Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-06-13

ture and a patron of arts. 1t is said
that he took as his ideal the famous
Medicis of Florence. He did not
merely collect art. he studied it, and
he also studied music. Unlike most
American collectors, he was not con
tent to run about the world buying
old masters at fabulous prices, and
often getting the worst of the bar
gain. He was no mere patron of the
dead. He exercised his own judg-
ment and bought the work of con-
temporary artists who seemed to him
worth while. Thus he really rendered
aid when aid was needed, instead of
merely payinb homage to the ac-
knowledged great.
Also Befriended Artists
He not only bought the work OF
artists, but took them into his house
and befriended them. 1t is said that
a certain gifted musician was in
vited to stay over a rainy night at
his home, and stayed for three years.
Leyland would never turn away a
gifted man. In the same way, Whist
Ter became a frequent visitor at the
Leyland home, was engaged for a
time to Leyland's sister, and in fact
was described as the artistic tame
cat of the household, in the irrev-
erent slang of Bohemia. Leyland
bought much of Whistler's best work
when Whistler was an unknown and
struggling artist. Incidently, Whist
Ter painted many pictures of Lev
land and of members of his family.
Thus the enterprising collector was
immortalized by his protege. A full
length portrait of him hangs in the
Freer gallery, and it shows the pie
Woman's son as a tall digniiied, as
cettc-looking gentleman with a long
black beard and naughty yet sensi-
tive eyes. He had evidently realized
in his personal appearance some
thing of his ideal Of himself as a
modern Medici.
Leyland has a room in his house
where he kept a collection of rare
china. The walls were covered with
fine old leather. Whistler was en-
gagged first to decorate thee room
with some panels, and then, later
to touch up the old leather, which
seemed a little dingy by comparison
with his first work. He did the re
touching in Leyland's absence, and
violated his patrons instructions BY
completely covering the leather with
paint. He also, it is said took adj
vantage of his host by using his
house for public receptions. and
/ giving Leyland a great deal of pub
licity he did not want. The result
was that the two quarreled both
about the work and about the price.
Whistler is said to have satirized
Leyland in one OF the panels, which
represents n quarrel between a poor
peacock and a rich one.
All the decorations of this room
were bought by Freer and have beer
installed in a room in the gallery
specially built TO receive them. L
is a most interesting study in brown
and gold and blue, with two enor.
nous peacock panels. and over The
hearth a very large typical Whistler
portrait of a slim, beautiful girl. with
a great mass of black hair and
scarlet mouth, dressed in a Japanes,
kimono.
It is a strange and interesting
room. fun of the subtle, brillian
decorative talent of Whistler. ant
suggesting somehow, too, the stump
tuous, volupturian personality of tn,
pie-woman's son who became a mod
ern Medici. It is not a Dom wherl
you could be at home with p pip,
or a book. AS part of a great museum
it has doubtless found its prope.
place in the world.