Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1852-01-09
lF,om the New York Evening Post }
The Portrait of Columbus.


A correspondence took place, not long since,
between Jo5EpH ID. BLOOMFIELD and WASH
rNGToN IRvrNG, on the subject of the dlfcrant
portraits of Columbus. Mr.. Bloomfeld's attcn-
ton was dire ted TO the subject By his having
been for some years a resident of Spain, and
become familiar with the portraits purportnL
to be the likenesses of the great discoyerer.
Mr.. Irving has been applied to for leave to
publish his letters, which embrace the result of
his own researches on this subject, and contain
many particulars Of much interest. AT his re-
guest, the correspondence has been returned to
him, and IN the following letter he has recast.
with some additions the information and OBJ
scrvations contained in his more hasty notes to
Mr.. Bloomfield:
To WILLIAM c. BRYANT, Esq.
My Dear Sir: In consequence of the inter-
est expressed by you as to "a recent correspon-
dence with Mr.. Joseph f. Bloomfield. Of Mex
leo, New ork, on some points relative to Col
umbus, have thrown the purport ofmy replies
to that gentleman into something of a connec-
ted form.
Mr.. Bloomfield was dcsirous of my opinion,
ola portrait Of Columbus existing in the Lonja
or Royal Exchange. at Seville. and which he
says was the only on5 acknowledged in Spain
as a true likeness. In reply. have stated
that know OF no portrait eXtant which is pos
itlvey known 10 be authentic. The one in
question, accordln. to his account of it, is full
length, and that of person from thirty to th!r-
ty-tive years OF age, armed IN mail, and wear
inr full white ruff. Now. Columbus. by the
time his discoveries hal made him u subject for
such a printing. was quite advanced i'll years.
| he ruff, too, was not an article of dress in
Spain until after his death. 1t was Flemish
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C''P''o'' '''-''''',i-'', u''' III. 'Iii'
c'o'i!' ~ '''r "1''Cc ""'O" uGcoiiPln'eu ~ III
O'G i'1'''' "o'H' va, '''' u oc ''dc"' "'''''
P'o!'9''Pu coy! o' '''P engraving some years
since III al aD'us'u eu''o" o' my NE o' Tie
u',,"' Jl't' ~: 49, NJ,
" n"e l was III ans III 0t'' Mons; JONI
ara, '"c 'el'n'u P''n''?'I o' o't hoyo' (ho"
Na'Io"lJ 'loF''!' ma .lc hIIlnlt'' 10 se"u
ne It"o-'aP"'T COP; % portrait III OIL re-
c'HI.y u'NTo'c'r"' nc o''='"'I pore, !" one
corner o' u'e c''''''S; t''e inscription OH"'sI"'
PuEK N'|O Hb' > "' cp""''"lHce was ven
crane an" "l8hlH'u' ana agreed more u'ah
1.! ia" SEEN ""H III, description gwen b!
Ier"a"do Coi5,''"7' Ar"ulI 'l' neck, now
ever was ul' ems" Iu'' %n'eH P'II''A o"l
as an "h,c;'Fol'5'I,' Nr' '"afu el'"' NoFe'
ID account Tor II ny so'Po5'hE the P,Wralt 10
nave o'rh lla'c u' toward 'he year ''3o oy
S'He Nt"p'T "' '"'"' iIoh so''n a1S'9H or
sN@IcH t'N'h ouFl'% ''i 'Ie'l'He oi OoIu'nou''
ana 'h' 'Ae af'''I ma! nave d9ched Il OUT III 'Ne
costume IN vogue al uIt time ne ptlnlcu IT,