Last night at Madison Square Garden for the an exhibition match between Roger Federer and Pete Sampras. Federer emerged victorious by winning the third set tiebreaker. 8:45 PM. Photo: JH.

Last night in New York. Cold and nippy and only a week and a half till the first day of Spring. And what do you think they were talking about? The governor of course. Not much sympathy for him from the little I heard. Very much sympathy for his wife and his daughters. I am acquainted with Mrs. Spitzer. She’s a Southern girl, a very nice woman, not shy but with a sunny reserve, who after undergraduate, went to law school, graduated at the top of her class and became a lawyer with Skadden Arps. And then a wife and a mother. Unlike a lot of people you meet in public life, Silda has a very unassuming presence. Some would call it grace. We met through a school chum of hers, Marcia Vickers, an editor at Fortune Magazine. Theirs is now an old friendship. That tells you a lot about both women. Governor Spitzer and Silda Wall Spitzer NYSD readers might recall some of our lunches at Michael’s, discussing the organization Silda founded a few years ago called Children For Children, which was designed to teach children how to be helpful to other children and therefore, in a very real way, take charge of their lives. She started it with her own children and found the results were remarkable. She learned that children who are taught to give tend like the experience, tend to learn to take leadership in helping others. I was so impressed by her programs and her results, that I had scheduled a luncheon which I was hosting in her honor to introduce her to other women whose work and interest focus on children, children’s issues and the road to a successful life. That luncheon was supposed to take place today at “21.” We postponed. Mrs. Spitzer needs all the time to herself and her family. Their present situation makes me very sad. I do not feel sorry, per se, because I know they are both strong intelligent people (despite what appears to be his very unintelligent extra-curricular activities) and they will find a way to recover and to lead useful lives. For that is their way. Generally speaking. But it makes me sad for both and for different reasons. An honest, earnest, kind and thoughtful, hard working woman, wife and mother. Put yourself in her position. You can feel the sadness. And for him, whom I have met but only to be introduced, but who we know is a hardworking man, and dedicated. Who knows how he will survive this; it will be difficult no matter. Put yourself in his position. Try. Most of us know about it in one way or another. Others feel it was a crime on his part. I know there are laws about these things. There are laws about people driving cars while talking on their cell phones too. Many people are seriously injured and even killed everyday by people who are not obeying that law. People who know better do it. Because they want to. As far as the governor’s private activity is concerned, I am the son of a man who had two wives and two families at the same time, unbeknownst to the other. I discovered this reality when I was 24 years old, having grown up in my father’s house. Neither family, from what I can gather, knew. Both families suffered, and in different ways. It was difficult for me to understand how this all happened, and how he was able to keep such an enormous secret. And why.  Why he did it.

Maggie Jones, Silda Wall Spitzer, DPC, and Marcia Vickers

I’m not 24 anymore, obviously. And I don’t know to this day why my father did it, nor how  he was able to live with himself. But he did and he was able to live with himself, although it was rough going, as a child living with that. Long after 24 and being a man, I am able to consider the possibilities of why. Sex. Sex which leads to all kinds of situations, activities, pleasures, pains and sometimes eventually, although not very often, wisdom. My father lived into his 74th year. I don’t think he gained wisdom from it. Regrets, I have no doubt; and remorse too, somewhere in there. I have concluded that he loved the children of his first family (I was in the second) with more affection and pleasure than he loved us. I think we all came away thinking he didn’t actually love us. I doubt he actually felt that way himself; it’s just the way it felt for us. So when I consider the matters of Governor Spitzer and his wife and his children, I think of my own father and his life. And my life. Despite the difficulties, from this vantage point, I believe he meant no harm to anyone. There was something that “led him into temptation.” And he went there. Like so many of the rest of us. I don’t see it as a crime. He did not murder, or steal, or swindle you out of your property. I see it as a terrible misfortune, and perhaps a lesson. Life is lessons. Whether or not we learn them. In this case, the lesson might be: don’t go there, or: try to avoid at all costs. Or you may very well pay all costs. Maria Cooper and Byron Janis Last night in New York, as I was saying. Last night at Lincoln Center in The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, the now legendary piano virtuoso, Byron Janis performed a concert “An Evening of Song with Pianist as Composer, With a Touch of Chopin.” The concert featured special guests Robert Cuccioli, Shuler Hensley, Karen Mason, Sami Gayle, Maya Days and Joanne Lessner. Mr. Janis’ repertoire included his own works and a few selections by Chopin. This is Byron Janis’ 80th year. He began as a child prodigy at age 9. In 1984 he marked his 40th anniversary of his Carnegie Hall debut with a celebration given for him by President and Mrs. Reagan with a State Dinner at the White House. The artist and his wife Maria are marking this new milestone with more celebrations of the music he has loved all his life. I talked to Mr. Janis a couple of Saturdays ago when I  had to call his wife and he answered (she was out). He told me she’d called me about his upcoming anniversary. “I’m going to be 80,” he said with a slight chuckle, as if the whole thing came as a surprise. It made me laugh too, being quite a bit younger and taking age so solemnly. Surprise or not he plans to use this time in his life the way he’s used it in the past -- to make more use of his talent and his time. And our pleasure. Last night was also the night of dinners for The Women’s Campaign Forum (WCF). I’ve written about this in years past. The dinners are held in various people’s apartments and houses. There are usually two or three women candidates from different parts of the country. They talk about their experiences and their work. These women are generally very impressive because they have the thoroughness of a responsible woman. Maybe some of us could call it the ideal mother. Whatever, either party, I found them all impressive. The Women’s Campaign Forum support women candidates who are pro-choice. Women taking charge of their own lives. The moneys raised at these annual dinners is used to contribute to the campaign coffers of these women candidates, and others too. The offices they seeking run from the most local to the Congress. They also promote more participation of women in Cabinet positions both statewide and federal.

