Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1907-11-14

admirable exhibition In the Salon OF
1875, that the reputation of Jacques
Fabr1ce was sounded publicly. Until
then, 1t was ordly outside a small
circle of friends, of connoisseurs and
dealers. His slow and conscientious
work, almost scrupulous, his unsatis-
ned taste, his dislike for approxima-
tons, in short his artistic probity had
Tor long time retarded the definite
and brilliant appearance Of his talent
Moreover, at the beginning of his
career, he had to struggle against the
most depressing trials. When twenty
two years of age he was married by
a coup d'imaginatiol, to the sister of
one of his companions in the studio.
She was a pretty, young woman who
had the manner of Grouse, and who
a worker in flowers. He saw her
working in flowers. He saw her
working assiduously at her window,
and to him she appeared the picture
OF happiness and of domestic virtue
II gave him with his rising fortune a
romantic pleasure to associate with
his poor neighbor He then married
her All that a high intelligence, all
that a delicate soul could suffer by
permanent contact with a vulgar mind
and low heart, he suffered by the
side of th2t little creature. Incap-
able of comprehending the high ambi-
lions of the artist, she increasingly
| reproached him with the seedlings of
a shrew, for the deliberation of his
studies and the conscientiousness of
his work, forcing him to hasty com
mercial productions. During his alb
sence she would take INSCRIPTIONS
merchants to his studio and sell
them his uncompleted paintings, to
the great sorrow OF the unfortunate
artist. However, at the expiration Of
seven Or eight years, she fortunately
died, leaving a daughter, who, hap
PLY, did not resemble her mother.
The young Marquis dc Pierrepont,
whom dilettanteism interested equally
with sports and other things of art,
and who was a good judge Of both,
was one of the first to announce the
great future of Jacques Fabrice.
They knew each other during the
Same company in a battalion of in
fantry, they had been together in the
ambulance after the battle of Chatil-
lon. Upon these relations, PierrepCnt
went to the studio OF Fabrice; and
became, in society, the apologist Of
yet unknown and contested talent.
Thus between them was found as
close and confident an intimacy as
could be between TWO men naturally
proud and reserved, since there was,
with the one as with the other, the
movement Of secret passions.
Pierre de Pierrepont had tried for
several years to determine his aunt
to have>her portrait painted by Fab
rice, guaranteeing her one of extreme
merit; he insinuated to her that it
would be honorable for her and at
the same time economical to be one
of the first to distinguish an artist
destined to brilliant reputation.
81 will await the brilliant reputa-
ton" she answered. I do not like to
wipe out paint"
The exposition of Fabrice in 1875,
with his Recreation au Convent, his
.Lavandieres de IYoette, and his
Portrait of Lady S, called La
Dame au Collier, avs a veritable tri-
Iumph, which determined Madame de
MontauroR to accede to the desire of
/ her nephew, and to favor, by her pro-
lection, man who had little need OF
it. After having conferred with
Pierrepont, she invited the painter to
come during the summer and pass
few weeks at her cOuntry-place OF
Genets. where She would have much
more leisure than ut Paris, and where
she could sit for her portrait with
more regularity and convenience.
Consequently Jacques Fabrice de-
cided, as we saw, to go TO the cha
teau Of Genets, in the department de
|TOrne, to there rejoin the Marquis de
PierrepOnt, who would arrive i'm
mediately after the DeauVille races.
Ill