Chapter 36

On the way back to Culoz, Jean, Ron and Bruce went over all the possibilities. Gertrude could have received the original and a copy, as ordered. She could have received two copies. They were in two different cities for the next 35 or so years.

Could Marevna have knowingly deceived them? Could she have kept the original. Did she still have it or was it sold.
"It could have been stolen and to save face, she delivered two copies, pretending one was the original," said Ron.
They thought that wouldn't have happened. So where was it? Where was Marevna?
Could it have been switched by someone at the museum in New York or during shipment?

"It was in my presence at all times," said Ron.

No Satisfying Answer

They couldn't find a satisfying answer.
Bruce thought. "Then there's the question of the red X. Since there were two paintings that were possibly not inclusive of the original and one had the red symbol, the inspectors began to lean towards the deception theory. It had to be perpetrated by someone who knew Gertrude's identification mark and what it signified; someone who knew it was placed there to guarantee the original's authenticity. That meant the identification mark had to be on one painting only. That had to be the copier.

"Or the person who was involved with the copyist," said Jean.
Bruce made a list. "Marevna herself…possibly."
"Diego Rivera," from Picasso. "Possibly."
"Robert Haas?" asked Bruce. "I doubt it. But…"

Later, the detectives discussed the option that Pablo himself could be making a mistake. After all, he was getting on in years and had just undergone major surgery. It was however a weak argument, they agreed. They went over every possibility, again and again, The tensions were high. Bruce would have to report his findings to the Met board. It was a call he was not looking forward to.

When it was received, Robert Owens was not amused. He recorded Bruce's call and played it back, many times.

Arriving on an Air Canada Flight in the Morning

The meeting was in Director Owen's office. I had arrived that morning on an Air Canada flight. I knew little about Bruce and Jean's investigation except that there was a problem, and I might be able to lend some light on what was going on. It concerned an event from the past and I may be fuzzy about that meeting too. But it was a nervous day for the museum people and myself. I was met at Kennedy and rushed to the museum.

Director Owen introduced me to Betty Curry, Dr. Michaud, Caroline Shaw and Ron Hellstrom. I knew Jean as a small boy and met Bruce for the first time.

It was a formal meeting and even though the stakes were high, I was surprised at the level of professionalism, decorum and total dedication to art that was displayed that morning. These people were Pros. There was no question about it. You could feel the tension in the air.

Piecing Together What Each Person Knew

We started by having each person tell what they knew or found out about the painting. Owen expressed disappointment that Picasso himself had declined their invitation and I was called on last. It was like a grilling:

Did you ever watch Marevna copying the painting?
Did anyone else know about what she was doing?
Did I consider Marevna to be honest or, perhaps, an opportunist?

Was she a big spender?
What was her relationship with other painters? With Rivera?
Where was she now?
Where was her daughter?
Had I heard from Diego since he left Paris?
What could I add to the theories?

I went over everything I knew I could remember. We talked for two hours and learned nothing new. We were asked to return the next day. Perhaps someone might get an idea based on what we already knew and discussed.

Dinner at the Russian Tearoom with Bruce

That night, Bruce and I had dinner at the Russian Tearoom. The talk was still about the painting.

"How well did you know Marevna?" he asked.
"We were actually good friends, as well as neighbors. It was I who introduced her to Gertrude. As gratitude, Gertrude bought one of my paintings and hung it. The rest is history."
"Yes," said Bruce. "She could do that."
"She did it for Picasso," I added. "But I suppose he would have been discovered soon enough on his own."

"But if she didn't know him, the portrait would never have been painted," he suggested.

"And we wouldn't be sitting here now," I thought, out loud.
I though back to Picasso's work at that time. "You know," I started. "I've always had a theory about that relationship. I think the idea for cubism really came from Gertrude Stein. She was a genius with words. During the sittings for her portrait, they talked about all sorts of things. But over eighty sittings is a long time and ideas can germinate. One carries around new ideas while they percolate.

"She explained her theory of words and how it is important how each is put down on paper. Words make sounds in combination with the words they are placed next to. Meaning is secondary to sound. It was, she told me, from the work of Cezanne that she developed the idea. Cezanne called it architecture or structure.

"Each part is as important as the whole. Each piece of a painting, or each word, must stand by itself. Each is as important as the whole. It works in writing and it works in art.

"We know that Picasso aborted the portrait after all those sittings. According to Gertrude, he was confused. He looked but he was confused. He set aside the painting and went off to Spain. There, he saw village rooftops which were squares, rectangles and so on. He saw those shapes at the Trocodero where he examined the African masks. He saw the geometrical faceting in the primitive faces. He returned to Paris and painted in Gertrude's face from memory. I looked at that painting often. The area around the eyes is pure cubism."

"That is fascinating," said Bruce. "But what of Les Demoiselles d'Avignan? Everybody says that's the first Cubist painting."
"No, I think not," I replied. I really think that Cubism first existed in the face of Gertrude Stein."

Why Diego Rivera Left Marevna and Paris So Suddenly

The conversation changed and Bruce asked, " Why do you think Diego Rivera left Marevna and Paris so suddenly?"

I told him of our conversation when he told me Marevna was pregnant and he had to go home because his father was dying."
"Was that true?" he asked.
"Apparently," I replied. "But once he got home, he lost interest in Marevna and his daughter. He married and became very successful. Marevna didn't even see him off. It was a bitter separation. She had really been in love with him and the fact that she was pregnant and feeling deserted…"

He interrupted. "Could he have had anything to do with the missing painting?" I

"I only mention it because she did have the original. He knew that and could have convinced her to give it to him since she loved him."
Then he asked, "If he took it with him to Mexico, nobody would be the wiser. When did you see him last?"

Recalling Caresse and Crosby Purchasing a Painting

I thought back, "He did come to say good-bye to me. I remember because that was the night that Caresse and Harry Crosby came to buy a painting of mine. They paid more than it was worth, but they could afford it."

"Did they know Diego?"

I shook my head. "They may have met since they bought one or two pieces from Marevna. But they were certainly not friends."
"So the Crosbys had been in Marevna's apartment."
"Yes," I thought. "They could have been there, I suppose."
"They did arrive at my place later that same night. I remember because they arrived so late. I was annoyed at the time but Harry was always late. He was an odd man; sort of a mystic."

As I remembered, I was Harry in my mind's eye and I heard his best Boston accent. "I am a visionary," he said. "I like to soar."
"What happened to Caresse after Harry died?"
"Last I heard, she had moved to Virginia. She likes restoring old buildings. I haven't heard from her."

Bruce spoke. "I doubt if she knows anything. Harry has been dead since 1929."
"Yes. It was all so long ago," I suggested.
"Still," said Bruce, "It might be a good idea to talk to Rivera. I assume he's still in Mexico,"
I nodded.

The dinner was over. With a cigar and a chilled glass of special Vodka we talked about the passing years. Two people from different worlds caught up in a mystery and talking in a Manhattan restaurant surrounded by shining samovars from still another corner of the world.

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