cwilleford.theburntorangeheresy-第13部分

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ork。　Les　Amis　held　its　first　fundraising　banquet　in　Paris；　and　through　this　continuing　activity　enough　money　was　collected　to　give　the　artist　a　small　annual　subsidy。　Other　donations　are　still　solicited　from　art　lovers　annually。　I've　been　giving　Les　Amis　de　Debierue　at　least　five　bucks　a　year　since　I　left　graduate　school。
　　〃During　World　War　Two；　the　Germans　let　Debierue　alone。　Thanks　to　two　critical　articles　that　had　linked　his　name　with　Nietzsche；　he　wasn't　considered　as　a　'degenerate'　French　artist。　And　apparently　they　didn't　discover　any　of　his　current　work　to　examine　for　'flaws。'
　　〃When　the　Riviera　was　liberated；　it　was　immediately　transformed　into　an　R　and　R　area　for　U。S。　troops；　and　he　was　soon　visited　by　art　students；　now　in　uniform；　who'd　read　about　him　in　college。　They　mentioned　him　in　their　letters　home；　and　it　didn't　take　long　for　American　art　groups　to　begin　a　fresh　flow　of　clothing；　food；　art　supplies；　and　money　to　his　Riviera　outpost。
　　〃Debierue　had　survived　two　world　wars；　and　a　dozen　ideological　battles。
　　〃The　first　three　reviews　of　Debierue's　Riviera　works；　with　a　nod　to　symbolisme；　are　self…explanatory。　'Fantasy；'　'Oblique；　and　'Rain'　are　the　names　given　to　his　first　three　'periods'…as　assigned　by　the　first　three　critics　who　were　allowed　to　examine　his　paintings。　The　fourth　period；　'Chironesque；'　is　so　hermetic　it　requires　some　amplification。〃
　　Berenice　nodded　in　assent。
　　〃A　paucity　of　scholastic　effort　was　put　into　the　examination　of　these　four　important　essays。　Little　has　been　published；　either　in　book　or　monograph　form　as　in…depth　studies　of　each　period…the　way　Picasso's　Rose　and　Blue　periods　have　been　covered。　This　is　understandable；　because　the　public　never　saw　any　of　these　pictures。
　　〃The　established　critic　prefers　to　examine　the　original　work；　or　at　least　colored　slides　of　that　work；　before　he　reaches　his　own　conclusions。　To　refute　or　to　agree　with　the　critic　who's　seen　the　work　puts　a　man　on　shaky　ground。　Each　new　article；　as　it　appeared；　however；　received　considerable　attention。　But　writers　were　chary　of　making　any　expanded　judgments　based　upon　the　descriptions　alone。〃
　　〃Yes；　I　can　understand　that。〃
　　〃This　general　tendency　didn't　hold　true　for　Louis　Galt's　essay；　'Debierue：　The　Chironesque　Period；　which　appeared　in　the　Summer；　1958；　The　Nonobjectivist。　It　was　reprinted　in　more　than　a　dozen　languages　and　art　journals。
　　〃Galt；　you　see；　was　known　as　an　avowed　purist　in　his　approach　to　nonobjective　art；　and　that's　why　he　published　his　article　in　The　Nonobjectivist　when　he　could've　had　it　published　by　Art　News　for　ten　times　as　much　money。　Galt　had　once　gone　so　far　as　to　call　Mondrian　a　'traitor'　in　print　when　the　Dutchman　gave　up　his　black…and…white　palette　to　experiment　with　color　in　his　linear　paintings。　I　didn't　agree　with　him　there；　but　he　made　some　telling　points。　But　with　so　many　able　critics　available；　all　of　them　anxious　to　see　Debierue's　post…World　War　Two　work；　it　was　considered　a　damned　shame　that　he'd　chosen　a　purist　who　would　only　look　at　the　new　work　from　a　prejudiced　viewpoint。
　　〃The　appellation　'Chironesque'　was　considered　as　a　derogatory　'literary'　term。　It　was　deeply　resented　by　Susan　Sontag；　who　said　so　in　The　Partisan　Review。　The　Galt　essay　wasn't；　in　all　fairness；　disrespectful；　but　Gait　stated　bluntly　that　Debierue　had　retrogressed。　He　claimed　that　'bicephalous　centaurlike　creatures'　were　clearly　visible　in　the　dozen　paintings　Debierue　had　shown　him。　And　this　forced　Gait　to　conclude　that　the　'master'　was　now　a　'teacher；'　and　that　didacticism　had　no　place　in　contemporary　art。　The　'purist'　view；　of　course。〃
　　〃Of　course。〃　Berenice　nodded。
　　〃At　any　rate…and　here　he　was　reaching　for　it…because　Chiron　the　centaur　was　the　mythical　teacher　of　Hercules；　and　other　Greek　heroes；　Gait　christened　the　period　'Chironesque：　This　was　a　cunning　allusion　to　the　classicism　Galt　detested；　elements　Galt　would've　considered　regressive　in　any　modern　painter。
　　〃Debierue；　of　course；　said　nothing。〃
　　Berenice　nodded　and　closed　her　eyes。
