Evening Star Newspaper, February 22, 1931, Page 74

s THE SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C, FEBRUARY 22, 193l George Washington’s Portraits and Statues All of the Likenesses Owned by the Government Are Real Works of Art—1Five Celebrated Portraits Painted by Four Artists—Two Stuart Works. Plaster model of the statue of Washing- ton made by William James Hubard, copied from Houdon’s statue in Rich- mond, Va. ODAY, the 199th anniversary of the birth of George Washington, there is a keener interest manifested in the first President than ever before in the history of the Republic because of the bicentennial celebration of his birth in 1932, Writers and historians all over the country are searching eagerly for facts which "will more clearly reveal the life and character of Wash- ington. First of all, the people want to know what the Father of His Country really looked like. He lived in the days before photography, and our visual conception of Washington is entirely dependent upon such likenesses as the artists made of him. Although the portraits of Wash- ington vary greatly, as they were painted at different periods of his life by various artists, there is something about each portrait of the great American that clearly resembles all his other pictures. There are more portraits of Washington in the United States Capitol than of any other individual. His likencss is painted in the mural decorations of several rooms, including the President’s room; he is also i the historical frieze in the rotunda and in the allegorical painting in the eye of the dome. As Gen. Washington, he is included in two of the colossal Trumbull paintings in the rotunda, “The Surrender of Lord Cornwallis” and “Washington Resigning His Commission.” Besides all these, there are in the Capitol five celebrated portraits of Washington by out- standing American portrait painters—Charles Willscn Peale, John Vanderlin, Rembrandt Peale and Gilbert Stuart. The government is fortunate in owning two Stuart portraits of Washington. The State of Virginia sent a handsome bronze statue of her great son as ane of her contributions to the National Stat- wary Hall. In the rotunda is a plaster cast of Washington and also a bronze bust of him which was donated to the American Govern- ment by the French people. THE first Stuart picture of Washington ac- quired by the Government was purchased June 16, 1876, for $1,200. It now hangs in the main corridor of the Senaté wing of the Cap- itol. This picture is called the Thomas Chest- nut portrait, and it is said to be worth more than $40,000 at the present time. The other Stuart portrait of Washington, known as the Edward Pennington portrait, was purchased 10 years later for the same sum as that paid for the Chestnut picture. Although the two pic- tures are almost identical, the Edward Penning- ton is considered the better portrait, but it is rarely seen by the general public because it s in one of the Senate Committee rooms. Gilbert Stuart, the portrait painter, was born in Narragansett, R. I, December 3, 1755, of Beotch-American parents. His Scotch grand- father was an ardent admirer of the pretender to the Scotch throne. Young Gilbert was a handsome child, quick to learn but not very studious. He did his first portrait when he was 11 years old, without any art instruction. He had a wild, romantic nature and he wan- dered away from home when he was 17 years old with Cosmo Alexander, an itinerant Scotch painter. They eventually landed in Scotland, where Alexander died, leaving Stuart friendless and without resources in a foreign land. The boy finally worked his way back home, penniless end in rags. When Stuart was 18 years old he painted from memory a portrait of his grandmother, who had been dead eight years. It was so like her that one of her sons shed tears over the portrait. Stuart could not be contented long in one place, and in 1775 he again went to England, where he remained for 17 years. He was not, therefore, in America during the stirring period of the Revolutionary War. The careless, happy-go-lucky young painter sould not make (sugh money in Lomdon to By Myrta Ethel Cawood. Washington portrait by Gilbert Stuart, on gallery floor, Senate wing of the Capitol. support himself by his painting, so he was obliged to seek other means for a livelihood. Despite the fact that he was not a trained musi- cian, he applied for a position as church organ- ist and got the job. His friends tried to help him, but sometimes, after they had secured payment in advance for a portrait, Stuart would lose interest in the work and never finish it. Yet when a man refused to pay him, that was a different matter. The artist once made a gate for his pig sty from a portrait of a sitter who refused to pay for it. Stuart married in England, but he couldn’t settle up, and he wouldn't settle down. Two years after his marriage he was deeply in debt. He fled into Ireland to escape his creditors and while there he painted three kings—Louis XVI, George III and George IV. The painter was at ease with all sorts of people. He had the graceful marners of a well bred gentleman and he loved to hear himself talk. He often entertained his sitters with original and dra- matic stories. ILBERT STUART studied under Benjamin West and Sir Jcshua Reynolds in London. His eminence and ability were acknowledged during the lifetime of Reynolds, his master, whom he painted. Eventually his fame as a portrait painter spread until he had more orders than he could fill, despite the high prices he charged for his portraits. At one time it seemed that the artist would become a very rich man. But he devised a scheme that soon put an end to such a possibility. The prosperous young painter rented a fine house in London, furnished it handsomely and then hired a famous French cook. When all was ready he invited 42 of the most interesting people in London to his house. He showed them the seven cloak pins in his hall and ex- plained: “The first seven of you who come each evening shall dine with me, The eighth guest, seeing the cloak pins full, must return home and pray for better luck next day.” The circulating party lasted six months. By that time Stuart was poor again, but he said he had been amused and saved from boredom while it lasted. Stuart often declared that he felt impelled by a desire to give to his countrymen a faithful portrait of Washington. With this end in view