The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-05-23
HIS CHEF
D'OEUVRE

By ESTHER. vANDEvEHR

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George Ashley at s.s~enty-two was an
artist with a highly artistic tempera
menf He had been brought mp among
wonsen who were OF the very best, and
he iueahzed woman In the abstract
Having had nothing - do with others,
he knew nothing abeut them. Indeed, be
had his o~wn conceptions Of the spirit.
nal beauty Of q good woman and knew
neither her strong points nor her fol.
blea. Possibly he might have come
neaper the composite Of an excellent
woman had not his associates been
very youthful and their characters not
entirety formed.
. Ashley was ambitaous TO paint q pic
ture Of his ideal OF womanhood. He
did not care to portray 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
, or 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-
ton 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 20 find
woman through whose physical per
lection shone this purity that he wish.
ed to depict? He was not rich, but
had the means to go about looking for
his model. Tlus be- did. He visited
hotels, In public gardens. he was con
stantly peering into the faces OF won
EN- he met looking for that which would
eerve to concentrate his dreams and
reduce them to reality. Many counte-
nance he noticed. thinking that it was
the one he wanted, but ON examSna ton
was found deficient Friends became
Interested In his search. and his "a item
ton was called by different persons
20 number of women whodt was sup
posed might serve his purpose.
The artist while in Florence, saiy,
having run short of funds, esta blished
studio for the purpose of keeping in
practice and recouping his finances.
He soon achieved some reputz ton as
a portrait painter and received orders
enough 90 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 herr daughter
portrait.
II Miss Helen LAURENCE WINS not
beautiful she was at least comely.
Ashley looked at her insqurfngiy, as
he did at all women who might posi-
bly, serve hts great purpose, but xaw
nothing In Der face TO Indicate that he
had found his model. Alter 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 a
price which was at once accepted. for
Ashley's ideas of money were more
vague than was his ideal of good
woman.
When Miss Laurence appeared for
her drst 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
plest. 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 'wfthia per
feet trustfulness
Paint me as I am" she said to him
Don't hatter me. II you should make
Madonna of me I should not like It
j am imperfect and perfect person
represented on the canvas would not
be T."
Ashley questioned her as to what she
considered imperfections and was con
WINGED 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 It was evident from
what she said that she was profoundly
ignorant OF the wicked part Of the
world she lived in.
made discovery He had
been looking for woman whose coun
tenance expressed purity. He now
formed a theory that Innocence and
purity are synonymous. Whether he
was right or wrong In an open ques
ton. 1t began TO dawn upon him that
having found innocence II would serve
B. TO influence him in portraytng purity
He did not realize that for some time
! he had already been under this infiu.
. ence. He was flrst made aware Of II
by noticing in the face he was putting
on the canvas evidence that be was
on the way to realize hts ideal. he
was not so impractical AZ to suppose
that he would ever realize that ideal
for be we'll knew the fmpossibfiity o4
any such realization. He simply knew