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THE PORTRAIT.

It was during the following year at St. Jean de Luze that I painted the portrait of D'Annunzio which now belongs to the French government.

My Villa had a view extending for over the sea intersected by the long dark line of a breakwater. Huge waves dashed against this barrier and leaped high into foaming pinnacles in the air. What better symbol could there be for the portrait.

D'Annunzio thoroughly disliked posing, but, nevertheless, every morning at the exact time agreed upon, he would stand before me like a soldier at this post, his face expressing grim determination. Happily this expression would change during the work.

The painter in his collection of the many characteristics which mark his sitter must needs reveal himself.

I saw D'Annunzio as a "Lapidé", on exiled poet and, paradoxically, one who could seek with the same unholy vigour the superman, the demon or the lonely saint within him.

He had never thought to be painted in this deeper sense and at first he rebelled. "I can accept the mouth but not the eyes!" he exclaimed when he feared I was about to give to these the same anguished expression as I had given to the mouth. In point of fact I painted him exactly as had been intention from the first.

The Niobe seemed to have disappeared, or perhaps she was standing aside while I painted the portrait. My Villa was however bombarded with love letters from all directions and and some of these D'Annunzio would read aloud to me. So many  women were injured by the demonical side to this character but I well understood the sheer delight.