New-York tribune., 1911-12-24
T w lawson Tells of d Painter Manc and His Net Covered Canvas
Boston Financier, Who Posed
for Artist in Rome, Gives
Views of His Odd
Methods and
Personality.
by Thomas ". lawson.

n KNOW ManCini well, intimately well;
better than one might suppose when
- told my acquaintance with him spread
esor only twcnty-one days.
I'm the twenty-one consecutive three-hour
8svs during which ! posed for Mancini
frictioned my reason gears trying to fathom
tho source and course Of dhis eccentric
mental machincry-as much as one usually
docs in years Of less advantaged oppor-
,,nitv. When "they" say Mancim is MAD
,hov hut state fact provided they ADMIT
that an untroneyed cloud climbers arc mad.
When the master Of English writ There
is method in his madness" his pen must
have been pointed Manciniward for II II
can correctly he said that any madness Is
,,o result Of method. or that there is any
method I'm any madness. then l say Manci-
MS madness IS bcltod 10 the nywheel of
,notbod or that tho method Of the mind Il
this mad one IS trolleycd to the motor OF
madness.
Niancinrs malady. II one he mean enough
to uudignify the activities Of the mind al"
heart Of such genius with such sluSh
rrush word. is no haphazari affair. fouhu'-
toned on ungearcd causes and eHeciS SUI"
ae We have been taught must environ oIu'
,or,. madness. Nancini does not leave MS
br-,sb poised IN space with no other suPl'o''
than his peals Of caroling. childhke eaHeN
and roll upon his earth floored studlo' Con
,.plsod I'm an agony Of lamentations eNcru''
stire TO gaze upon. for no cause oiher IMAM
q physical or mental defect
1-or from Il. When Mancini, initiating
-.;.,, t;. arms feet and body the motions or
. diving bird. bears down upon MS SUliS
network 10 deposit an atom OF color on 'ne
mil of his subjects eve. thereby changing
,,s entire EXPRESSION. all the time filling the
..,,s;c - its cohwebbed rafters with as JOY
t,,I a merrinout as could have origin in any
s.,.er- vear-oId child. IT is because he is see
ing srlendors which are not for his audi
,,.s.s rrrder vision: and when from his
etberea. world ne pitches into he'll oil
human main II is because in the workings
Of his peculiar mentality, ne has seen his
inability 10 cunning his brush TO his clearly
defined artistic perfection.
In my twenty-one three-hour days ] saw
Narcini I'm his every mood. and in some OF
the other hours / spent with him l famil-
iarized myself with many Of them. Yet in
none did find his madness footfree of
method Nancini is an overyeared boy. and
his childish. buhblng over enthusiasm for
an things beautiful strange or new is most
fascInatlrcly intermingled with the in
stjrcrs the characteristics and the erthusi-
ssm Of a girl. it is only when these pc
ruliarities lead Marcini into ideal land dur
ing his battles with his canvas, or when
they strike the suag Of human limitations.
,h,. D.. becomes tcu1porariiv mad-mad
with 10y or mad with despair.
His studio is directly over an ID venii-
lated. refuse glutted stable. During the
Jars was his subject the Thermometer
stood Al from goo 20 100. and the studio with
only broken down couch. large stuffed
monkey. ditto cat and dove. TO break the
outline OF the four dirty walls and VITA
easel. frames and balls of twine to acc'niu-
a,c ,he heat and increase the rage Of tae
army of flies. was sort of on-carth he'll
. yet during tho heat and consequent body
aud m.ai iritauoas Mancini was always