an artist of the time made the pilgrimage； usually bringing along some friends。 And No。 One was widely discussed。
〃Sporadic newspaper publicity； the critical attention Debierue provoked in European art reviews； and word…ofmouth discussion of the exhibit； brought a steady stream of visitors to his gallery until May 25； 1925； when he sold his shop for the purpose of painting full time。
〃No。 One； naturally； was a picture that lent itself to varied； conflicting opinions。 The crack enclosed by the mount； for example； might've been on the wall before Debierue hung the frame over it…or else it was made on purpose by the artist。 This was a basic； if subjective； decision each critic had to make for himself。 The conclusions on this primary premise opened up two diametrically opposed lines of interpretive mentary。 The explicit versus the implicit meaning caused angry fluctuations in the press。 To hold any opinion meant that one had to see the picture for himself。 And the tiny gallery became a 'must see' for visiting foreign journalists and art scholars。
〃Most of the mentators concentrated their remarks on the jagged crack within the frame。 But there were a few who considered this point immaterial because the crack couldn't be moved if the frame were to be removed。 They were wrong。 A critic has to discuss what's there； not something that may be somewhere else。 And he never exhibited it anywhere else after he sold his shop。 The consensus； including the opinions of those who actually detested the picture； was an agreement that the crack represented the final and inevitable break between traditional academic art and the new art of the twentieth century。 In other words； No。 One ushered in what Harold Rosenberg has since called 'the tradition of the new。'
〃Freudian interpretations were popular； with the usual sexual connotations； but the sharpest splits were between the Dadaists and the Surrealists concerning the irrational aspects of the picture。 Most Surrealists （Bu？uel was an exception） held the opinion that Debierue had gone too far； feeling that he had reached a point of no return。 Dadaists； many of them angered over the use of a gilded baroque mounting； claimed that Debierue hadn't carried irrationality out far enough to make his point irrevocably meaningless。 Neither group denied the powerful impact of No。 One on the art of the times。
〃By 1925 Surrealism was no longer a potent art force… although it was revived in the thirties and rejuvenated in the early fifties。 And the remaining Dadaists in 1925； those who hadn't joined André Breton； were largely disorganized。 Nevertheless； Debierue's exhibit was still a strong attraction right up until the day it closed。 And it was popular enough with Americans to be included on two different guided tours of Paris offered by tourist agencies。
〃Once Nihilistic Surrealism became established as an independent art movement； Debierue was in demand as a speaker。 He turned these offers down； naturally…〃
〃Naturally？ Doesn't a speaker usually get paid？〃
〃Yes； and he would've been well paid。 But an artist doesn't put himself in a defensive position。 And that's what happens to a speaker。 A critic's supposed to speak。 He weles questions； because his job is to explain what the artist does。 The artist is untrained for this sort of thing； and all he does is weaken his position。 Some painters go around the country on lecture tours today； carrying racks of slides of their work； and they're an embarrassed； inarticulate lot。 The money's hard to turn down； I suppose； but in the end they defeat themselves and negate their work。 A creative artist has no place on the lecture platform； and that goes for poets and novelists； as well as painters。〃
〃So much for the Letters section of The New York Review of Books。〃
〃That's right。 At least for poets and novelists。 The nonfiction writer is entitled to lecture。 He started an argument on purpose when he wrote his book； and he has every right to defend it。 But the painter's work says what it has to say； and the critic interprets it for those who can't read it。〃
〃In that case； you're responsible to the artist as well as to the public。〃
〃I know。 That's what I've been talking about。 But it's a challenge； too； and that's why I'm so excited about interviewing Debierue。 When Debierue was preparing to leave Paris； following the closing of his shop and exhibit； he granted an interview to a reporter from Paris Soir。 He didn't say anything about his proposed work in progress； except to state that his painting was too private in meaning for either his intimate friends or the general public。 He had decided； he said； not to show any of his future work to the general public； nor to any art critic he considered unqualified to write intelligently about his painting。
〃For the 'qualified' critic； in other words； if not for the general public； the door was left ajar。
〃The villa on the Riviera had been an anonymous gift to the artist； and he had accepted it in the spirit in which it was offered。 No strings attached。 He wasn't well…to…do； but the sale of his Montmartre shop would take care of his expenses for several months。 The Paris Soir reporter then asked the obvious question。 'If you refuse to exhibit or to sell your paintings； how will you live？'
〃'That；' Debierue replied； 'isn't my concern。 An artist has too much work to do to worry about such matters。' With his mistress clinging to his arm； Debierue climbed into a waiting taxi and was off to the railroad station。
〃Perhaps it was the naivete of his reply that agitated an immediate concern among the painters he had known and befriended。 At any rate； an organization named Les Amis de Debierue was formed hastily； within the month following his departure from the city。 It's never disbanded。〃
〃There was an organization like that formed for T。 S。 Eliot； but it disbanded。 The purpose was to get Mr。 Eliot out of his job at the bank。〃
〃I know。 But Eliot took another job in publishing。 Debierue； so far as we know； never made another picture frame； except for his own work。 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 derogat