Saturday, Dec 29, 1883 The weather has moderated a little but it is still cold. Bought some crape this morning and painted the mourning emblems on the bee hives in my picture. I think it is about done now. Began Reichardts second picture and made good progress on it. In the evening I went to the Century. The first thing I encountered on entering the cloak room was Lawrence preparing to take Thompson home who was so intoxicated he could hardly speak. Poor fellow. I hear is in this condition the most of the time. I should not be surprised to hear of his death at any time. There was an exhibition of foreign pictures this evening, belonging to members of the Club. Some of them poor enough. There were two of Alma Tademas, one of them charming, two figures seated on a marble bench with the blue sea in the background. I saw for the first time one of Herkomers portraits. It was simply outrageous in its slovenliness and Eastman remarked while we were looking at it "The man who will take twenty five hundred dollars for such work is a robber" and I added "The man who pays it is a fool." Avery was there and he came grinning up to where Eastman and I were standing before Alma Tademas picture, as he always takes occasion to do knowing full well how odious he is to me, but I left him abruptly as I always do, bidding Eastman good night and not noticing him. Brayton Ives had a small landscape there by Rousseau which I understood he paid $7,000 for. It was good enough but not striking in any particular and a half dozen of our artists might have done it as well. Eastman cannot go home with me tomorrow as he is going to Philadelphia today.
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