Jervis McEntee Diaries

Tuesday April 22, 1873

Jervis McEntee Diary Entry, April 22, 1873, from the Jervis McEntee papers, 1850-1905, in the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution

Tuesday, April 22, 1873- Avery had a private view of all of his pictures on Wednesday evening last at the gallery 625 Broadway where he has sent them for private sale while he makes some alterations in his house. He asked me to send a picture and I let him have my "Kaatskill woods." It was a stormy evening but there were a good many people there. John Taylor Johnston was there and asked me to be sure to come to his reception on Wednesday. I said "perhaps so" for I did not intend to go. As we came away Avery told me that two people has asked him the price of my picture. Thursday I spent at Eastman Johnson's studio painting on the foreground of his "Sap Gathers." It was a dismal rainy day, the room got cold and I took cold. We had a delightful day together however and I think enjoyed ourselves much better than if we had gone to John Taylor Johnstons. We each have a grievance with Mr. Johnston. I will do him the justice to believe he did not intentionally mean to wound either of us, but I hold it a part of my duty to let him know that all the American Artists are not the selfish men he thinks them. I dare say he is shown many times the worst side of artistic life here in New York but it is his misfortune if not his fault if he cannot discriminate between true and false men. At least I choose not to put myself in positions where I am liable to be misunderstood. When I reached home I found that Church had been here and left tickets for Niblo's for the evening where we were to meet him and his wife, to my astonishment. I thought they only went to prayer meetings. We went and saw the Vokes family in a clever little farce called the Belles of the Kitchen. Friday I went up to Dr. Otis to be examined as a candidate for the Artists Fund Society. One of my teeth began to be sensitive and I came home and have been wretched with it ever since. Saturday night and Sunday I was down sick with it. Called the doctor on Sunday but it began to be easier. Today however, a rainy damp day it gives signs of renewed trouble. Saturday night Albert Crane gave us tickets for the last Philharmonic concert in which Rubinstein conducted his Ocean Symphony. I could not go, but Gifford dined with us and escorted Gertrude. I wrote a note to Avery yesterday that much as I regretted it I would take a thousand dollars for my picture rather than not sell it. Eastman Johnson came in today for a few minutes. He seems a little unsettled about the competitive sale of Mr. Moore's to come off but says he will not back out.

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