Page 1016 - ANNA KARENINA

Anna Karenina

take from history a Socrates, a Franklin, a Charlotte
Corday, but not Christ. They take the very figure which
cannot be taken for their art, and then..’
‘And is it true that this Mihailov is in such poverty?’

asked Vronsky, thinking that, as a Russian Maecenas, it
was his duty to assist the artist regardless of whether the
picture were good or bad.
‘I should say not. He’s a remarkable portrait-painter.
Have you ever seen his portrait of Madame
Vassiltchikova? But I believe he doesn’t care about
painting any more portraits, and so very likely he is in
want. I maintain that..’
‘Couldn’t we ask him to paint a portrait of Anna
Arkadyevna?’ said Vronsky.
‘Why mine?’ said Anna. ‘After yours I don’t want
another portrait. Better have one of Annie’ (so she called
her baby girl). ‘Here she is,’ she added, looking out of the
window at the handsome Italian nurse, who was carrying
the child out into the garden, and immediately glancing
unnoticed at Vronsky. The handsome nurse, from whom
Vronsky was painting a head for his picture, was the one
hidden grief in Anna’s life. He painted with her as his
model, admired her beauty and medievalism, and Anna
dared not confess to herself that she was afraid of

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