Le Roi des Fleurs—A Citizen of the Republic [pp. 234-236]

Overland Monthly
De Longpr6's proper title is Marquis
Paul Mancherat de Longpr6, closely related to the ducal houses of De Luynes and
De Chevreuse, and descendant of the celebrated statesman, the Marquis de Mesmes.
His father was a painter, and his two
brothers, one older and the other younger,
are also artists. De Longpr6 disclaims any
attention because of his almost' royal lineage; but he cannot deny that a love of
the beautiful and of art and of flowers is
handed down from father to son and from
generation to generation. Contrary to the
usual physique of the average Frenchman,
De Longpr6 stands six feet, and it is six
feet of humanity full of love and indulgence for his fellow man. He has created
an atmosphere of good will about him
that is blown from his beautiful flower
creations, and it seems as if nothing could
ruffle his happy composure. His attainments run also in the direction of music,
and while he works away with his brush
the air is burdened with snatches of song
from Verdi or Wagner, for his taste is cosmopolitan.
"I am and shall always remain," he
says, "a plain American citizen, and I
believe this should be the proudest boast
of any resident in this broad and beautiful
land."
Since coming to California he has had
reason to congratulate himself more than
once upon his selection of the land of sunshine and flowers as his permanent residence. He has reveled in the field-flowers,
the royal rose, the exotic orchid, the delicate sprays of fruit-blossoms, the ordinary,
daisy, the Black-eyed Susan, the chrysanthemum, the lilac, the clematis, the
poppy, and even the common clover, as
shown in harmonious arrangement in his
informal compositions, never stilted and
never lacking in originality. Moreover,
they stand forth from the surface of the
paper in such a fashion as to render it
necessary to exercise a certain degree of
self-restraint in order not to extend the
hand to pluck them.
"He is a botanist, not a painter."
I wish I could show the signed state
ment of Bonnat, Bougereau, and G6rome
to my friend the critic. These gentlemen
when consulted by the Minister of Fine
Arts upon the subject, declared in writing, "Les compositions de fleurs de Paul
de Longpr6, sont hors ligne, et sont appel6es un tres grand succ6s. On ne saurait
trop en faire l'loge."* I can do no better
with this short sketch of my friend and
his works than close with this signet
stamnp of the highest of approval from
those judges who sit upon the ultimate
throne of Art.
*The compositions ill flowers, by Paul de Lougpr6
are above criticism, and are known as a great success
One cannot praise them too highly.
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