FAMOUS PAINTER'S DILEMMA

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23618, 30 March 1940, Page 8 (Supplement)

FAMOUS PAINTER'S DILEMMA

SIR JOHN L AVERY has written his autobiography under the title of "The Life of a Painter" (Cassell). The volume is embellished with 80 reproductions of his paintings, which Sir John selected himself as typical of his best work, and many will welcome the book for this fact alone. Sir John, however, tells one story which shows that the "sitter" does not always agree with the painter as to merit—the incident took place on his visit to America.

"A man wanted his wile painted," writes Sir John, "but he was not familiar with my work, having only seen a reproduction of a portrait in a magazine. He liked my style, what was my fee, would I come south and paint her? Unfortunately, 1 could not spare the time to visit him, but if his wife would come to New York, I would paint her. Conditions Stipulated "He accepted my terms, but wrote that she would come on condition that if he did not like the portrait I would accept one-quarter of my fee and keep the work. If he liked it, he would pay

ft quarter more. She would give nie two sittings a day for a week. "They came, and it turned out that they were newly married. She was young and beautiful, and in three days I did a most, successful portrait. They were both delighted, but I still had three more days to spare, and 1 thought 1 had better go one better and make a masterpiece of it. The next day it did not go so well, and on the l'ollowing day 1 saw that i was spoiling it. but they still liked it. On the last day I was desperate, and utterly ruined it as a work of art. I did not know what to do when he handed me a cheque for a half more than had been agreed on.

Not Impressed "T ran into the next room and told Hazel, who at once said, 'Don't show you are not satisfied with it, they would be terribly disappointed. Accept the cheque and say you would like to paint another portrait and give them their choice.' "She was so beautiful that this was quite true. It pleased them very much, and they arranged to come to New York the following winter, when I painted a picture I was not ashamed of. They did not like it, and with some reluctance agreed to accept it as a gift, telling me that the longer they lived with the first the more wonderful they found it."