New-York tribune., 1911-01-29
still gallantly defiant in the proverbial
last ditch.
WHISTLER AND LADY MEUx.

Readers Of the Pennell biography OF
Whistler will want to add to their an
notations Of that entertaining and in
valuable book a word or two about the
painters relations with the late Lady
Meux She, it will be remembered, was
the heroine Of one Of those very rare
episodes in which his airy insolence was
not entirely successful Thrice he
painted her portrait, and 1t was while
working on the last OF the canvases that
he let his wit run away with him once
too often. His sitter advised him TO
keep civil tongue in his head, or, she
threatened. she would fetch some one in
to finish" his work. Naturally that
third portrait was never carried 10 COM
pletion. What became Of It?
Mr.. and Mrs. Pennell, writing recently
TO the London Times" state that at the
time Of the Whistler Memorial Exhibi-
ton, in 1906 Lady Meux, on being asked
to loan her portraits, said that If the
third one. which was not in her posses
sion, could be produced. she would lend
were made in vain. Since her death and
the publication OF her will it has been
assumed IN England that the two por-
traits in her gallery have been left 10
her heir, the Hon. Sir Hedworth Lamb
ton, and a story is told to the effect that
if the missing portrait could be found 1t
would pretty certainly be presented to
the National Gallery The Pennells, I'm
their letter, quote a statement lately
printed in this country that one Of the
Freer collection. But this must be a
mistake. In the first place the where
abouts OF the two completed portraits
are known, and the fate Of the third is
thus concusively described in a letter
to the London Times" by Miss R.
Birnie- Philip, Whistlers executrix: The
unfinished portrait of Lady Meux, to
which reference has been made in your
columns, was destroyed by the artist.
The report that the picture was sold
after Mr.. Whstler's death, in an unfln-
ished state, is utterly baseless.'
While We are paying our respects u
the muse Of history, placing on record
the latest facts in regard TO the wax
bust Whistler. and so on, We must not
neglect to round out the tale of Mr..
Sargent and Mr. Fry. Last week in this
Place we printed the American artists
disclaimer Of the sympathy for Post
Impressionism which Mr.. Fry had at
tributed TO him. Here is Mr.. Fry's letter
to the London Nation" explaining just
what he meant 10 say:
regret extremely that Mr. Sargent
should think that ] invoked his name un-
ism. What / did was this: In answering
Mr.. Robert Morley's ipscdLrif, ] mentioned
az supporters such names as "Degas, Dr.
Won -Tschudi, Mr. John :. Sargent, and
Mr.. Claude Phillips (at least as regards
Cezanne). Mr.. Berenson. Mr.. Horne" &c
BY coupling Mr.. Sargents and Mr.. Claude
Phillips's names in this way, | thought
ing clause Eat least as regards Cezanne)"
applied 10 both. and this statement was
based upon q letter OF Mr. Sargent's tc
me. in which he expressed admiration for
CeZannf. learn, for the first time. from
his letter 10 the Nation" what his opin-
ion Of the other artists shown at the Graf,
ton Gallery Is. ] regret II. because had
hoped that his generous sympathies with
art Of a different aim to bis own might
have led to another verdict. The main
fact however, remains that Mr.. Sargent
does admire CeZanne. who has been
amongst the most violently abused of ali
the artists at the Grafton Gallery.