New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-12-10
lary. and one whch was always translated into

over. was completely demoralized. He then felt
that he was quite unified for his career as
"chucker OUT and drifted off into totally
scheme of life, never to return 10 MS oid
haunts. / remember well, when all the picl-
ures had been hung to Whistlers satisfaction
the little dinners he used TO give us at the
Arts Club We would all meet together there
and proceed to price the pictures. and the result
of pricing was amusing. whistler always
gave what l called exhibition wine; II was
not genuine champagne, but 1t slarked-lh
short. it was a sort of gooseberry scheme, me
master never partook largely OF II hlmselt, , puC
the pupils did, and II anected US III d ca! lVu
way, inasmuch as the prices mounted hiSner
and higher with every additional glass. NhlstIer
would say How much for the shop with the
blue band2 Shall say 10 gulneas we
slipped the gooseberTy wine, and lnuf1hur ol
dissent heard while one Of our memDers
would say: No no. let it he so" Another
becoming excited. would suggest %, ana me
master. leaning back, with his pencil poised IN
readiness above the sheet would say wen;
gentleman, shall We put II down at NJ anu
would continue throughout the evening,
until the pictures were priced at what were theh
fabulous prices. Under the influence or goose
berry wine had really become prophetic;
We were placing Whistler where ne should De
placed-on a lofty plane. These prices seemed
extraordinary to outsiders, and even we our
selves had our misgivings the next day, whel
the catalogue was printed. and the east wind
was blowing and gooseberry wine was no more
And the sales, unfortunately, confirmed our
fears l remember that evening well. 1t was
Press Day, and all met together at the
gallery and discussed the prices by the cold,
when Whistler appeared we were all little
sheepish and depressed. But the master en-
tered. looking brilliant and sparkling. with splr-
its like champagne. and with n few words he
picked up again. For. of course, he
knew the value of his work and he soon i'm
pressed us with his own views. dealers and all
He hypnotized the dealers. he did every one
else, and they worked for him Loyalty. They
showed the right spirit 1t mattered not TO them
whether they sold the masters pictures or NOT
they felt that it was sufficient privilege merely
TO exhibit them.
Whistler came i'm literally bubbling over with
joy. Now" he said Il can't have this. You
must smile. Be merry. laugh all Of you" And
il was pathetic TO see the dealers and the pupils
mechanically working up smiles TO please the
master, many of them producing no more than
a sad sort of grin" The master swept one
rapid glance around the gallery. There is only
one thing missing, gentlemen he said. ito COM
plete the picture which this gallery should Gre
ate-and that is the butterfly a large painted
butterfly the wall" And there and then a
ladder was brought. for Whistler wanted the
butterfly to be almost upon the ceiling. 1t
a most anxious moment for all commemorative
master trusting himself on a ladder. we below
were breathless. The ladder tolted and Whis-
tier bObbed he aimed at the wall with his
long brush. but each bob caused a stroke in the
right position. and the butterfly, in shorter time
than II takes for me to tell il, was completed
caught IT the wing il obvious
to us that the Whistler butterfly had pulled the
exhibition together The first press man TO
ter a very small, insignificant little person
age, and he had the effrontery TO address Whis-
tier. not knowing that he was the master
imagining himself to be in the entrance to the
gallery. Whistler was furious and screamed
aloud at him. The little press representative, to
say the least OF it, looked scared and almost as
though he wished the earth might swallow him;
but Whistler. looking over his head, mercilessy
shouted to the attendant. "Who is this man."
with a strong emphasis on the last word. Mr.
-. representative of Funny Folks sir" re-
piled the commissiOnaire. Whistler gave one Of
his eldriCh screams of laughter, and fed from
the battlefield in dismay-
have given you example of Whistler as
a purist managing a one man show. but Whis-
tier, the president of art society, in
fore one of the exhibitions during Whistler's
term Of presidency we all met together at his
studio, where he explained his plan of cam
paign to cleanse the society. l, a member
OF the hanging committee, especially in
structed to be ruthless in rejecting pictures.
He impressed upon me the necessity of saying
out, out, out" He said, Never weary Menpes,
OF saying out We want clean spaces around
our pictures; want them TO be seen; the
British Artists must cease to be a shop" And
out they went, after The other, until very
few and select were the pictures reserved for
the exhibition. But those few were hung fault
lessly and in a decorative pattern the walls,
with plenty of wall space round each. Undoubt-
eddy, these pictures were shown at their best
The smallest detail was treated by him with
Importance. Then again, OF the So
ciety's note paper and the stamp upon It
whistler old not approve. Immediately he de-
signed another small red lion, decorative and
dainty in the extreme. On the first proof sent
from the stationer's he wrote me little letter.
And 10 show what a joyous, light hearted al
most boyish man the master could be on occa-
sion, / feel must repeat TO you this letter.
Il write the official sheet, oh dear and most
respectful one, because I in love with the
look Of #. Isn't it really brilliant and fas-
cnating a picture? And my little red lion.
isn't he splendid and well placed?
What's the USE
This letter I kept. as indeed have kept and
cherished all Whistlers letters.
AT last the climax came Whistler's ideas
were too pure for the society; he was cleansing
them too thoroughly, and the society rebelled.
There was a strong agitation to depose Whistler
and place another president in his stead, and
the discussion took place at a meeting. There
were two or three members who very flu-
ent speakers and they attacked Whistler on the
lines Of his having taken away from the digni-
" Of the society. They accused him of having
brought too many eccentricities among them
IL was Impossible, they said, 10 keep pace with
such ideas and also their pictures We're not
selling. Whlstlers reply 10 this attack was stu
pendousl He Withered them as they sat there
wthered them, and turned yet again to grind
his heel the faded fragments of the fight
He put on his eyeglass and looked round this
circle OF British artists-a slow, comprehensive,
meditative stare. And then at length he said
sweetly and with some concern, You know you
people are not well. You remind me Of a ship
LOAD or passengers living on an old tub Cthe
society which has been anchored to a rock for
many years Suddenly this old tub. which has
seemed disused and incapable Of putting out to
sea TO face the storm and stress of the waves, is
boarded by pirate. ] am the pirate He
patches up the ship and makes her not only
weather tight, but a perfect vessel and boldly
puts out to sea, running down less ably cap
tanned ships. leaving a stream Of wreckage in
her wake. But, 10 and behold, her triumphant
passage is stopped. and by the passengers them
selves; for unused TO the strange and unaccus-
toned movement they are each and every one
Of them sick and I'll. But good people it Is
merely a matter Of habit; you will not feel
II. and you will live to thank your captain.
Then you complain of my eccentricties. But
mark you, dear people you invited me into your
midst president because Of these same So
called eccentricities. You elected me because I
1Nh a m and
ined that would bring notoriety into your gal
lery. Did you imagine that when I entered