Девять рассказов
De Daumier-Smith’s Blue Period
Itadvisedallqualifiedinstructors—itasmuchassaid,infact,thatitcouldn’tadvisethemfortenwntenough—toapplyimmediatelyforemploymentatthenewest,mostprogressive,correspondenceartschoolinCanada.Candidateinstructors,itstipulated,weretohaveafluentknowledgeofboththeFrenchandEnglishlanguages,andonlythoseoftemperatehabitsandunquestionablecharacterneedapply.ThesummersessionatLesAmisDesVieuxMaitreswasofficiallytoopenon10June.Samplesofwork,itsaid,shouldrepresentboththeacademicandcommercialfieldsofart,andweretobesubmittedtoMonsieurI.Yoshoto,directeur,formerlyoftheImperialAcademyofFineArts,Tokyo.
Instantly,feelingalmostinsupportablyqualified,IgotoutBobby’sHermes-Babytypewriterfromunderhisbedandwrote,inFrench,along,intemperatelettertoM.Yoshoto—cuttingallmymorningclassesattheartschoolonLexingtonAvenuetodoit.Myopeningparagraphransomethreepages,andverynearlysmoked.IsaidIwastwenty-nineandagreat-nephewofHonoreDaumier.IsaidIhadjustleftmysmallestateintheSouthofFrance,followingthedeathofmywife,tocometoAmericatostay—temporarily,Imadeitclear—withaninvalidrelative.Ihadbeenpainting,Isaid,sinceearlychildhood,butthat,followingtheadviceofPabloPicasso,whowasoneoftheoldestanddearestfriendsofmyparents,Ihadneverexhibited.
