The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-04-30
Our National Poverty In Art.

immensely OF our resources In material wealth,
Of the justice Of our laws, and the intelligence,
happiness, and freedom of the people. they can
not but be struck with our national poverty
in the matters of historic art when they visit
our metropolis. Every country but our own, and
nearly every separate State of our Union, pre-
serves likenesses in marble or paint of its chief
magistrates; but it has been the unfortunate
policy of our Government heretofore to
wholly ignore the great art of portraiture, and
we have now nothing to show as the property
of the nation, in the shape of personal like
ness Of the rulers whom the people have chosen
to preside over their destinies, and see their
laws duly executed. This is not dealing justly
by posterity; it is depriving them of a treasure
to which they are entitled, but which no money
can procure for them. The spirit of specula-
ton will supply sufficient number of plaster
busts and cheap prints, representing our great
men as they rise to stations of dignity and au-
thority. But these things can never be reli-
able, nor possess the value Of authentic portraits
which derive dignity from their ownership.
The Presidential mansion should at least con
tain fYll-length portraits Of all its occupants;
apart from the value they would possess as
specimens of the state Of art among us at the
era of their execution, and as ornaments of
house miserably lacking in objects Of interest,
their value as historical mementos, and as
relics Of veneration to future generations, would
be beyond price. We should oppose at all
times any thing like that spirit of ollie:
tantism which prevails among European gov
ernments, and sacrifices immense revenues TO
the mere qualification of taste for pictures
and statues as objects of show. But the pre-
servation Of our family portraits, the illnesses
of the fathers of our Republic has no affinity
with taste for artistic toys. 1t should not be
for the sake of pictures, but for the sake Of por
traits, that we would preserve in the art-ar-
chives of the nation ikenesses ofts heroes states
men, and Presidents. 1t is yet within our power
to repair, to certain extent, the remissness Of
our predecessors Some Of our Presidents are
yet alive; and here and there may be found, the
property Of private individuals, accurate like
nesses Of those Of our chief magistrates who
have joined the @greatcaravan," from which sat-
isfactory copies may be made. The costof the por-
traits Of the Presidents to hang upon the walls of
the house they inhabited during their official lie
would be comparatively nothing. One TWEEN
tieth part of the sum expended every four
years in perishable upholstery would be suffi-
cient to preserve, in the highest style of art,
faithful portraits of our Chief Magistrates,
which would be heirlooms of the whole people,
The city of New York preserves, in its city
hall, portraits not only Of the Governors of the
State and the mayors of the city, but of alb
the heroes whose fame is the common pro-
perty of the nation. The nation ought not to-
be more niggardly in such matters than.
a single city. II the people Of New York, in ad-
dition to their enormous taxes for the muncipal
wants of their city can afford to pay two or
three thousand dollars annually for portraits of
their civic and State magistrates, surely the
people Of this country would not begrudge the
trifing sum of a thousand dollars or so, once in
four years, to pay for portrait of their Presi-
dent.
Among the fine works of of arts now exhib-
iting in the gallery of the National Academy
OF New York, are full-length portraits of the
two heroes Of the Mexican war, which were
painted by order of the common council for
their city hall.
One of these is full-length of General
SCOTT, by KELLOGG, represented in the act of
entering the gates of the city of Mexico; and
the other is portrait of President TAYLOR,
represented as sitting in his private office.
They are both excellent pictures, and will
every year increase in value for their histori-
cal fidelity. We have nothing in Washington
to show to visitors, or to bequeath to posterity,
that will compare with the portrait gallery in
the city hall Of New York. But we hope that
at the next meeting Of Congress some step
may be taken towards atoning for the neglect
of our lawmakers heretofore.