His earliest portraits here were
those of Jay Gould and Bradley Mar
tin"
The New York Commercial Adver
tiser says; IN. Constants married
Iifn civ 10 y.lx no
ial, his wife being daughter of Sen
ator Emmanuel Arago, formerly am
bassador of France to Switzerland
and son of the great astronomer, Fran
co.'s Arago. A peculiar incident OF
their marriage was that two witnesses
Grevy, the first ex-president and the
second soon to be elected President OF
the French republic. Nine benjamin
Constant is well known in social
circles in Paris, is popular and friend
ly to Americans, who gather in great
in the death Of favorite son was sus
tanned two years ago. The young
man was handsome and popular, az
well as talented, and before he dice
his father painted portrait of hin
generally acknowledged to be tn,
artists masterpieces"
Paris claimed Constant as hers b!
right of birth for he first saw tn,
| light there. He lost his mother whei
he was young and was intrusted to tn,
care of two aunts living at Toulouse
There he was brought up, and came
to look upon that fervid city of south
ern France as his native place.
It was the bright, clear atmosphere
vibrating with light and color, amid
which he passed his early years, tha
he himself believed inspired him with
the art to which he owed his reputa
ton. Surrounded by the relics of the
past in which Toulouse is rich, his
genius was caught by the spark which
kindled his enthusiastic devotion tt
the brilliant picturesqueness of Nor
Deco and the oriental splendor still to
be found on the shores of the western
Mediterranean.
Without the knowledge of his guard
ians he attended drawing classes in
Toulouse, but his secret passion was
revealed when at II he was awarded
a gold medal An artist thenceforth
he was sent to Paris to study under
Cabanel, and soon won the first medal
at the Ecole des Beaux Arts
In the FIanco-Prussian war he laid
aside the brush for the gun and
served as volunteer with General
Charrey in the army of the Loire
When the campaign was over he spent
two years in Spain and Morocco put
| ting together great mass of materia
| In sketches, which were to be abun
dainty utilized in his future paintings
M. Constants debut In the sailor
had been made in 1869, with Hamie
and the King In 1872 he exhibited
Samson and Delilah. Then at the ex
position of 1873 came the Entrance o
Mohammed II Into Constantinople
May 20, 1415, colossal painting nov
| ouse. A superb work, The Las