Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1855-12-25


ambition on returning to America were to paint
the great man of his country. He gave to this
work all his genius, all his skill aud, the feelings
of his heart The first portrait OF w Washington by
Stuart created great sensation on its appearance
10 Philadelphia. 1t was SOON followed by The
celebrated full length for the Marquis of Lands
downe. In this splendid picture Stuart has failed
in the figure Of the Chief, unapproachable as he
was, in painting the head. Tie great artist had
never made the human figure his peculiar study
or practice Hence. for the correct figure OF
Washington zoe must refer, IN all cases, 10 The
,corks of 1rumbuu. 1t was our good fortune lc
see much of Gilbert Stuart in his studios of Phil
adelphia and Washington city, and to hear him
say. Il do not pretend to have painted Washing
ton asIthe General Of the armies o Independence;
knew hinio as such il h v painted tn first Pres
ident OF the Uned Staies' And again upon be-
inr asked, ..M HON did Washington most resem
bic ?" he replied, ..No one but himself" Stuart
complained bitterly Of his painting for the Mar
quls of Landsdowne having been plrated by Heath
the enrraver To his Britannia Majesty. He show
e., US copper plate prepared in England for the
celebrated Sharpe, the first engrave: in Europe,
who, although retired from The burin, had con
senled 30 execute farewell engraving OF Stnar's
Washington. The cupper plate was large, thick
and heavy. and polished like a mirror, while Stu
art, laying his hand upon The plate, observed,
with much feeling, ''lhe profits. my young friend,
of this copper plate engraved BY Sharpe were all
the turtune expected To leave my family
cath made noble fortune from his engraving of
the work of Stuart, which engraving is a superb
specimen OF The art.
Washington was bad sitter. 1t annoyed him
exceedingly 10 sit at all and after every sitting,
he was wont to declare this must be the last
Stuart, once finding the Chief very dull, be-
thought himself to nrodu ce the subject of horses.
This reused up the sitter, and the artist obtained
the desired expression.
The last original (profle in crayons) was by
Sharpiess, 1896, and is now al Arlington House.
Su much was this performance admired Tor the
exquisite likeness and uncommon truthtuness OF
expression that the CHIEF ordered portraits by the
same artist of every member of his domestic fani
". including Geo w. Lafayette Of the first
President there was also portrait by Rembrandt
Peale, son of the soldier artist, painted from sit
lings during the Presidency It elected mach
commendalon from Revolutionary worthies and
adorns the hall OF the United States Senate.
We have thus enumerated all the reliable orig
nails of the pa,er Palrie. from l772 to 1896, with
remarks upon each. These, with the statue by
Houdon in 1856, constitute in our humh'e opinion,
all the resemblances in paintings aud sculpture
of The beloved Washington hat Will descend
veneraed and admired to poseriy. Gr'c rs
bust Of the chief is failure his bust Ol Hamilton
magnificent.
Of the painting, said to be on original. by
| Wertmuller, and executed about 1888, we litter
| allv know nothing; yet. in 1879, we were n0'
absen. from the Presidential mansion in Ph!la-
! delphia a single day.
Arain. through whose influence was the sitting
obtained fora pic.ure said 10 be tor swedish no
| be,aan 1t is notorious that it was only by hard
berpinq that Mr.. Bingham obtained The slttings
for lhe MARQUIS of Landsdowne's picture And,
rain. we knew little or nothing Of Sweden IN the
oden DAYS. while we had and still preserve q
most huaored recollection OF Deamark IN the mem
ory of a gallant Dane, Colonel Febiger diSn
eGished officer Of oar Revolutionary army And
lastly, if the Wermuller was painted about if92
where is the distinguishing feature In the physI
ognomy of the Chief at that period, the pfoJeciioI
OF The under lip!
In irving graphic description Of the stature
and form OF " aShlngton. we give not only the re
suit Of our personal observail~n and experience Z"
many years. but information derived from the
hiuhesi authorty--a favorlte nephew.
Major Lawrence Lewis asked his uncle wha
was his height in the prime Of life )? He replied
..In nv hest DAYS. Lawrence, | soud SIX teel ant
,wo inches in ordinary shoes" We know iha
he measured by standard precisely SIX fee
when laid out in death OF his weight we art
an evidence, having heard him say 10 Crawford
Governor of Canada, in 1883, "My weight IN my
hest days. sir, never exceeded from two hundred
and ten to twenty" His form was unique
unlike most athletic frames that expand at th'
shoulders and then gather ia at the hips. IL
form of Washington deviated from the genera
rpls since it descended from the shoulders to iht
hi IN perpendicu ar lines the breadth OF the trnni
b-inr nearly as great al the one as the other. =
His limbs were long, large. aud sInewy; In HI
lower limbs he was what Is usually caiIe'
straight limbed. His joints, feet and hands wer
arge. and could cast have been made from hl
rluhl hand, so tar did It's dimensions exceed ma
ture's model that it would have been preserved II
museums for ageS as the anatonlca wonder OF th'
3h century. Lafayette remembered tins re
rnarkable hand when. during his triumph in a
merica he said to us in the porlico at Mount Yer
non. ,lt was here in 784 | was first introduced
to you by ihe rood General; ii is long while a
gn; yiu were den 4 very little gentleman. riggec
out in cap and feather, aud held By one ilnger o.
the Generals MIG ty hand It was all you coule
do at dat time, my dear sir"
The eyes OF the Chief were light grayisl
blue. deep sunEen in their sockets, glving ihe eX
preston Of gravity and thought. Stuart painieC
those eyes 0fa deeper blue, saying in hundred
years they will hare faded to the right c0'or.-
Ills hair was Of hazel brown. and very thln u
his latter days. In his movements he preserved
in remarkable degree and 10 advantage, the elias
tic step that he had acquired IN his service on tht
frontier.
Beinu ordered one morning very early into the
library at Mount Vernon. spot that none entered
without orders. the weather heng warm, we
found the Chief very much undreSsed and, while
looKinu on his manly frame. we discovered thai
the centre of his chest was indened. lhis IS al
exception to the general rule laid down by anaio
miSts, that where The human frame possesses grea'
muscular power the chest should rather De roun
ded out and proluheranl than indenled. we
were equally surprised TO find how thin he was IN
person, being, with the absence OF flesh. literally
a uan of ..ihews aud Sinews." lie wore aronno
his neck the miniature portrait of his wife. lhs
he had worn through all the vcIsSltudes ol MS E.
ventu career, from the period OF ms marriage 10
the ''lasl days at Mount Vernon"
In the appearance of Washington there was
nothing of 6ukness. but there united all
that was dlgnified and graceful, while his air and
manner were at once noble and commanding. No
une approached him that did not feel for him, as
Lord Erskine observed, "a degree of awful reve-
renee" He wore sword with peculiar grace.
| The Viscomie de Nouies said ii was because
1.-The man was made for the sword, and not the
sword tor the man.'
Lafayette, not long after the war of the Revo-
luton, wrote letter 10 Col. Trumbull urging
him TO paint an equestrian portrait Of the Chief
as he appeared on the field of Monmouth The
illusrious Frenchman, Americas great benefac-
TOT, said 20 MS: Il was very young Major Gen
eral On that memorable day, and had great deal
to do, but took time, amid the heat and fury Of