The Unfinished Portrait

By Neil Miley

The book is built around the relationships of leading artists and actors in London starting in the 1880s. The independent life of an unfinished portrait that is now in the collection of the National Portrait Gallery, London, becomes the story as the people that create it fade from popular memory.

Sarah Bernhardt, Henry Irving, Ellen Terry

• Language: English
• Publisher: Upside Down Inside Out Art
• Release date: Nov 27, 2020
• ISBN: 9780648967705

Neil Miley

Neil Miley is a practising artist, working in oil paint, graphite and clay sculpture. He brings his keen interest in the arts and history together in writing his novels. The novels are exhaustively researched to ensure an accurate period feel comes through to the reader. To be able to write authoritatively about the paintings in the novels Neil has visited France, England, Germany, Denmark, Italy, Austria, The Netherlands, Belgium, spending in total almost two years in Europe. Not to mention all the major collections of 19th-century paintings in Australia. Neil's hoped-for visit to Spain is unfortunately on indefinite hold due to COVID-19 and travel restriction from Australia. Since writing his first book in 2013 Neil has studied creative writing and expanded his knowledge of the period covered in his first book. The new Bastien-Lepage series is much more dialogue focussed than the early book that followed a narrative stream. Apart from novel writing, Neil is also involved in instructional design and delivery. At the end of the four novels in the Bastien-Lepage series, Neil will turn his attention to writing instructional books on Oil Painting.

Book preview

The Unfinished Portrait

By

Neil Miley

Upside Down Inside Out Art Publishing

Text copyright © 2020 Neil Miley

All Rights Reserved

ISBN: 978-0-6489677-1-2

First published 2020

Front Cover

NPG 1560

Sir Henry Irving

By  Jules Bastien-Lepage

Oil on canvas, 1880

43.2cm x 45.7cm

National Portrait Gallery London

Back Cover

RF2078

Portrait du Prince de Galles (study)

By Jules Bastien-Lepage

Oil on Panel

25cm x 28cm

Photo (C) RMN-Grand Palais (musée d'Orsay) / Adrien Didierjean

Contents

Preface

At the Gaiety

Stilton  and Madiera

The Walk to the Lyceum

Arrival at the Theatre

The Play

After the Performance

Irvings Entry

Terry’s Entry

Speaking of food and the Emperor

Fighting the Prussians

Stoker and the Sarah Portrait

Becoming a Realist

Discussing Tradition

The End of the Meal

The First Sitting at Henry Irving’s

The Second Sitting

Pursuing Irving for more Sittings

Return to London

Packing Up Townshend House

Packing Up at the Lyceum

Packing Up Chelsea

The Coming of Wars

The Long Peace and Tomorrow

Preface

The second of a series of novels tracing the life of the artist Jules Bastien-Lepage today a relatively unknown artist but in the latter half of the 19th century considered the leader of the Naturalist movement. The focus of the book is one portrait painted in mid-1880. That painting becomes the main character after the death of the artist and the subject.

The characters and the storyline are of equal importance in this novel. Without understanding the characters, the development of the portrait is just a technical line of action; this is never the case with a professionally executed portrait. The storyline is so dependent on the characters I’m not quite sure if it becomes evident before the last few pages of the book.

The action of the book takes place in London, most of the characters are new to the series but re-appear in books that are to follow. The characters are a collection of personalities that today would be called celebrities, Sarah Bernhardt, Bram Stoker, Henry Irving, Ellen Terry with lesser but no less important figures, August Libotton, Alphonse Legros, Jules Dalou, Edward Onslow Ford, Laurence Alma Tadema.

Much of the story comes from facts, but some essential areas for lack of information are constructs. For example, the presence of Alma Tadema as a translator for Bastien-Lepage is conjecture. The inclusion of Tadema allows me to bring out more of Henry Irving’s personality and his obsession with stage design.

The vast majority of the dialogue in the novel comes from imagination to show aspects of the character’s personalities. A small part comes from reminiscences by the notable characters and others. There are quotes from Bastien-Lepage, Ellen Terry, Sarah Bernhardt and Bram Stoker, with a smattering of secondary quotes of Henry Irving and Alma Tadema.

