The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-09-16
ALFRED STEVENS.


From Truth.
Alfred stevens died last week In the roor
little fiat in which he for some years 'egN-
tated M the Avenue ITudalne. A Belgian
by birth and early education. he became By
choice a thorough boulevardier at a tios
when the boulevards were the literary ana
artIstic aalon Of Europe. lie caught The
dandyIsm OF the clubmen who freQuenicf
Tortonl's. the wings OF the old Opera Houss
and the Sale ventadour. You can see 'hsra
driving themselves In mail and other pha"'oa"
in the paintings OF Lami and J. l.. Brown.
They are In ali the Bois and Champs EIy secs
scenes Of theas artists.
Stevens took up the feminine side of q
hiRh life and sincerely painted II a. II m
peared to him. He had really fallen in love
with IL, and its glamour had taken him IN.
Had IL been otherwise he would NOT have
stood higher 40 a painter than did Ars'ns
Houasaye IN an author. or that poor creature
Imbert 81. Armand. Imbert as a writer vas
A cdSdheye ssVveate. and Houssaye a corr''r
d'dleores without a single Illusion, Want
of perapicacity saved Stevens. II one con't
not fall in love a. he did with his rne ladies
one could not help sdmiring the manner ofthN
artist. Like a lrst rate chef. he had often -
work on bad materials, which his skill rem
dsred savory. The sauce redeemed the M
gradients. There were times when he TUNED
them into Ambroeia. Stevens may i've ~
Natter and Lami live. A Fragonard would
have lent to the cocodettes whom Eugene
gathered around her too much OF his 'sIrit
for them to be really Of their time. The
Second Empire was q period OF Philistinism.
stevens, II q man Of good Belgian family.
was not exempt from snobbishnsss IN hs
loves.
admit that q portrait painters and all he
easel pictures Of Stevens were portraits ~
fermes du monde in fancy surroundings or
engaged in imaginary ncidents-must hold
A. hat q lnuy and VlIIOaF in tho
originals. But there ought to be an UNDER
current OF protest oozin9 out through ths
work. Il Ia Movable TO hold the candle 10
his Satanic Majesty. IL one is determined
in so doing to scorch his face. One finds
this determination In the portraits OF La'our.
the greatest artist in his genre OF the eiSh-
teenth century. L.atour began always by
telling the real truth, whatever II was, N
he saw q fox or q wolf behind the countenance
of a fnancier he set it down on canvas, or II
a Delilah or q De Tincin lurked behind the
smiles Of some lovely comedienne or court
lady he did not pass her over. After the
third or fourth sitting he embellished accord
ing to the tastes Of the time and OF the sitter.
stevens had not a penetrating eye. II must
be said that he hardly needed IL. He only
dealt with favorites Of fortune. who hardly
needed to mask their propensities. In the
Arrangement OF details Of the toilette he had
no equal, and the task was no easy one. seeing
what debased Spanish taste prevailed. W
a ~colorist he must ever take a high rank.
/ should say that in all his paintings there IA
not A single false nots or Earring tone of color
and that everywhere his ~coloring is felicitous
ana captivating. 1t is also to be said that in
painting his cocodettes and their belongings
he never slid down to the level OF the illus
TRAITOR. An illustrator may be a great artist
br. illustration is low art.
The fashionable world had for many years
before his death completely for gotten Stevens.
Had he been a Frenchman the Government
would have found for him some post in the
Arts Department. Harsh things are
said OF Leopold, the millionaire king. for not
recognizing In some handsome way the talent
OF the old painter.