　　〃The　controversial　Galt　essay　was　well　timed。　It　rejuvenated　interest　in　the　old　painter；　and　the　'bicephalous　centaur…like　creatures；'　as　described　by　Gait；　made　the　new　work　resemble…or　appear　to　resemble…Abstract　Expressionism。　Some　wishful　thinking　was　going　on。　Nineteen　fifty…eight　wasn't　an　exciting　pictorial　year。　Except　for　a　handful　of　New　York　painters；　called　the　'Sidney　Janis　Painters；　after　their　dealer；　the　so…called　New　York　School　was　undergoing　a　transitional　phase。　And　Debierue　was　news；　of　course；　because　he'd　received　so　little　public　notice　in　recent　years。〃
　　Berenice　dropped　her　chin。　〃Uh　huh。〃
　　〃One　New　York　dealer　cabled　Debierue　an　offer　of　fifty　thousand　dollars　for　any　one　of　the　Chironesque　paintings；　sight　unseen。　Debierue　acknowledged　it　by　sending　back　a　blank　cablegram…with　just　his　type　signature。　The　dealer　took　advantage　of　the　publicity　by　blowing　up　a　copy　of　his　offer　and　Debierue's　reply　and　by　placing　the　photo　blowups　in　the　window　of　his　Fifty…seventh　Street　gallery。　Other　dealers；　who　aped　and　upped　the　original　offer；　didn't　receive　any　replies。
　　〃How　I'll　manage　it；　I　don't　know；　Berenice。　I　know　only　that　I'm　determined　to　be　the　first　critic　to　see　Debierue's　American　paintings；　and　I've　already　decided　to　call　it　his　'American　Period'！〃
　　But　I　was　talking　to　myself。　Berenice；　I　noticed；　with　some　irritation；　had　fallen　asleep。
　　
　　
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　　Despite　her　size；　and　she　was　a　large　woman；　Berenice；　curled　and　cramped　up　in　sleep；　looked　vulnerable　to　the　point　of　fragility。　Her　unreasonably　long　blond　lashes　swept　round　flushed　cheeks；　and　her　childish　face；　in　repose　and　without　makeup；　took　several　years　from　her　age。　Her　heavy　breasts　and　big　round　ass；　however；　exposed　now；　as　the　short　flimsy　nightgown　rode　high　above　her　hips；　were　incongruously　mature　in　contrast　with　her　innocent　face　and　tangled　Alice…in…Wonderland　hair。　As　I　examined　her；　with　squinty…eyed；　ambivalent　interest；　a　delicate　bubble　of　spit　formed　in　the　exact　center　of　her　bowed；　slightly　parted　lips。
　　Oh；　I　had　put　Berenice　to　sleep　all　right；　with　my　discursive　discussion　of　Jacques　Debierue。　With　an　impatient；　involuntary　yawn　of　my　own　I　wondered　how　much　she　had　understood　about　Debierue　before　she　had　drifted　off　pletely。　She　had　been　attentive；　of　course；　as　she　always　was　when　I　talked　to　her；　but　she　had　never　asked　a　serious　question。　Not　that　it　made　much　difference。　Berenice　had　a　minimal　interest　in　art…or　in　anything　that　bordered　on　abstract　thought…and　for　some　time　I　had　suspected　that　the　slight　interest　she　was　able　to　muster　occasionally　was　largely　feigned。　An　effort　to　please　me。
　　Except　for　her　adhesive　interest　in　me　as　a　person；　or　personality；　and　in　matching　sexual　frequencies；　I　wondered　if　anything　else　had　ever　stimulated　her　intellectually。　For　a　woman　who　had　majored　in　English；　and　taught　the　subject　（granted；　she　taught　on　a　high　school　level）；　she　was　surprisingly　low　on　insight　into　the　nature　of　literature。
　　No　one　could　accuse　her　of　being　well　read；　either。　Her　insights　into　literature　when　I　had；　on　occasion；　attempted　to　draw　her　out；　were　either　sophomoric　or　parroted　generalities　remembered　from　her　college　English　courses。　She　had　an　excellent　memory　for　plot　lines　and　the　names　of　characters；　but　for　little　else。
　　She　was　probably　a　poor　classroom　teacher；　I　decided。　She　had　such　a　lazy　good…natured　disposition　she　could　not　have　been　any　great　shakes　as　a　disciplinarian。　But　she　would　have　few　disciplinary　problems　in　a　city　like　Duluth；　where　teen…agers　were　polite　incipient　Republicans。　New　York　high　school　students　would　have　had　a　gentle　woman　like　Berenice　in　tears　within　minutes。
　　But　how　did　I　know？　I　didn't。　In　a　power　situation；　with　children；　she　might　inspire　terror；　fear；　and　trembling。　She　never　talked　about　her　work　and；　for　all　I　knew；　she　might　be　an　expert　in　grammar　and　a　veritable　hotshot　in　the　classroom。
　　The　persona　of　a　woman　in　love　is　highly　deceiving。
　　Did　she　feign　sentimentality　as　well　as　other　things？　She　cried　real　tears　one　night　when　Timmy　Fraser　sang　〃My　Funny　Valentine