Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1851-12-20
PowELL,s HISTORICAL PAINTING.

IA III
An interesting non-poIitical election was that
which took place few years ago in Congress of an
artist paint the eighth and last historical picture
for the Rotundo at Washington, the choice of Con-,
gress falling on WILLIAM III. POWELL N
Nine years before, when he was boy of sixteen,
his works had attracted the admiration of the ysi
tiers of the Academy Of Design at New York. A
critic in New York paper said that the young
artist deserved pallet Of gold. So far from hav-
ing pallet of god the artist had at that time gold
enough to satisfy the Of his palate He has since
pursued his studies for nearly three years in Italy and
about the same time in Paris.
The subject given him by Congress for his historical
picture is The Discovery of the Mississippi by De
Soto"
How to represent this subject on the the
question. Fit had been given Greek or Roman
tist he would perhaps have painted the Mississippi
brawny giant reclining the earth, under each
with the water gushing from it in cascades his head
bound about with huge wreath Of PUSHES, nterspersed
with water lilies of every hue its tributary streams as
little urchins sporting about the body of the giant
and De Soto graceful Mercury in the light costume Of
cap sandals and quiver and starting back in surprise at
the sight Of the giant and urchns If the subject
had been given artist Of the middle ages he would
possibly have introduced supernatural agency De Soto
would have been knight in full armor, helmet down
and sword in hand following with hestating STEP like
Hamlet his fathers ghost, an angel moving foatngy
along upon small cloud and pointing to larger one,
world of vpor under which should be left to suppose
the Father of Rivers
But the of the present day neither 80 alle
gorcal the ancients obgingly imaginative as
their ancestors of few centuries back Mr. Powell could
the idea of his three figures
He Was obliged to abandon the simple machinery Of the
infancy OF art and labor giving and
difficult but ruer and grander, style invented by modern
80
subject and cothe it with beauty render it
thy Of the interest and admiration of posterty
reflection will convince the reader Of the difficulty
Of this 1t would have been comparatively easy
paint battle any other subject which appeals to any
Of the great passions Of the human heart But the Dis
covery of the Missssppi" essentially quietest An
ordinary artist would have made nothing Of it than
group Of the bank of majestic river Mr. Pow
ell has elevated and ennobled it. will attempt
vey the idea of the picture the artist has conceived it,
On the right flows the mighty current Of the MISSISSIPPI
p The trees the low islands which dot its surface
toward the south that their long dropping
sweep the earth dip into the waeran evidence Of the
violence Of the which, in past inundations has
almost the old Expresses and oaks from their strong
foundations In the distance is the low right bank the
champaign country beyond, varied with woodlands and
prairies fades into and is COMPOUNDED with the horizon
The broad river prmeval forests and uxurant
sleeping TRANQUILITY under blue sky and meridian
COmmO0On among
tants of these still Of nature Something Of extra
ordinary import has disturbed the apathy of savage %
for the Indian village of the left bank is alive with Chiefs
warriors youths squaws and papooses There groups
Of them gathered in front of the wgwams the sides Of
which ornamented with skins Of wild animals and hui
scalps floating in the gentle morning air The alarm
had time spread for crowded with painted
coming from the opposite side Of the river
they have sped like the stream some Of
them have dsembarked their passengers and these
ascending the bank join the principal group in the fore
! round One Of q
others bring offerings less valuable The principal group
composed doubtless of the great chiefs and priessor
cerers Of the tribe What variety OF feelings arc ex-
the Of these children of the woods
They evidently presenment of the terrors Of the
future One is perpexed and distrusul another full Of
wonder not unminged with fear; third fowning and
gloomy; fourth dsdains to look what engages the
Of the rest but the prevailing sentiment is that
of conscious nerorty 70 the object Of their regards and
the necessity Of submission force.
The red mans empire the foods the fields and the
forests is passing at this moment into other hands
young warrior has down his bow, arrows and rude
shield at the feet Of the group Of Indian
men, shrinking with fear before the Arab which
they think part Of his rider offer him the Of the
fields the Ssh Of the river and the game of the forests to-
proptiae the supposed god and polite old chief the
Nestor of his tribe advances to offer the calumet
with deprecang air however, as If he were not sure Of
his reception.
And well may he doubt; the naughty bearing Of the
superb De Soto would intmdate experienced
goator. Proudly erect his noble steed, the white
pumes of his Office Governor OF Cuba shading his brow;
blazing with the splendid Of Spanish noble of the
sixteenth century, followed by the sered ranks of his
veteran troops the yellow banneret Of Spain and the two
headed eagle of Austria waving their rich folds his
head he conscious Of the dignity of his great mis-
on which is to take possession Of this inland and
fertile country in the of European civilization His
mperious eye does not degn glance ut the offerings Of
the poor Indians the calumet Of peace is scorned
To the former companion Of Pzarro and conqueror of
Peru the red men only many victims destined,
later to determination; he thinks civilization
Juggernaut that advance only carcasses His
gaze elsewhere it is fixed his symbol of his right Of
possession-the which his followers erecting
the bank under the direction Of priests with bell and book
and He does not doubt his right for has not the
sovereign Pont the representative Of Him who the
earth conferred by solemn grant, and sent priests with
him in his expeditions against the natives? Some of the
men dragging forward cannon; they will not stop
until they have placed at the foot of the The
cannon and the cross! Force and reason! Might and
right The material world executing the commands Of
God Who shall resist? The cannon's mouth menaces
the Indian village the end Of the drops heavily into
eyes Heaven in prayer the young cavaliers their
trumpeters make the virgin echoes ring with their loud
fourshes And thus De Soto de Vllenueya Governor of
Santiago de Cuba takes possession in 1872 for his King
and Emperor Charles the Fifth Of the great Mississippi
| its tributaries and broad valley
The artist has neglected nothing the costume and
of the times the Of savage life contrasted
with those of civilizations the magnifcence and pride Of
the Spanish mobiles the luxurant vegetation of primeval
forests the submy Of the great inland Of the Mis-
sisspp have all been transferred with mastery hand to
v1o1.-~