Alfred Stevens: Chevalier of the Legion of Honor

"The Artist and His Model" by Alfred Stevens

"In 1861 the jury for the Paris Salon wanted to award Alfred Stevens a medal of honor. Robert-Fleury went to see Stevens unofficially and told him that his subject matter was not worthy of his talents and that if he would change his genre they would award him with the medal. His reply was brief and to the point: 'You keep your medal and I'll keep my genre.' At this Salon a critic, Leon Lagrange, described his paintings as 'les poemes intimes d'Alfred Stevens' ['the intimate poems of Alfred Stevens'], an excellent and much quoted phrase. 

1863 saw the end of officialdom's hesitation - Stevens became Chevalier of the Legion of Honor. What would have pleased the artist above all were the words of the minister, Walewski, at the presentation - 'To gain an honor with the complete approval of your colleagues is to deserve it twice over.' The Belgian public shared, of course, the success of Stevens first hand and from events like the Brussels Salon of 1866 where 'La Dame en Rose' (bought by the Musees Royaux des Beaux-Arts) and 'La Visite' were exhibited. The latter was bought by King Leopold. There was no greater recommendation than that of royal patronage.

The aristocracy and the haute bourgeoisie followed their monarch's example. Alfred received a letter from his family telling him of the King's strong admiration for him and his wish for Alfred to remain Belgian. At a later date he even forbid Stevens to accept French citizenship. The tug of war went on right up to his funeral in 1906, when the Belgian Ambassador concluded his eulogy thus, 'France will keep your ashes and Belgium your immortality."

To be continued

(Excerpts from "Alfred Stevens" by Peter Mitchell.)