New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-04-30
A DIMlNUTIVE DRAMA
The True Story of Velasque5 and
the Rokeby Venus.
Maurice Barring, in The London Morning /
Post.


Maurice Barring. in The London Morning
Post.
Scene: VeIasquezs Studio. Dona Sol.
beautiful dark haired lady. deliberately
dressed in stiff farthingale, is sitting for
her portrait. NelasqueZ is standing in
front Of an easel, vehemently throwing
paint on to the canvas with "A large.
long brush. IN the corner Of the studio
is an open virginia..
Velasquez-Are you getting tired
Dcna Sol-No. / never get tired of sit
ting: I'm SO used To standing up at
Court
Velasquez-Would you mind turning
your head a shade 10 the left? Yes.
that's right.
Dona Sol-You will be careful about
the nose. won't you?
Nelasquez-Ah, you've very wonder
full nose from the painters point of view.
Dona sol-They always exaggerste my
nose-and I do so hate eXaggeratiOn.
don't YOU?
Velasquez (absently)-Yes.
Dona SoI-Shau I be able to see the
picture to-day?
Velasquez-I think so. It's practically
finished now. have only got to finish
that piece Of lace on your left wrist
Dona SOl-Shan't you want another
sitting?
Velasquez-No-I-
Dona Sol-But Dona Anna had a
dozen sittings.
Velasquez-But she's fair-I find fair
people so far more difficult.
Dona Soil can't see what there was
to paint in her at all. Shes all bones.
Nelasquez-That's just il. I can't get
that lace right. Do you mind if I play
a tune on the virginia.?
Dona Soho, please do.
CNelasqueZ goes to the virginia. and
plays a wild, rhythmic dsnce)
Dona Soils that Moorish?
Velasquez-No. English. Quaint. isn't
It? It's what they call a Morris dance.
Isn't it charming?
Dona SOl-Yes. I love English music
It's so unciyilized and fresh.
Nelasquez-Yes. they are a wonder
fully musical people. OTe breaks off in
the middle Of tune) I've got il. CHe
runs to the canvas and filings a piece
OF white paint on to it, All, that's it.
It's finished
Dona SoI-What. the whole picture?
Velasquez with sigh Of reliCf)-Ycs.
the whole picture.
DOna SOl-May I look?
Velasquez-Certainly
Donna Sol gets down from the plat
form and walks to the easel)
bona SOl-It's wonderful NelasuueZ
quite wonderful. I like it enormously
You haven't quite finished the hands yet.
have you?
Velasquez-Yes, think the hands will
do like that. You don't quite get the
light where you're standing. If YOU
come here you'll see better.
Dona Sol tmoving)--I thirl; it's won
derful. Only I should like the hands to
be little more distinct. The dress is
beautiful. and so is the necklace. But
you've made my blue ribbon look green
Nelasquez-That's the sun on it.
C1H D. fe Ten r.
Look at it. No amount of sun will make
this blue into green.
Velasquez-YOu see, the sun was full
on il yesterday.
Dona Soil think it's all perfect. ex-
cept the nose. Ny nose is tip-tilted and
You must alter that I know my nose Is
difficult.
Velasquez Slightly darkening a
shadow on the face)-Is that better?
Dona Sol-Yes. that's better. But it's
still a little too heavy. You sec. my
what you do to my hair and my mouth
l don't want To CriticiSc. l never do
cr'ticise my own portraits. In fact. /
think it's quite absurd for the sitter to
criticise q picture But i Go think I'm
g rather good judge Of noses. Couldn't
you make II just shade more delicate?
Nelasquez giving the nose a touch
with the bTushl-Is that better?
Dona Sol-Yes. that's better. I think
that really Is better. "A pauSe.) Don't
YOU think YOU could make the eyebrows
little darker? You've made them SO
faint. And then | think the hair ought
to be little brighter. and the express
sion a shade less severe. I don't think
you've quite got my smile. 7 look cross
OF course. J suppose 7 look like that
sometimes-when everything goes
wrong Every one does look cross some
times-but that's not what | usually
look like.
Velasquez making few impercep-
tible alterations)-Is that better
Dons Scl-Yes, that's much better. T
think it's perfect. May I look at some
Of the other pictures
,she walks round the studio Till she finds
several Carvases turned face back
ward against a heavy piece Of furni-
ture)
vclasquez-Let me help YOU OHe
turns several pictures roundD
DOna Sol-Ah. that's the King It's
quite excellent. And that's the dear old
Admiral. It's exactly like him. oh
and that's bona EIvira-how like. but
how cruel How could YOU do that
Didn't she mind dreadfuIly? And what
a dear little girl That's not finished.
suppose? oh. and 7 do love that sea-
piece. It's a storm. 7 suppose?
Velasquez-Tm afraid it's meant to I've
a man riding In a field. It's just a
study.
Dona Sol-Of course 10 is. How stupid
Of me | couldn't see properly. It's Won
derful-quite wonderful And what's
that large picture on an easel over
there with a curtain over it,
Nelasquez oh. that's nothing. It's
only a sketch-it's not finished.
Dona Sol-Do let me see IT,
Neldsquez I'm afraid 7 can't. really.
Dona Sol-But insist on seeing n. I've
been such a good sitter. Now I'm going
to pull the curtain OF
Velasquez-lt's not my picture az all
It's not by me. It's by one Of my pupils
It's by Mao.
Dona Sol-Thsn Of course I can see u
(She pulls away tie curtain. revealing
picture Of Venus looking into a glass1
oh. But it's my face. How dared YOU
do such a thing No wonder YOU didn't
want me "a see H. oh. how could YOU
do such a thing