New-York tribune., 1910-06-11
a Witty Satire on the WAX
Bust" School of Critics.
LA DAME oUI A PERDU SON PElHlIIRE. EllIISs
Par Paul Rourget de Academic fran-
caise. I2nio. PIP. &, SO. Paris; Plon-
Srr.r-fr %

n
was written long before DR.. Bode bought
for the Berlin Museum, as a Leonardo,
the wax bust OF Flora which Mr.. Al
bert Diirer Lucas declares was executed
bv his father, Richard Cookie Lucas. the
English sculptor, in 1916 But this only
gives q higher value to La dame qui a
v,erdu sen peintre'' obviously, Il was
written without prejudice. VI. Borget
simply had the good fortune To invent an
episode which has been. 50 TO say ratlfied
by history II is not his fault Il his 1T
tie comedy invites the preparation OF
kind Of appendix, embracing the ann
asujt by the younger Lucas which was
reproduced in The Tribune of yesterday
ard all the other documents in q now
famous controversy. We can only con-
sratulate him on having illustrated
familiar theme with a tale that falls so
rTiFscuiously pat.
The supposititious narrator of IL is 8
distinguished French painter. NJ. Leon
Monf-ey. who has left his youth some
wears behind him, but is still not too old
20 sit IN tender mood at the feet Of a
certain beautiful Parisienne. Hopeless
of conciusiveiy touching her heart, he
decides TO make an Italian journey. and,
rey1siting Milan. ne there stumbles upon
the serio-conaic developments set forth
in this book. He has an old friend to
see again. the Portrait OF q Lady," in
the Palazzo Varegnana. which in early
years he had known and loved as a
masterpiece by Leonardo. But while he
has been cherishing her memory much
water has gone under the bridges. pro-
PEELED, if We may use the expression, by
the Morellian school Of critics Every
one knows the foible of that school. II
IS TO play the enhancing game of at
tributien." to transform a Giorgione into
G Titan. or Titan into q BonifaZio, TO
turn the catalogues OF the great gal.
leries inside ont. and TO carry on these
proceedings with a prodigious air of
scientific authority. The good faith
Of these sublime pedents is, OF course,
beyond question. and Il lie duly recog-
nizso by Monfrey. Iconoclasts OF this
kind. he admits, are devotees. Their
method is their fetch, and, as he SAYS,
for them 10 break an idol is, in their
opinion. - render q service to their
faith. Moreover. they are appallingly
clever, these fanatics of La Critique."
ana both Nonfrsy and the eWner of the
Vsresnana Leonardo are fain 20 resign
themselves 20 the assertion that the lady
in that portrait has lost her painter"
especially as they are given good rea-
sons for believing thst she has found
another.
d.. The oracle In the case is G young
Frenchman, NJ. George Courmansel, an
ardent traveller upon the rosd along
which Noreir. Ventura, Frizzoni and
Bersnsnn have passed. Not content with
ths hypothesis depriving Leonardo Of
the picture. he goes on TO ascribe II to
q comrade OF Andrea Solaric's. dtvining
the existence Of painter hitherto absO-
lutely unknown 10 fame It is. perhaps.
70 z sly hit at Mr.. Berenson. with his
AMIGO di Sandro," that we owe NJ.
BoUrgets designation Of his critics dis
covery as ..Anico di Solario," but this
amusing touch is only bestowed in pass
ing The fun increases when Cour-
) rlsnsel with tremendous ingenuity. pro-
Needs 20 identify his painter with one
/Cristoforo Ssronno and starts upon A
campaign which is presently 10 provide
that individual with heaps Of artistic
baggage For example. he finds in the
collection # the Marchesa Ariosti an
ether portrait for the new born AMIGO
and this time the panel yields a cipher
which ne has no difficulty at all in prov
ing 10 be the signature for which he is
searching. The arguments whereby he
esta blishes his case are elaborated by
N Bourget with ininlitabie wit Never
was 8 cruel burIesque carried off with a
gravity more demure. with a delieacy
more subtle. And then comes the ire
kistible scene Monfrey is taken to see
the precious portrait in the Palazzo
Arsosti. and there to his amaZement he
beholds pQsticle Of his OWN. executed
n student days from a model of his,
Ginevra FerraTii He had done the thing
for an antiquary in Rome, 10 gain some
small sum that he needed. and the willy
purchaser. being an adept in the doctor
ing Of pictures. had had no difficulty in
giving the clever piece the semblanee Of
an old master.
What is Monfrey 20 do? There can be
no difficulty in exposing the true char
acter OF the sO-called Cristeforo. He has
only 20 speak to show that the Latin in
scription which Courmansel takes for
the signature Of an old master signifies
nothing more nor less than: 'Monfrey,
Parisien ct faussaire a peint ce por-
trait" But the situation is complicated.
At the very moment Of Nonfreys visit
and his recognition Of his own old paint
ing the &arehesa AFiosti is contemplat-
ing its sale. There are two possible pur-
ctaseHs. one. Mr.. Ralph Kennedy, is a
millionaire from Denver. The other, NJ.
jules Boudron, wealthy ladies tailor,
with a fad for picture collecting. is the
father OF tho gi.l 10 whom Courmansel
IS engaged. The critic and his future
father-ir-law are not, as it happens any
TOO sympathetic, and for AiDnfFey 10 re-
.,eaj Ile formers dreadful Dlunder would
be not only 10 humiiiate ilis1 but prob
aoly to cost him his bride. The already
N.cre saved The investment OF a large
sum q money ia 2 worthless picture, but
his Satin IN Courmansei would be gone
farezer. Hence EonfreyAs suppres ssion Of
;ae rNcIa nation ne Is about 10 offer in
tie presence al tie Ar.osti ''Cristoforo, -
and hence tho evolution of NJ. BoErget's 5
story through divers passages. of which