by Carol Moore

Illustrated by Michael S. Weber

Learn more about art, artists and art techniques mentioned in this story, or
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Monsieur Signy l'Abbaye was a master artist in his
day, who in 139 was ready to retire. !t was the month o"
May. #ut $uiliano #artoli, a rich !talian %atron, sent "or
him saying, &!'d like a %ortrait o" mysel" on my banquet
room wall. 'ould you %aint it( !t's ) "eet tall.&
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'ontem%lating this request, Monsieur l'Abbaye shook
his head. &!'m ready to retire, so !'m not a*ailable "or hire.
!'m sorry. ! sim%ly can't %aint your %ortrait.& #ut seeing
the disa%%ointment in Senior #artoli's eyes, he continued,
&+ell, there's a %ossibility i" you can "ind it in your heart to
allow me to e,%lore the limits o" my abilities. -ot "or
money mind you, but "or "ood and a bed instead.
.urthermore, you need not e*en %ose because my
memory's e,cellent. Already ! can see your %ortrait and
how to deri*e it. #ut ! insist, Senior
#artoli, while ! work your %ortrait
stays %ri*ate // e*en "rom you0&
1his is strange, thought the %atron,
but he also thought about how highly
the artist had been recommended. &2"
course,& he said &Anything you wish, but ! insist u%on
%aying you at least something "or your e""ort. Let's draw
u% a contract.&
-ow a glint came to Monsieur l'Abbaye's eyes as he
ga3ed u%on that )/"oot wall and thought o" all that s%ace,
such a wonder"ul %lace "or schemes and things to gi*e
imagination wings. #ecause, unknown to Senior #artoli, or
anyone else "or that matter, "or all o" his career 4which was
56 years7 Monsieur L'Abbaye had yearned to %aint in his
own way. And what way was that( 'ertainly not the style
o" #y3antine or o" 8roto/9enaissance. -o. Monsieur Signy
l'Abbaye had hungered to break "ree o" restraints. #ut the
guild, his cra"t and li*elihood, would ne*er ha*e allowed it
so he "ollowed their rules although ne*er %roud o" it. 2"
course he didn't re*eal this to Senior #artoli.
Signing the contract, they sealed the agreement.
!mmediately the master artist threw a high curtain in
"ront o" the wall, a curtain through which Senior #artoli
couldn't see at all. :e tried to %eek, but Monsieur l'Abbaye
insisted on total %ri*acy "or his artistic techniques.
A week %assed. &:ow is it coming(& asked the ho%e"ul
Senior #artoli.
Answering him "rom behind the curtain, Monsieur
l'Abbaye said, &!t's coming quite well. ;ou know, at the age
o" eight ! was a%%rentice to the great Ambrogio Loren3etti.
! could ne*er dishonor his name. :e taught me the art o"
grinding %igment, laying %laster, sometimes slowly,
sometimes "aster. :e taught me how to draw and, most
im%ortant, not to hurry. My training was rigorous and
a"ter certi"ication e*en more *igorous. Senior #artoli, a
master%iece... takes a while at least.&
9eluctantly, Senior #artoli
withdrew.
A month %assed. &:ow is it
coming(& Senior #artoli asked.
&!t's coming well,& said Monsieur l'Abbaye, again "rom
behind the curtain. Along with his words came the strange
sounds o" swooshing, clanking and sla%%ing. &;ou know
you're "ortunate it's ! %ainting your %ortrait. 2nly buon
"resco will do. !t's "our coats o" lime %laster. .irst layer the
trullisatio, "ollowed by the arriccio, then the anenato and
"inally the intonaco not to mention the %art where ! draw.
#ut it's the best %laster %rocess ! e*er saw. Senior #artoli,
it will last "ore*er, but alas, it's a time/consuming
endea*or.&
Sighing dee%ly, the %atron again withdrew. <ust how
long would this take( +ho knew(
Another three, "our months %assed and "inally hal" a
year went by. Senior #artoli, the %atron, marched in
demanding o" Monsieur l'Abbaye, the master artist, to see
his %ortrait, &;ou must be "inished by now and today ! will
see it0& he shouted, shaking with "rustration.
Ste%%ing "rom behind the cloth as though sur%rised by
such anger, Monsieur l'Abbaye said calmly. &1hat's "ine.
;ou needed only to request it.& And he %ulled aside the )/
"oot curtain.
$uiliano #artoli stood "or a minute and then his mouth
"ell o%en, his eyes turned red and he grabbed what "ew
hairs he had le"t on his head. :e did a little ho%, and then
a twitch, and his eyebrows contorted as though bewitched.
$uiliano #artoli ob*iously did not like his %ortrait, not a
bit. $uiliano #artoli threw a "it.
&:ow absurd, how obscene. +hat does this mean(
;ou'll not recei*e one .lorine, do you hear( ;ou're not an
artist, maybe a thie" or a madman. $et out o" my sight0
;ou'll lea*e my house tonight or !'ll throw you out0&
So what had Monsieur l'Abbaye drawn that was wrong(
:e couldn't see it, he'd "ussed and "i,ed "or so long. !t was
his master%iece. :e wasn't sorry, no, not at all, that he had
drawn to his heart's content "or ) "eet tall. -o matter
what anybody could say, Monsieur Signy l'Abbaye had
drawn it his way. 8erha%s his %atron couldn't tolerate his
obsession with cubist e,%ression, but 8icasso would ha*e
been %roud.
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!" truth be told Monsieur l'Abbaye wasn't cra3y, surely.
:e'd sim%ly been born 6)) years too early0