The Washington herald., 1907-01-13
HONOR GIRL ARTIST
Mile. Louise Lavrut'S Career
Is Talk of London.
SH0wERED WITH PATRONAGE
Although but Twenty-Five years Old,
She Is at the Top of Her Profess
sIon-Began Drawing Almost ns
soon as She Could Waik-POrtraits
Win Gold MedaI-Has own studio.
Washington Herald

Correspondence q The Washington Herald.
London, Jan. 6-Although she IS only
twenty-five. and. one might think. alto
gether too pretty to be a real genius, no
one can question the claim Of Mile. Louise
Lavrut to be one Of ;hs most gifted
woman artists OF the day. Having won
some OF the highest honors in the French
art world. Mile. Lavrut recently came to
London to give an exhibition Of her paint
ings, and considering her great ability and
the fact that she has the backing Of the
King himself II is not surprising that
her visit is proving more or less OF
triumph. Nor IS one exaggerating by
calling 1t so. for society IS literally
crowding to her show Of pictures at the
Dore gallery. and commissions for por-
traits Of leading members Of the fash
ionable world are coming in faster than
they can be executed BY the young
French artist
Comes by Royal Command.
II is virtually a royal command that has
brought this fair Parisienne and her ex-
quislte art from sunny France 10 the
drab winter Of London. The last time
King Edward was in Paris ne visited the
Salon. y portrait OF Gen. CIuny caught
his eye He asked for the painter Nile
Lavrut was introduced. The King saw
some Of her other work. He told her she
must come 10 London as soon as she
could manage And 50 she has come.
and conquered not only London, bat the
rrovinces-for from Manchester. the great
provincial art center, commissions OF over
IS 0o0 have already come TO Mile. Lavrut
Are you going to the United States?"
l asked Mile. Lavrut
Pathetically she shrugged her shoulders.
1t would delight me- she said. But.
alas! I have so much work 10 do here
now and in Paris But I must soon go to
America-on my holidays. perhaps Great
masters have told me that the cities
there are art centers. second only 90 Lon
don. which is the art center OF the
world"
Career Is Remarkable.
Msdemoiselle then told me Of her career
1t is a truly wonderful tale-this life story
OF Il girl scarcely twenty-five She showed
an aptitude for drawing soon after she
began to walk When at school az the
Legion Of Honor establishment. as Il
mere child she was allowed % draw
with crayons, and her studies attracted
the attention OF Jules Lefebre, who was
at that time one Of the visiting profes-
sors. He watched the child and. finally.
after much opposition from her family.
secured permission for her TO attend the
Julian Academy After thorough
grounding in the elementary art there she
was allowed to enter the ateliers Of Jules
Lefebre and Robert Fleury.
When eleven years old her FIRST picture
was exhibited at the salon. She was
kept hard at work in the studies of her
two masters. until al nineteen her picture
at that years Salon brought her an hon
orable mention.
Has Her own Studio.
Then she established her own studio
and began taking commissions. The next
year she received the bronze medal for
the third best picture in the Salon The
municipality Of Rheims bought the pic
ture. Success continued 10 come rapidly
Mile. Lavrut was made an-Ufficer Of the
Academy. was next promoted 20 chevalier
OF the order of Public Industry. and last
year Won the blue ribbon Of the art
world, the gold medal Of the French
Salon for the best portrait Of the year
The French government then bought sew
eral Of her pictures, and she became the
rage in Paris Her gold medal picture is
portrait of the two daughters of the
Duchess de Tarente.