Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1853-11-22
PowELL,s GREAT NATIONAL PICTURE.

PowELL's GREAT NATIONAL PICTURE.
The great historical picture bysPowelis of Gin
cinnat, representing the, discovery Of the Misss-
,stppis ~ Hernaado dessot0 painted by order of
Congress. being intended to fill the vacant panelIn
The Rotnndo of the Capital at Washington, IS now
ON exhibition at New York. One of.the papers of
that city gives the following description OF III
Mr.. Powell has selected the moment when De
Soto and his cavaliers from the hill got the hrst
full view of the broad expansezo the Father oI
Waters, and if he has not made the, most OF ms
canvass that could be crowded into y without as
cord, we are much mistaken. Beglnnlng ~ The
centre the clad hero of the picture, upon
firery white horse, is stfikingly consPlcuous Be-
hind him are his subordinate chIeitalns on horse
back, spiendidly caparisopedI according 10 the
Spanish Warlike fashions OF that day In the
midst fthem, upon a patient donkey in regal har-
ness is a white ftiar. The eyes OF all tins party
with ageneIal expression of intense ssatisiaeuon'
are fixed upon the river, the tiar having his hanus
and eyes uptted 10 deyout thanksgly!ns; b ssiI
this group to theleft, follow the mailed and hell
melted warriors of the expedition, their brlstling
spears and battle axes, heightened array suetch-
ing back ill lost in. the misty woods, thus leaving
upon, the Imagination vivid impression Oh
pc Rerful force still behind, though Invisible 10 the
To the right, upon plateau, on the immaculate +
river bank, is cluster of four Indian tents iantas-
tcally freScoed with barbara devices. Bythe slue
of these tents stand group OF Indian waIrlorsS IN
the most striking war costumes of their tribes An
old chief is reaching forward the pipe OF peace 10
the wonderful invaders of his lands with an air
and bearing of profound humility; another is look
ing ON with fixed amazement at the teLtble IntIu-
,ers; while younger warrior is resoiutely gazing
at De Soto with determined stolidity. In front oil
these warriors are two Indian dam{els, nearly na-
ked, and finished to the highest PERFECTION oil ln-
dian beauty, reclining upon the ground, with some
e tltf ckS
living before them, to the acceptance OF winch they
are vainly endeavoring to gain De Soto Tor ms eyes
are fixed upon the Mississippi. 50 Nst' f.
In the immediate foreground to the right a gronP
of weatherbeaten and wounded soldiers are gath
cred. Some OF them nreplacing cannon IN bat
tety of the camp. One of these has white hand
kechief lied over an ugly cut IN !us loreheaa'
Another old campaigner is sitting down, 1andaglng
his damaged leg, while another, duSkY ard rusty
with hard usage, is holding his helmet before his
eyes while looking out upon the great rlyer' their
outietto the sea and to home Next TO this group
in the foreground is pile oil small arms oil the
style of that time, some OF the exact patterns OF
W hch may now be seen in The Crystal Palace, sent
over from the To er of London ny Queen Hicto-
ria. These arms are resting upon}the camp cheSt'
which is almost as strongly banded with iron as
one Of our Salamander safes. 10 Lie right OF ms
IS group OF the ministers ofthe Catholic iathplan-
ting an immense cross, formed of two parts OF tree
with the bark ON, with small figure of the cruci-
4 fed Saviour nailed upon 1T Tie holy brothers
lifting the Cross into the nOle winch ms fUEeh
dug to receive IL One of them has his two fore
fingers upon it, while reading from an antique
4 bookthe service of the OCCASION The veteran
who has dug the hole is resting upon the ground
with his shovel by his side. Thus, extending
along the foreground of the picture, we have the
whole story Of the Spanish conqueStS in America
illustrated in the cannon and the Cross, the cross
always being planted and consecrated' as The hrSt
duty of Spanish sncampmsnt, while The cannon
and the arauebus as unlailiugly brought up she
rear. sa.sza:T t{5t3 s.5,..,s-t.s,.f Il .=4
4 In tn background to the right we see the ample
4 mississippi with the dim unmeasured country be-
4 yond it Towardsthe opposite bank some green
islands are visible, while far up on this side we
detect another village of the red men, its inhaGi
i Iants apparently unconscious of the proximity OF
1.-THE dreadful invaders Of their country.
The composition Uf this picture, the grouping,
theidrawing of the figures, and The costumes &C;
the coloring the lights and the shades, to our jud
ment, are charningly harmonious aud true. We
doubtnot from the three or fouryeaIS OF study and
labor of the artist that every thing, lncuclng the
/ royal banner and one or two Moorish warEloIs IN
this picture is historically true. and true 10 nature
To crown all, the tout ensemble is full. OF life,
spirit, chivalry, poetry, and beauty There IS no
thing awkward, or heavy stroimed about II; ev-
cry thing insiL IS easy, though intensely graphic
and spirited. =
In reducing his figures below the colossal size
Of those of the other pictures, in The rotundo Mr.
| Powell has gained nnimmense advantage in space;
and when We consular that the picture Is 10 slant
only four feet from The ground he loses nothns III
| its individual effects. q e-5 ayg
The gallery of the rotundo will now DO complete.
Its paintings all ofuniform size, will consist Of
] 4. The declaration Of Independence.
.. The Capitulation at Saratoga. . ID
| 3. The CapituIaton at Yorktown. "a
4. Washington resigning his Commission ut An
napois, all by TrumUull. st..f
s. The Baptism of P ocahontas, by Chapman.
6. The Embarkution' of Pilgrims at Delft Haven
by Weir. 's.Ir .rsl s. .t7=.y.
Il. The Landingof Columbus, by Vanderlyn.
s. De Solos Discovery OF. The Mississippi by
Powell. go SO nv ~