One very important point with this novel is that all the dialogue is written in English, even when the character is speaking French. To differentiate the French from English language dialogue, the French is in italics.

At the Gaiety

The three sit back from the edge of the stage box half-closing the red velvet curtain to hide from the theatre’s audience. "That wasn’t a commanding performance". The disappointment shows in Sarah Bernhardt’s golden-toned voice, her dark penetrating eyes exposing a glint of anger at her company’s poor performance.

A stout man in his late thirties leans back pressing into the Carmine upholstery of his Louise XV chair. "Well, it was a bit better than your collapse last night, Sarah. Throwing her head back a little to show her annoyance at the criticism Gustave Libotton, really I was exhausted from overwork, you can’t hold it against me."

The third member of the group, a younger blond-haired man with a wispy moustache leans forward, smiling broadly to appease Sarah. "Sarah Bernhardt, you hit the snuff somewhat too hard last night, you know it.  Conceding with a turn of her head, pursing lips and a cheeky expression Jules Bastien-Lepage you are not allowed to call me to account."

She removes a filigreed gold snuff-box from her handbag. In a louring voice, Sarah covers her addiction by inviting her friends into danger. "A little snuff gentlemen, we have a long night ahead of us. Her slender hand exposes the box glinting slyly in the rising light that marks the end of the performance. Libotton surely you won’t say no." The stout man sits forward, showing the palms of both hands to decline the offer.

"Tonight I’m presenting myself to Irving as a sensible man of great experience as a soloist musician. He is friends with a number of the men that I’m relying on to appoint me as the tutor at the Guild Hall Music School.  I have never been quite comfortable with the demands of constant performance, and this role is my ticket to a comfortable living doing what I love most." Libotton’s hands flow through the sentences as though working his violoncello; it is impossible to interrupt his sentences. Sarah would, of course, love to do so and moves forward in her seat to break in, but Libotton raises his hands to indicate she should sit back.

Jules not keen either is less capable of saying no to Sarah. "You know I dislike being unable to focus; I don’t want to give our hosts a bad impression this evening." He sits back to distance himself, extending his right arm to push the proffered snuff-box away, ensuring that his fingers rest lightly on Sarah’s hand. There is no resistance to his push, just a light smile of disappointment those wonderfully expressive wet eyes imploring his participation. Jules leans forward as if to admonish Sarah.

"No, you pushed it too far last night and had to be carried off the stage; fortunately, people just thought you were exhausted sitting back he continues let me be, we can enjoy the evening with Irving well enough. The eyes relenting Sarah takes a strong inhale of the snuff. Alright, but I may need to sniff more if the night goes on too long the actress throwing in a touch of drama to assert her independence from male dominance. Jules conceding his lack of influence, slumps in his chair, You know I have no command of you and love your independence as much as you do, sniff if you want by all means."

Libotton surprised "are you two lovers? You certainly have kept it quiet if you are. Poor Clarin must be most disappointed. Responding in unison no we are not lovers. Sarah, in a determined voice and Bastien-Lepage in a disappointed tone, turning his head to avoid looking at Sarah. Jules did ask for the keys but didn’t get them, I may have his heart but he not mine. What people see in that portrait is Jules love for me and my admiration for him," in a light-hearted almost dismissive sense of conquest.

Jules addressing Libotton continues in downcast light-heartedness. "My dear Libotton after 45 sittings with Sarah, one is bound to be completely consumed. You should watch yourself, or be smitten by the end of the evening. Sarah expresses herself in mock regret Poor Clarin is making a fortune out of being perhaps my lover, the orders for his paintings and illustrations have been pouring in since our book about the balloon flight. No need to feel sorry for him at all. He had a wonderful time in London last year, staying with me and my menagerie."

Sitting upright as though to take offence and directing her glance to Libotton "You don’t take my reputation seriously?? A long questioning pause, not quite long enough to be taken seriously I would be too busy to do any work." Feeling she has cleared Libotton’s assumptions, Sarah relaxes her pose and talks of the rest of the evening.

"Our next play is at the Lyceum, lightening her mood, Henry Irving