New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-07-21

]
ket for the unknown. he had bound
himself TO a dealer. No uncommon
fate, and l make no reflection on the
dealer who takes a certain risk and
reaps huge profits If his gamble in
genius succeeds. But Tadema, like
many another man with a future, had
to go on painting pictures for his deal
er at prices much below their market
value. He never complained. He knew
that he owed his opportunity to the
dealer, and when at last he emancipat-
ed himself his reward was splendid.
There were many years when commits
sions flowed in upon him, at his own
price, and his income was princely.
He spent it, or much of 1t, upon the
house which was his toy, or his pas
sion next after his art, and was indeed
related to his art. During many years
he had a permanent staff Of workmen
about him, always busy in decorating;
workmen who were almost artists, az
they had need to he in order to execute
his designs. Like his pictures, his
dwelling place had TO be perfect In
every detail, external and internal;
garden, pergola, decoration OF every
kind. So after time, he found II ex-
pedient to accept commissions from
Irving and lesser men for a glOrified
scene painting and for the art details
OF some great production which IN
Trving's hands and his became a prece-
dent for their successors, and mean
time delight to the public.
II was all part Of the subject 10
which he had given himself Rome
lived again on the stage as she lived
on his canvas. Outside OF his art he
took never step. And the amazing
thing was that by the coarser methods
which alone were suited TO the stage
he obtained the same sureness OF eff
feet and even the same dellcacy as
when he painted with such microscopic
minuteness that only the magnifying
glass could disclose TO the beholder the
magic of his final touch. And to re-
verse the comparison, In his most in
tricate work on canvas he gave you
the impression OF an energy and free
dom not unlike that for which he found
space in the theatre.
| cannot guess whether he would like
It to be said that the man himself was
almost more attractive than the
painter He desired the world to know
him as the one artist who could have
produced, and did produce, THE
Pyrrhic Dance" go long ago as 1869,
and later, year after year, The
Sculpture Gallery" The Roses Of
Helogabalus" and scores OF others
equally famous. He liked recognition,
but ne loved friendship. He found
of his various duties as Royal Academ-
lcian: some of them such as men OF in
ferIor talent might easily have per-
formed. At times he painted portraits;
indeed, there was one portrait he was
always painting, his wife, who served
him so often as model that her beauty
was almost as we'll known in the gal
leries as in their own home.
He had the gift OF portraiture; Of re-
producing not merely the external facts
OF face and figure but character. He
sought for the soul; It is the soul and
the gracious truth Of nature which
looks out happily upon you I'm the many
likenesses Of his wife. Her sympa-
thetic nature Is there. He was as
proud Of her art as Of his own; and the
two were very unlike. So was he Of
the exquisite water colors Of which his
daughter Anna painted too few; each
a gem. He could be a relentless critic
that was one form Of his devotion to
art-but Of unkindness there was never
a trace; still less Of jealousy. His
kindness took shape often in charity
Of time and thought.
When he shook off the obsesslon OF
his work, he became the most light
hearted and genial Of friends A GER
tain quaintness Of speech added to the
effect Of his greetings and Of his talk.
He spoke four languages fluently, and
no one Of them quite correctly. What
did it matter? He was citizen Of the
world, Tristan by birth, Belgian,
French, and, finally and permanently,
English by adoption and residence.
For some time the Royal Academy
looked askance at him, as is the habit
Of that august body In presence Of an
unconventional talent. DO we forget.
can anybody ever forget, with what
cold contempt they treated Whistler?
Can you look to-day with patience on
the pictures they cannot refuse but
hang out Of sight? Has art ever been
TO them other than commercial? What
Is Burlington House but q shop? Ia
dema and Sargent have done and
NAV do their best; they are minority.
What is the administration Of the
/ Chantrey Fund but a scandal; often
exposed, never reformed? To public
opinion, save in so far as 1t affects the
market price Of pictures, the Academy
shows itself Indifferent. II Is In
! trenched in privileges.
None Of these things could you get
/ Tadema to admit, but that he felt
deeply the inadcquacy of the spirit IN
which the Academy used It's position is