Preface
These Reminiscences, written in 1969, were originally
intended to remain among the papers of The Stillman-Lack Foundation,
to be brought out at some future time, when I would not be on
hand, and when family, friends and the public would be asking
for details about the life of Ary Stillman. However, recent
events have made me reconsider. For one thing, the story connected
with Ary's painting "The Kitchen" aroused much interest,
and a demand for more. Then a niece of Ary's wrote that, on
seeing some of Ary's paintings, her friends were eager to hear
about the artist. "Where shall I begin, Aunt Frances?"
she asked. Thereupon I decided that those who might be interested
in Ary Stillman should learn about him now, not at some future
date.
A word about the last chapter. These pages were originally included
in my 1952 European diary rather than in the Reminiscences.
However, they seem to me to be a necessary part of the whole
picture of Ary Stillman, perhaps the most important part of
all.