he returmed to America in 1792. He never saw Washington until 1794, just four years before the great man's death. Stuart painted Wash- ington three times from life in one year, but for the first time in his career the artist’s easy assurance left him. He was never at ease in the presence of the illustrious statesman. The best known portrait of Washington is Stuart’s Athenaeum portrait, which now hangs in the Boston Museum of Art. This picture shows the left side of Washington’s face, and although Stuart finished the head, he never completed the background and the costume, for he desired to make as many copies as possible before he released the portrait from his studio. The artist made 50 copies of the Athenaeum portrait. The two Stuarts in the Capitol are copies from the picture made from life. This portrait shows Washington, the President, when he was a tired, old man, bewigged, powdered and ceremoniously dressed. His mouth was dis- figured by a badly-fitting set of false teeth and the entire countenance wears an expression of melancholy and seriousness. Gilbert Stuart was a master at painting heads; he disliked costumes and painted them carelessly. He once said, “I copy the works of God and leaves clothes to tailors and mantua- makers.” He did not imitate the old masters. When and how he acquired his technique can- not be determined, nor could he teach it to others; it seemed to be entirely his own. Stuart never signed portraits, “because,” he said, “my mark is all over them.” This talented Amer- ican, who painted three European kings before he returned to his own country, also painted six Presidents of the United States—Washington, John Adams, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe and John Quincy Adams. He died in 1828 and was buried in Boston Common, THERE is another interesting portrait of Washington in the Senate wing of the Capi- tol which is the work of the celebrated artist, Charles Willson Peale, who painted Washington in his full maturity, full of life and vigor, and 10 years before he lost his teeth, This portrait was made in 1779 and sold to the Count de Menou of France, who sold it to Charles B. Calvert of Maryland in 1841 for $200. The United States Government bought the picture in 1882 for $5,000. This large canvas is still in a marvelous state of preservation despite the fact that for more than 100 years it was moved Bronze bust of Washington by David &' Angers, in rotunda of the Capitol. from one place to another and had crossed the ocean twice. Charles Willson Peale painted the earliest authentic portrait of Washington at Mount Vernon in May, 1772. He is said to have painted the illustrious Virginian from life 14 times. The portrait in the Capitol is one of many copies the artist made from a picture painted from life in 1778, when Washington was about 46 years old. Washington is cere- moniously dressed in his uniform as commander in chief of the Continental Army. He stands beside a cannon and above him flies the Amer- ican flag, which is believed to be the only painte ing of its period showing a true representation of the flag as it then existed. The artist served under Washington as a captain of volunteers and was in a position to observe the flag used at that time. Charles Willson Peale was born April 15, 1741, at Chesterton, Md. He was 14 years older than Stuart. His father died when he was 13 years old and at that age his mother apprenticed him to a saddlemaker. Pezle was a versatile man and during his lifetime he practiced many trades. Besides harness and saddle making, he made clocks and watches; painted in oil, crayon and miniature; modeled in clay, wax and plaster; sawed ivory, molded glasses, made shagreen cases and preserved animals, which he supplied with glass eyes and artificial limbs when they were deficient of such. He was also a dentist and is accredited with having first made porcelain teeth. He even found time te serve his country as a soldier and legislator. Peale began painting portraits without ine struction, but when he was 27 years old he went to London and studied under Benjamin West, The artist was married three times and had a large family of sons and daugbters, most of whom he named for illustrous artists of former days. Several of his children became artists. His younger brother, James, and his son, Rembrandt Peale, are also celebrated for their paintings of Washington. Charles Willson Peale died in 1827, at the age of 87. THE portrait of Washington in the Vice Presi« dent’s room of the Capitol is by Rembrandg Peale. It was bought by the Government in 1832 for $2,000. Rembrandt Peale first painted Washington from life when he was but a lad 17 years old. His well known composite portrait of Washington was produced in 1823, 24 years after Washington’s death. The artist made 79 copies of this portrait and 39 copies of his father's portrait of Washington. The full-length portrait of Washington which hangs to the right of the Speaker’s chair in the House of Representatives is the work of John Vanderlin, the American artist who painted the “Landing of Columbus,” which is in the ro- tunda. The head of Washington in this pic- ture was copied from Stuart’s Washington, and perhaps that is the reason this picture is some- times accredited to Stuart. Vanderlyn was commissioned by Congress in 1834 to paint a picture of Washington for a companion portrait to that of Lafayette, which is on the left of the Speaker’s chair, The artist was paid $2,500 for the portrait. Vanderlyn was a pupil of Gilbert Stuart, and during his lifetime he had many influential friends, But despite his popularity and suc- cess as an artist, he died poor and alone in & hotel room in his home town, Kingston, N. Y. Shortly before his death he became financially involved by the building of the Rotunda in New York City, where he exhibited several of his panoramas, which were unsuccessful. Many persons think that John Trumbull painted Washington better than any other ar= tist. In a letter dated January 8, 1816, William Thornton, who was at that time architect of the Capitol, said: “Although Stuart is un- equaled in a head, he cannot draw a figure, but the proportions of our countryman Trume bull are correct. Yet the head is not to be compared to the Stuart’s.” For this reason i is interesting to study the figure of Washington in the Trumbull pictures in the rotunda. The colossal painting, “George Washington Resigi=