Part Five: Chapter 13

by Leo Tolstoy

　　Mihailov sold Vronsky his picture, and agreed to paint aportrait of Anna. On the day fixed he came and began the work.

　　From the fifth sitting the portrait impressed everyone,especially Vronsky, not only by its resemblance, but by itscharacteristic beauty. It was strange how Mihailov could havediscovered just her characteristic beauty. "One needs to knowand love her as I have loved her to discover the very sweetestexpression of her soul," Vronsky thought, though it was only fromthis portrait that he had himself learned this sweetestexpression of her soul. But the expression was so true that he,and others too, fancied they had long known it.

　　"I have been struggling on for ever so long without doinganything," he said of his own portrait of her, "and he justlooked and painted it. That's where technique comes in."

　　"That will come," was the consoling reassurance given him byGolenishtchev, in whose view Vronsky had both talent, and whatwas most important, culture, giving him a wider outlook on art.Golenishtchev's faith in Vronsky's talent was propped up by hisown need of Vronsky's sympathy and approval for his own articlesand ideas, and he felt that the praise and support must bemutual.

　　In another man's house, and especially in Vronsky's palazzo,Mihailov was quite a different man from what he was in hisstudio. He behaved with hostile courtesy, as though he wereafraid of coming closer to people he did not respect. He calledVronsky "your excellency," and notwithstanding Anna's andVronsky's invitations, he would never stay to dinner, nor comeexcept for the sittings. Anna was even more friendly to him thanto other people, and was very grateful for her portrait. Vronskywas more than cordial with him, and was obviously interested toknow the artist's opinion of his picture. Golenishtchev neverlet slip an opportunity of instilling sound ideas about art intoMihailov. But Mihailov remained equally chilly to all of them.Anna was aware from his eyes that he liked looking at her, but heavoided conversation with her. Vronsky's talk about his paintinghe met with stubborn silence, and he was as stubbornly silentwhen he was shown Vronsky's picture. He was unmistakably boredby Golenishtchev's conversation, and he did not attempt to oppose

　　him.

　　Altogether Mihailov, with his reserved and disagreeable, as itwere, hostile attitude, was quite disliked by them as they got toknow him better; and they were glad when the sittings were over,and they were left with a magnificent portrait in theirpossession, and he gave up coming. Golenishtchev was the firstto give expression to an idea that had occurred to all of them,which was that Mihailov was simply jealous of Vronsky.

　　"Not envious, let us say, since he has talent; but it annoys himthat a wealthy man of the highest society, and a count, too (youknow they all detest a title), can, without any particulartrouble, do as well, if not better, than he who has devoted allhis life to it. And more than all, it's a question of culture,which he is without."

　　Vronsky defended Mihailov, but at the bottom of his heart hebelieved it, because in his view a man of a different, lowerworld would be sure to be envious.

　　Anna's portrait--the same subject painted from nature both by himand by Mihailov--ought to have shown Vronsky the differencebetween him and Mihailov; but he did not see it. Only afterMihailov's portrait was painted he left off painting his portraitof Anna, deciding that it was now not needed. His picture ofmedieval life he went on with. And he himself, andGolenishtchev, and still more Anna, thought it very good, becauseit was far more like the celebrated pictures they knew thanMihailov's picture.

　　Mihailov meanwhile, although Anna's portrait greatly fascinatedhim, was even more glad than they were when the sittings wereover, and he had no longer to listen to Golenishtchev'sdisquisitions upon art, and could forget about Vronsky'spainting. He knew that Vronsky could not be prevented fromamusing himself with painting; he knew that he and all dilettantihad a perfect right to paint what they liked, but it wasdistasteful to him. A man could not be prevented from makinghimself a big wax doll, and kissing it. But if the man were tocome with the doll and sit before a man in love, and begincaressing his doll as the lover caressed the woman he loved, itwould be distasteful to the lover. Just such a distastefulsensation was what Mihailov felt at the sight of Vronsky'spainting: he felt it both ludicrous and irritating, both pitiableand offensive.

　　Vronsky's interest in painting and the Middle Ages did not lastlong. He had enough taste for painting to be unable to finishhis picture. The picture came to a standstill. He was vaguelyaware that its defects, inconspicuous at first, would be glaringif he were to go on with it. The same experience befell him asGolenishtchev, who felt that he had nothing to say, andcontinually deceived himself with the theory that his idea wasnot yet mature, that he was working it out and collectingmaterials. This exasperated and tortured Golenishtchev, butVronsky was incapable of deceiving and torturing himself, andeven more incapable of exasperation. With his characteristicdecision, without explanation or apology, he simply ceasedworking at painting.

　　But without this occupation, the life of Vronsky and of Anna, whowondered at his loss of interest in it, struck them asintolerably tedious in an Italian town. The palazzo suddenlyseemed so obtrusively old and dirty, the spots on the curtains,the cracks in the floors, the broken plaster on the cornicesbecame so disagreeably obvious, and the everlasting sameness ofGolenishtchev, and the Italian professor and the German travelerbecame so wearisome, that they had to make some change. Theyresolved to go to Russia, to the country. In Petersburg Vronskyintended to arrange a partition of the land with his brother,while Anna meant to see her son. The summer they intended tospend on Vronsky's great family estate.