Bruce and Dr. Kathryn Beal

Hostess Julie Menin and Sarah Brown

Nazee Moinian

Roger Friedman and Norah Lawlor

Sohaila Adelipour

Women gained the right to vote in Federal Elections less than a century ago. Warren G. Harding was the first President elected with part of the women’s vote. His wife Florence was the first woman to vote for her husband as President, and consequently a very powerful and positive symbol to American women voters. He ran against James Cox whose Vice Presidential candidate was Franklin D. Roosevelt. Cox and Roosevelt lost. We know what happened to Mr. Roosevelt. Mr. Cox, if you didn’t know became a media baron whose surviving daughter, former Ambassador Anne Cox Chambers is one of the world’s richest women. Florence Harding’s husband, of course, died in terrible disgrace and with good reason, having taken a long and complicated trip into temptation. He was succeeded by Calvin Coolidge who presided over most of the great prosperity of the 1920s. He was succeeded by Herbert Hoover who presided over the Stock Market Crash of 1929. And they all were succeeded finally by Franklin D. Roosevelt, the first Vice Presidential candidate to lose under the first women’s vote, and not only the winner, but the savior of the women’s vote. Lessons everywhere again. Last night’s festivities started at Christie’s with a cocktail at 6. From there people went on to various dinners. I was invited to the Tribeca home of Bruce and Julie Menin. Mrs. Menin, who is a young mother, is very involved in political life and government service.

Robin Lefcourt and Art Sanders

Spencer Morgan, Gerald Lefcourt, and Stacey Locker

Ginger Harris and Pamela Sanders

Bruce Wilcox and Kelly Posner

There were fifty guests for a seated dinner. Amanda Burden, who is director of the New York City Department of Planning, and Bill Thompson, the comptroller in the Government of New York City were the speakers, introduced by Julie Menin. Mr. Thompson was elected to his post in 2001. Mrs. Burden was appointed by the Mayor. Mr. Thompson spoke about the women who work with him.These are the women in charge, the women who run the money. They, he said, were completely responsible for the successful running of his government office. Amanda Burden told the group that Michael Bloomberg, who appointed her, had been most proactive in his appointments of women to important posts.

Comptroller Bill Thompson

Julian Alonzo, Esperanza Armijos, and Arjuna Bull

Iris Schwartz (modeling her own creation)

Braden Keil, Bruce Menin (host), and Amanda Burden

Ray Ellin and Karen Jacobs

Mrs. Burden is a thoroughly modern New York women. Born into society, the daughter of Stanley Mortimer and the iconic fashionable woman, Babe Paley, she started adult life in a very glamorous, if predictable way. Although her first husband Carter Burden ran successfully for a city government seat (Manhattan City Council),  Amanda was very much, in the public eye, the fashionable socialite wife. That was her public identity, and it was a strong one. There was divorce and motherhood and subsequent marriage. And there was a developing interest in city planning. When she tells about her transformation into a professional woman working in government service, you hear the story of a young woman who found a way to realize herself  and contribute to the community. This is the essence of the purpose of the Women’s Campaign Forum. I was an invited guest and stupidly realized afterwards that I was expected to say something. Despite my tendency to grab opportunities to express myself, I declined. Afterwards I felt a tinge of guilt. However, these words on this page say it better. I am prejudiced: I think it benefits all of us to give women a greater chance to participate and preside in government. Some of the things that happen that trip things up, like this current public and political incident, might just not ever happen. At least not for awhile. Is that because women are better, wiser, more clever at protecting their power? I pose the question, not the answer.

