The Gentle Art of Making Enemies Part 47

"Mr. Ruskin's whole body of doctrine, from the very young days, in which he took the duty of teacher, on to his old age, was contradicted by Mr. Whistler's pictures."--_Merrie England._

"In painting, his success is infrequent, and it is limited.

"In painting, Mr. Whistler is an impressionist. His best painting betrays something of that almost modern sensitiveness to pleasurable juxtapositions of delicate colour which we admire in Orchardson, in Linton (_sic!_), and in Albert Moore; it betrays, sometimes, as in a portrait of Miss Alexander, a deftness of brushwork in the wave of a feather, in the curve of a hat ... and of high art qualities it betrays not much besides.

"It is true that the originality of his painted work is somewhat apt to be dependent on the innocent error that confuses the beginning with the end, accepts the intention for the execution, and exalts an adroit sketch into the rank of a permanent picture."

_F. Wedmore, "Four Masters of Etching."_

"I think Mr. Whistler had great powers at first, which he has not since justified."

_Mr. Jones, R.A.

Evidence in Court, Nov. 16, 1878._

"The right time and the right place for the conspicuousness of an Impressionist were undoubtedly England, and the moment when Mr.

Whistler rose up and astonished her.

"In Paris he was one of many, though he would be at peace in France, that peace would not be unattended with a certain comparative obscurity.

"Inconspicuous solitude would not have had the same charms for him."--_Merrie England._

"Au musee du Luxembourg, vient d'etre place, de M. WHISTLER, le splendide _Portrait de Mme Whistler mere_, une oeuvre destinee a l'eternite des admirations, une oeuvre sur laquelle la consecration des siecles semble avoir mis la patine d'un Rembrandt, d'un t.i.tien ou d'un Velasquez."--_Chronique des Beaux-Arts._

MORAL.

"Modern _British_ (!) art will now be represented in the National Gallery of the Luxembourg by one of the finest paintings due to the brush of an _English_ (!) artist, namely, Mr. Whistler's portrait of his mother."--_Ill.u.s.trated London News._

[Ill.u.s.tration]

_A Zealous Inquirer_

"A brown-paper covered catalogue ... compiled by Mr. Whistler....

[Sidenote: _The World_, Mar. 23, 1892.]

"Several opinions (and his 'evidence at Westminster') are quoted of 'Mr Jones, R.A.,' in the year 1878. Who is Mr. Jones, R.A.? Mr. Jones, R.A. (of whom the Duke of Wellington--but no matter...), died in 1869.

Mr Burne-Jones was not elected an A.R.A. until 1885. I am afraid I expose myself, but I still venture to ask, who is 'Mr Jones, R.A.'?"

_Final Acknowledgments_

[Sidenote: _The World_, Mar. 30, 1892.]

Atlas,--Your correspondent proposes that "Mr. Jones, R.A." is not R.A.--but _A._R.A.

_You_ know these things, Atlas--perhaps he is right, and curiously microscopic--for surely here we have "a difference without a distinction!"

However, R.A. or A.R.A., and, in my opinion he deserves to be both, I personally owe Mr. Jones a friendly grat.i.tude which I am pleased to acknowledge; for rare indeed is the courage with which, on the first public occasion, he sacrificed himself, in the face of all-astounded etiquette, and future possible ridicule, in order to help write the history of another.

These things we like to remember, Atlas, you and I--the bright things, the droll things, the charming things of this pleasant life--and here, too, in this lovely land they are understood--and keenly appreciated.

As to those others--alas! I am afraid we have done with them. It was our amus.e.m.e.nt to convict--they thought we cared to convince!

_Allons!_ They have served our wicked purpose--Atlas, we "collect" no more.

"_Autres gens, autres moeurs._"

PARIS, _March 26, 1892_.

_FINIS_