The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-04-04
FRAGONARD'S FAMOUS DU BARRY PANEL
History of the Series of Love Pastorals
Rejected by Louis XIV. and the
Artists Tragic End

ferently. and has suggested a differ
ent order.
There seems. however, to be scant
doubt that the earliest in date are
the four panels undertaken at Mmc.
'du lBarry's request, all Of which are in
the painters early or bleuatre man
ner, which Is best exemplified by
"L'Escarpolette." now in the Wallace
collection. The others, including the
fifth large panel. are in Fragonard's
later or blond manner, and, judging
from the closer study Of purely local
tree and flower forms which they all
witness. were evidently painted at
Grasse.
Touching the question Of appropri-
ate names for earlier and larger
compositions. as well as the matter Of
order. Claude Phillips takes issue
with Baron Portals and alters the ar
rangement of the two first panels,
placing, wisely. La Poursuite" before
lie Rendezvous" and making the
series run La Po ,rsuite." la Rem
DEVIOUS Les Souvenirs" and
"L'Amant Couronne." In placing the
single panel last and calling 1t
''L'Abandon" both Baron Portals and
Mr.. Phillips seem II have sacrificed
a subtler and perhaps more concise
Interpretation Of this love comedy.
Closer subjective and objective
analyses might have indicated that
this canvas depicts "LAttente," not
"L'Abandon"; and that II was in
tended as a prologue. not an epilogue
The expression of the cupid who sur
mounts the pedestal and the attitude
Of the female figure. with its hint OF
expectancy and longing and the loose
hanging hair. bespeak not the twi-
light but the dawn OF love.
The picture was, moreover. origi-
nally known as La Verge ct
lAmour," sufficient implication that
it could not form the closing note Of
the series. Finally, eighteenth century
art recorded love in all its audacious
actually, caring naught for the ADAM
doned. for the debris Of love.
Nothing in the art Of Fragonard
nor in the art of his day in anywise
approaches the beauty and the lyric
charm Of this fove poem. The slender
thread Of sequence is preserved in
duplicate. the dessus de porte carry
ing along the story symbolcally. the
main panels giving more definite ver-
sions of the theme. 1t is Olympus and
the Earth-a playful Olympus with
a chubby deity chasing doves and
cabriolEng about the air. and an Earth
profusely lowered and peop,ed by a
young couple clad in fancy shepherd
costume, their every movement ca
denced by the pulse Of love.
The youth Of twenty who offers
the rose. who climbs to the terrace
where the chosen one awaits. who is
tender and triumphant. is, of course,
Louis XIV, minus nearly half a cen-
fury Of self-indu. gence. The slender
blonde who accepts with such invit-
ing reserve. such studied ar,lessness.
is Nine. du Barry, whose white throat
was soon TO be severed by the guillo-
tine. In at least two Of the panels
both portraits are sufficiently accurate,
while in the concluding panel il is
permissible to suppose that the young
painter who has been called upon 30
immortali2e the episode is a casual
likeness Of Fragonard himself, his
dark Curls and clear cut features hav-
ing already been seen. in IL Arm ire"
and other Canvascs.
FIR over a century T~agonard's