Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-12-09
FAMOUS PEACOCK ROOM.
The Comedy and Tragedy Which En-
tered Into 1t.

Another of the great art treasures OF
the Old World is coming to the United
States, and another vail from Europe
an critics and connoisseurs may De ex-
pected. 1t was announced a Few Gays
ago in London that Whistler's Peacock
Room, which had been on eXhlbltlon IN
a gallery there after being lost TO We"
for a dozen years, had been bought by
an American collector. Inc price WAS
not stated, but in view OF the 1act thdt
the painting, La Princess du rays ue
Porcelaines," otherwise known as Inc
Blue Girl" which formed a small de-
tail of the Peacock Room, was Soiu
some weeks ago for c 5000, it may be
imagined that the sum was an enor-
nous one.
1t is to be hoped that the same col
lector purchased both the picture ana
the room, 50 that the apartment can DE
reconstructed in this country exactly as
was originally in the late f. X. Ley
lands splendid house at Princes Gate,
London.
There is probably not room in the
world. certainly not a modern room, 50
famous among art lovers us the fet-
cook Room painted by Whistler. AS it
was designed and rs it remained while
Mr. Leyland was alive it was virtually
bit of blue picture; everything, to the
last bit of blue china on the shelves, be-
| ing part of a carefully thought-Out de-
| sign.
| The history of the room is as remark
| able as the room itself is wonderful.
| Leyland engaged, to decorate his din
| ing room, the well known architect
Jeckyll, stipulating that the color
scheme was to be arranged with view
to harmonizing with his tine collection
| of Nankin porcelain and with Whist
| lers painting, 1.-THE Blue Girl" jock
Nj had carte blanche as to cost; and
be bought, at a great price, large
! quantity of magnificent antique
stamped Spanish leather. With this he
completely covered the walls OF the
apartment, and on shelves around the
room he placed Leydnds Nankin blue
china. Whistler's picture was put over
| the fireplace.
Leyland asked whistler to come and
| admire the effect. Whistler went, and
| did not admire. Instead he asked per-
| mission to paint the leather around his
| picture in order to give it better set
ting. Leyland acquiesced, and Whist
| Ter started painting.
| He kept on painting, and the next
| time Leyland visited the room pretty
nearly the whole of the leather had
been covered. But Leyland knew a
| good thing when he saw it, and made
no protest. In a few days not an inch
of the original pattern on the leather
remained. Instead, the room was COW
cred with fantastic designs in which the
| cOors We're confined to those OF pea
| cock feathers.
Whistler continued to paint. A few
days more and the woodwork of the
room was painted over. Everything
was in peacock colorS, while where
there was space there were pictures of
| the birds themselves. 1t was tour de
| force, a masterpiece, a piece of decora-
tive work unequaled in modern times.
Leyland was delighted but it appears
| that there was some deplorable miSun-
| Outstanding between the merchant
| prince and the artist as to the amount
| of compensation the latter was to re-
ceive. Probably. taking into consider
alton Whistler's peppery nature, the
| fault was not Leyiauu 5. liut " mist
| Ter felt aggreved, and took Il charac-
| teristic revenge.
one shutter was still unfinished, and
| on it he painted two peacocks, one
with ruffled plumage, grasping in one
| claw a pile of gold. to represent Ley
| land. and the other, calmly Indifferent
| to the others rapacity, to typify him.
self Leyland said nothing and let the
| designs remain. But the trouble over
| the room was not only serio-comic.
| Jeckyll had taken an immense deal of
| pride III the apartment. He was man
of extremely sensitive nature ana
when he saw all the results of his work
gradually obliterated by Ministers
| brush he fell into a morbid condition
| which before long developed into vio-
| lent insanity. He was found one day
| painting the floor of his house with
| gold and threatening to murder Ley
| land and Whistler. He was removed
| to an asylum. where he soon afterWard
| died-New York Times.