Steven and Sharon Baum

Loreen Arbus and Steve Baum

Pamela Sanders and Liz Swig

Ann Kinney and Dan Janzen

Kent Swig and Jennifer Keil

Lisa Blau

Michelle Walker and Iris Schwartz

Joe Moinian

The following pictures were taken on the second day of our visit to the European Fine Art Fair in Maastricht. I remain amazed, in retrospect, looking at these images, how great the treasures and works of art at this exhibition. The Fair runs through next Sunday.

Galerie Sanct Lucas. Old master paintings.

French & Company, Llc. European paintings from the 16th through the 20th century.

Grace Wu Bruce Co. Ltd. Chinese furniture and works of art.

Jean-François Heim. Paintings, drawings and sculpture.

Jean-François Heim.

Peter Finer. Antique Arms, Armour and Related Objects.

Bernard J. Shapero Rare Books. Rare books including travel literature, natural history, illustrated books, fine bindings and prints.

Richard Redding Antiques Ltd. Clocks.

Blitz Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art. Chinese ceramics and works of art.

Kunsthandel Glass. 16th through 18th century gilt leather, 18th and early 19th century furniture and works of art.

Kunsthandel Glass.

Kunsthandel Peter Mühlbauer. Continental, especially German furniture, paintings, clocks, sculpture and works of art.

Peter Finer. Antique Arms, Armour and Related Objects.

Adrian Sassoon. Contemporary British Studio ceramics, glass, silver and jewellery.

Francis Janssens van der Maelen. Silver and works of art.

Les Enluminures. Illuminated manuscripts, miniatures, medieval works of art, including rings.

Carolle Thibaut-Pomerantz. Decorative Arts from 19th. century & Classic, Antique Wallpaper Panels.

Jorge Welsh Porcelana Oriental e Obras de Arte, Lda., Lisbon. An exceptional rare Japanese saddle with stirrups, made of leather and red lacquer in the Portuguese style. The Japanese traded with the Portuguese who they greatly admired for their impressive physique, culture and technical abilities. The craftsmen who made the saddle therefore decorated it with figures representing the Portuguese and it became a status symbol. It is the only example known of such a saddle and dates from around 1600.

Galerie DOWNTOWN François Laffanour. Art nouveau - Art Déco - 1940-1950.

Les Enluminures.

La Mésangère, Albert Vandervelden. 17th-18th century European furniture, 17th-18th century silver especially from Belgium, 15 through 18th century paintings and sculpture.

Franz Bausback. Antique oriental rugs and textiles.

Galerie Perrin.18th-century French furniture and works of art.

Graff. Diamonds and precious stone jewellery.

Flore. French furniture.

A la Vieille Russie, Inc. Fine European and American jewellery, Fabergé, gold snuffboxes and objets de vertu, Russian decorative and fine arts 1851.

Otto von Mitzlaff. An important Empire salon from the royal castle in Stuttgart (Residenzschloss) consisting of 12 chairs, a large sofa and a round table. The furniture is decorated with parcel-gilt and has its original upholstery. The salon was produced in 1816/17 when Wilhelm I succeeded to the throne of Württemberg and refurnished the castles at Ludwigsburg and Stuttgart. The design is attributed to the court architect Nikolaus von Thouret.

Waddington Galleries Ltd. 20th-century and contemporary paintings, sculpture and works on paper.

Richard L. Feigen & Co. European old master and 19th-century paintings and drawings.

Vanderven & Vanderven Oriental Art, 's-Hertogenbosch. A Chinese Tang Dynasty (618-907) Sancai glazed horse. During the Tang dynasty, glazed horses were held in the highest esteem both because horses were status symbols and because of the complexity of the double firing process. These glazed horses were affordable only to a few. Price: €450,000.

Salomon Stodel Antiquités. General antiques dealer.

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