The Savannah morning news., 1903-07-25
HIS REVERENCE; BY WHISTLER
Portrait of CanheId Perhaps the
Artists Last.
From the New York Sun.

Artists Last.
From the New York Sun.
Saratoga, July 19.-The last portrait
painted by James Mcneil Whistler
was called by him His Reverence"
1t is the head and bust of a smooth
faced, dark-eyed, dair-haired man
about 40 years old, and the original
is Richard A Garfield. He was the
last person who sat to Whistler.
Whistler gave Garfield the last sit
ting on the afternoon of May 10, in
the studio of his London residence at
IA Cheyne Walk, Chelsea, and the por-
trait was finished some time last
month. 1t is supposed to be resting
now on the easel on which 1t was
painted in the dead artists studio.
Whether or not it has been labelled
His Reverence" is not known, but that
is what Whistler said 1t must be call
ed. as being suggestive of the face
and garb of his SUBJECTIVE gambler
Mr.. Garfield is here, having arrived
last Tuesday. By force of clrcum-
stances over which he had no control,
this soldier of fortune and patron or
art is compelled to be just plain
restaurant keeper this summer. The
only part of the famous Saratoga Club
comprehends the reading, writing and
reception rooms, the cafe and new res
taurant, completed a few weeks ago
after plans of Clarence Luce, the New
York architect, at cost OF nearly
S10O, 900. 1t is certainly beautiful
dining room, but as Garfield takes you
through it and points to this or that
piece of statuary that he picked up
in Europe to lend artistic beauty to
hnoIItU 0f the gardens
which the restaurant windows over
look, he shrugs his broad shoulders
and says:
Now that 1 am here and see what
beautiful place my architect and land
scape gardener have given me, it all
strikes me as rather absurd. for / am
no restaurant keeper, you know, and l
don't think 1 could make great sue
cess at the business"
This subject of Whistlers last por-
trait sat in the club smoking room this
afternoon and talked with the Sun cor
respondent about the artist who was
his friend for many years, and about
his last work. He said:
when Whistler died, good man, a
great artist and, in his own way, the
most intense American 1 ever knew,
passed away. He gave me my first
first sitting for the portrait in the
spring OF lJUZs just dlleT ne ClOSeu his
studio in Paris and returned to Lon
don. He gave me several sttings, and
then, as 1 had to come home, the work
was laid aside until 1 should return to
London the following year.
IT had my first sitting on New Years
day of this year. / was almost startled
when Whistler walked into the studio
to greet me. He had changed greatly
in the twelve months that had passed
since / last saw him and he looked
really i'll. / commented on his appear
ance, but his reply showed that he was
very sensitive on that score. and so
ever after that I, as did all his friends,
told him he looked stronger and bet
ter every time I saw him.
II see by the London dispatches that
there is some speculation there as to
the disease that carried him off, owing
to the reticence of the family. Among
those who knew him well there is no
doubt as to the cause of death. They
know that it was heart disease. He
discovered that he had a weak heart
in Holland last year when he was there
with Col. Charles l.. Freer of Detroit.
who has. by the way, the finest and
most complete collection of Whistler's
etchings in the world. All told WhIs-
tier made about 200 etchings, and of
that number Col. Freer has copies of
all but five or six.
After had that first sitting on New
Years day. l saw Whistler every day
until the day l sailed for New York,
which was on May 16. He was not able
to work, however, on all those days.