Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1916-05-23
HIS CHEF
D'OEUYRE
II Gained Him a Reputation
Which Profited Him Not

/ = :
II Gained Him a Reputation /
! Which Profited Him Not !
- 8
: By ESTHER VANDEvEER {
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
George Ashley at twenty-five was ar
artist with a highly artistic tempera
ment. He had been brought up among
women who were Of the very best and
he idealized woman In the abstract
Having had nothing to do with others,
he knew nothing about them. Indeed, be
had his own conceptions Of the spirit.
ual beauty Of good woman and knew
neither her strong points nor her fol.
bles. Possibly he might have come
nearer the composite Of an excellent
woman had not his associates been
very youthful and their characters not
entirely formed.
Ashley was ambitious to paint a pic
ture Of his ideal Of womanhood. He
did not care to portray a Madonna;
there were already sufficient Madon-
mas in the world, some Of them painted
by artists that he could not hope to
emulate. He desired to give his ideal
the garb Of the twentieth century.
OF course all depended on his model.
His conceptions were like a flock of
birds, flying in the air and refusing to
remain quiet long enough to be photo
graphed. Genius must have a founda-
tion on which to build, and when the
foundation Is established there must
be a starting point. A novelist who
evolved in words one Of the great pic
lures of the world said that he paced
the floor for days dreaming 1t, but had
he not finally begun to write his dreams
would never have been anything but
dreams.
Where was George Ashley to find a
woman through whose physical per-
fection shone this purity that he wish
ed to depict? He was not rich, but
had the means to go about looking for
his model. This he did. He visited
different countries. On the street, in
hotels. In public gardens. he was con-
stantly peering into the faces Of wom-
en- he met looking for that which would
serve to concentrate his dreams and
reduce them to reality. Many a counte-
nance he noticed, thinking that it was
the one he wanted, but on examination
was found deficient. Friends became
interested In his search, and his atten-
ton was called by different persons
to q number Of women who 1t was sup
posed might serve his purpose.
The artist while In Florence, Italy,
having run short Of funds, established
studio for the purpose Of keeping in
practice and recouping his finances.
he soon achieved some reputation as
a portrait painter and received orders
enough to maintain him and keep him
reasonably busy.
One day an American lady and her
daughter came in to his studio, the
mother saying that he had been recon-
mended to her to paint her daughters
portrait.
II Miss Helen Laurence was not
beautiful she was at least comely.
Ashley looked at her inquiJingly, as
he did at all women who might posi-
bly, serve his great purpose, but saw
nothing in her face to indicate that he
had found his model. After an in
spection Of pictures he had made Mrs.
Laurence took him aside and made a
bargain with him to make full length
portrait Of her daughter, Offering
price which was at once accepted, for
Ashley's ideas Of money were more
vague than was his ideal Of q good
woman.
When Miss Laurence appeared for
her first sitting she was arrayed in
spotless white clinging drapery that
showed her fine figure to the best ad-
vantage. Her couture was Of the sim
pIest. All that dress could do to rep
resent purity was effected. Then, too,
the girls face was stamped with In
nocence. She looked with her blue
eyes into those of the artist with q per-
feet trustfulness.
"Paint me as am" she said to him.
"Don't natter me. If you should make
a Madonna of me should not like 1t.
I am imperfect, and a perfect person
on the canvas would not
be l."
Ashley questioned her as to what she
imperfections and was con-
vinced by her replies that she did not
know the meaning Of the word-that Is.
she was innocent While working on
her features he chatted with her to
draw out her individuality. Her voice
was sweet, and 1t was evident from
what she said that she was profoundly
ignorant Of the wicked part Of the
world she lived In.
Ashley made a discovery. He had
been looking for a woman whose coun-
tenance expressed purity. He now
formed a theory that innocence and
purity are synonymous. Whether he
was right or wrong is an open Ques-
ton. 1t began to dawn upon him that
having found innocence It would serve
to influence him In portraying purity.
He did not realize that for some time
he had already been under this infu-
ence. He was first made aware Of It
by noticing in the face he was putting
on the canvas evidence that he was
ON the way to realize his. ideal. he
was not 30 impractical as to suppose
that he would ever realize that ideal,
Tor he well knew the impossibility Of
any such realization. He simply knew
that he had found an inspiration.
He found something more than an
He found that which he
had never before experienced-love.
This was quite naturally the result Of
peering into the face Of pretty girI
for hours at a time and striving to con-
slider her at her best that he might
make a successful picture Of her. His
determination to make her bis model
for his masterpiece was an. additional
reason for his falling In love with her.
There was fascination about his sub
s..x -hsnh A~ .,sv,sScaad had 6e1o1s, rn-