t I've read all； as far as I know； that's been written about him。 The scope is wide； but the viewpoint is narrow。
〃Only four other critics； all Europeans； have actually seen and written about his work at firsthand。 I'll be the first American critic to examine his work； and it'll be new； original painting that no one else has ever seen before。 For the first time in my critical career； I'll see the most recent Nihilistic Surrealistic paintings by the most famous artist in the world。 It wifi also be possible； afterward； for me to evaluate and pare my opinions with the critiques of those critics who've written about his earlier work。 I'll have a broad view of Debierue's growth…or possible retrogression…and historical support； or better yet； nonsupport； for my convictions。
〃The incidental factors that led to Debierue's fame during the course of contemporary art history are marvelous。 His silent； uphill fight against improbable odds appears； on the surface； to be effortless； but such was not the case。 Mass hostility is always omnipresent toward the new； especially in art。 Hundreds of books； as you know； have been filled with exegetical opinions about the Impressionists； Expressionists； Suprematists； Cubists； Futurists； Dadaists； and Surrealists of the early years of this century。 All of the major innovators have been examined in detail； but there were many other painters who received no recognition at all。 And there were smaller movements that were formed and then dissolved without being mentioned。 How many； no one knows。
〃But it was these minor movements that I was interested in during my year in Europe。 It was a way to earn a reputation； you see。 And if I could've pinned one of them down； one that got away； a movement that I could've written about and established as an important but overlooked movement in art history； I could've started my critical career immediately instead of teaching art survey courses to bored accountants at CCNY。
〃Paris seethed with new developments in art before； during； and after the First World War。 Hardly a day passed without a new group being formed； a new manifesto being drafted； followed by polemics； fistfights； dissolvements。
〃Three painters would meet in a café； argue affably among themselves until midnight； and decide to form their own little splinter group。 Then； as wine and arguments flowed for the remainder of the night as they scribbled away at a new manifesto； they detested each other by dawn。
〃White…faced with anger and lack of sleep； they'd march off to their studios in the nacreous light of morning； their new movement junked before it was begun。
〃A few of these lesser movements caught on； however； lasting for a few days or weeks after a scattered flurry of press publicity； but most of them died unheralded； unnoticed； for want of a second…or for no discernible reason。 The fortunate； well…publicized movements lasted long enough to influence enough imitators to gain solid niches in art history。 Cubism； for example； a term that pleased the reading public； was one of them。
〃Paris； of course； was the center of the vortex during the early twenties； but forays into new and exciting art expressions were by no means confined to France。
〃During my single year in France； as I tried to track down tangible evidence of these minor movements without success； my side trips to Brussels and Germany were even more tantalizing。
〃In Brussels； the Grimm Brothers； Hal and Hans； who called themselves 'The Grimmists；' spent months in dark mines collecting expressive lumps of coal。 These were exhibited as 'natural' sculptures on white satin pillows。 Within two days； however； shivering Belgians had pilfered these exposed lumps of coal； and the exhibit closed。 The Belgians are a practical people； and 1919 was a cold winter。 In their own way； the Brothers Grimm had originated 'Found' art…〃
〃James…when you say that you have no superego； or conscience； does that mean that you've never done anything bad； anything you've ever been sorry for； later？〃
〃Yeah。 Once。 There was an assistant professor I knew at Columbia； an anthropologist； whose wife died。 He had her cremated； and bought a beautiful five…hundred…dollar urn to keep her ashes in。 He used to keep the urn on his desk at home； as a memento mori。 Anthropologists； as you know； are pretty keen on ritual； burial ceremonies； and pottery… things of that nature。 His wife died of tuberculosis。
〃I never knew his first wife； but I met his second wife； who was one of his graduate students。 Men； like women； are usually attracted to the same type of person when they remarry…〃
〃That isn't true！ I've never known anyone like you before…〃
〃But then you've never been married； Berenice。 And I'm talking about a widower who married again。 His name doesn't matter to you； but it happened to be Dr。 Hank Goldhagen。 Anyway； his second wife； Claire； was also susceptible to respiratory infections。 Sometimes； when they got into an argument； Hank would point to the urn of ashes； and say； 'My first wife； in that urn； is a better woman and a better wife to me than you are； right now！'
〃What a terrible thing to say！〃
〃Isn't it？ I sometimes wonder what she said to him to provoke it。 But the marriage didn't last long。 Following a weekend skiing trip to New Hampshire； Claire developed lumbar pneumonia and died。 To save Hank money； I advised him to put Claire's ashes in the same expensive urn with his first wife。〃
〃But why 。 。 。 ？〃
〃There was ample room in the urn； and why not？ Did it make any sense to buy a second expensive urn？ And if he bought a cheaper one； that would've indicated to his friends that he thought less of Claire than he did of his first wife。 But my practical suggestion backfired。 Hank got so he was staring at the urn all the time brooding over and about the mixed ashes of these two women； and eventually he cracked up。 And because it was my fault； I felt bad about it for weeks。〃
〃That isn't a true story； is it？ Is it； James？
〃No； it isn't a true story。 I made it up to please you； because； it seems； you're a little old lady who likes stories。〃
〃No； I'm not…and I don't like stories like that！〃
〃I'm leading up to Debierue； and I promise you that it's much more interesting than the story of Dr。 Goldhagen's two wives。〃
〃I'm sorry I interrupted； James。 May I pour you another cup of coffee？〃
〃Please。 Let me tell you first about the Scatologieschul that was formed by Willy Büttner in Berlin； during the post…war years of German political art。 The Scatologieschul probably holds the European record for short…livedness。 It opened and closed in eight minutes flat。 Herr Büttner and his three defiant fellow exhibitors； together with their cretin model… who denied her obvious presence in every painting…were carted off to jail。 The paintings were confiscated； never to be seen by the public again。 According to rumor； these ostensibly pornographic paintings wound up in General Goering's private collection。 They're now believed to be in Russia； but no one really knows。 I couldn't find a single eyewitness who had seen the pictures； although a lot of people knew about the exhibit。 This was another frustrating experience for me in Europe。
〃By the early sixties the trail was too cold for valid； documentary evidence。 I was too late。 The European Depression and World War Two had destroyed the evidence。 I still feel that the critical neglect of these so…called minor movements may prove to be an incalculable loss to art history。 Then； as now； critics only choose a very small number of painters to be the representatives of their times。 And we only remember the names of those who e in first。 Any sports writer can recall that Jesse Owens was the fastest runner in the 1936 Olympics； but he won't remember the names of the second and third place runners who were only split seconds behind him。
〃Therefore； it's almost miraculous that Jacques Debierue was noticed at all。 When you think about the peculiar mixture of hope and disillusionment of the twenties； he seems to be the most unlikely candidate of all the artists of the time to be singled out for fame。 And he was studiedly indifferent to the press。
〃One painter； a true archetype； can hardly be said to constitute a movement； but Debierue rose above the Parisian art world like an extended middle finger。 Paris critics found it embarrassing to admit that none of them knew the exact date his one…man show opened。 The known details of the discovery of Debierue； and the impact of his influence on other painters； has been examined at some length by August Hauptmann in his monograph entitled Debienue。 This isn't a long book； not for the work of a German scholar； but it's a well…documented study of Debierue's original achievement。
〃There isn't any mass of published work on Debierue； as there is on Pablo Picasso； but Debierue's name crops up all the time in the biographies and autobiographies of other famous modern painters…usually in strange circumstances。 The frequent mention of his name isn't surprising。 Before Debierue was in the art world； he was of it。 Because he framed their paintings； he knew personally； and well； most of the other firsts of