Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1855-02-20
From ,hr Wellington :cu'::rl Feb ],
THE DISCOVERY OF THE MISSISSIPPI EE
nE SOTO

| Yesterday great crowd assembled in th" r"tunda
ol the Cap,t" attracted 10y the exhibition e, ;i M"
puiniir,4 completing the set OF h-t"ri'ni I'iUrr-'r
crc, 10y Congress, Tor the uihunnl al this building.
| The iceiH. expressed by the visitors evidently
ol pleasure and appreciation, and though the stu
dy Of 50 complex subject as thar embraced ~ :A-
canvas. rcQuTt- more Tim" than >II -. visit, bow
ever long l. may be-, nobody could DENY the tact "r t'
complete success.
The painting oi Mr.. Powell repre-. auts the dura
very "l the Mississippi by u" S"iu In -" .ar al
hori1om the Father uf W""rS j. seen m'"J"-urn.l"
rolling through AN inconInsil~ urHble sIa,". Tie"
poetry "i the 'lrrur,s IL s;aInI,H Wnu i,t. i.a"
Scapr. and each succeeding .!nod se"Hs - iud,,tr
the existence NJ undiscovered ra-i"- H., .",rn'
"f which is only known 10 that unparalleled river
On the banks ui it, just iruitcn hy l.ur" 'rrI We
see De Soto on Il magnificent hrisr Hi.Erk hy I'll
imonsity ~ the picture uriut h- 'v,s, hc su'UI- '
be nscnslblr Ia Ill" "iirr made I" HIM hy irh' "'
Indians kuc"ng Il, h.~ feet. iic j. followed by sol
dlcrn al all countries, r' sr'd ~! G'IM amor &
cnr,lin. to thar nationality soIc i"., -tur,a 10
! ding, all seeming anxious +" "ouiuuplu;" ir lI..
known panorama rolling i;scit before them.
| TIA: frightened appearance :" IA" "Ir!nr'a> ~ The
simh uf the Indians the ug al IN" cHuuuu. tn
sight Sf the wounded soldiers thrlrrhug =. tho a!U'r
aud tho clash %! arms, marked ~ SION. feature.
the different grounds "t the pc;arc. Il q once
the strongest descriptions "t active life V" have "''l
bchcld-lnL we dOub whether the pencil can, N,r...
ia more vivid aad striking form I'll" acf "' ra'
iul invader, the TAT, the danger and tne r"Hn
attached TO invasion. On ID" other U", "r ,r' s'.
ZION taking ;Orsc8ainn, N ;c Ntn." ni E". 81 ''r
newly acquired lnui. aud !." iln.r III Christ iii''
up in the air ~ IL" halil:,.g ui civ iLaiiou We
! have time IL devon, 10 the detail "i that mn-n.t
| cent canvass. But me can already pronounce 'ha
the composition J. "f the mos" eloquent page 9"
icscrptIv" history we possess IL represents great
idca skilMiy detailed.
As was SAID By the National mtrlligrurCr GI j..
crnbcr 1853 "ihc artist li- mcglccic,. n"'LMr. 'lp
costume aud nrnor Of the imc- the manner at sax
age life, coItraolci with those "i ".vil@aii"u. th"
Il ,..Li Il
uNuriant vegetation "t prmcva 'nrrsl~ H." -ur'".''
of the grca; inland of In" Mississippi. ha.r 81.
been transferred with m'stcrly hand 20 i.r
Where the faithful dciih"niion Of TACT E.I un,u.'
would not suffice, the artist has aya:."d himself %.
symbolical representation. ]" TIN. W. "wo lh' -u"
Ccs-u rendering on the cauvGss "I the Ir'at "i"u.
| of the submission OF the Indian tr,h's aad the ~"
por;nnt part pnycd by religion. GicI w i"grr. .r
the conquest uf the Ne" worlh'
There ere now ei.ht historical painting ~ ii,r i
tumdo of the Capitol, which in tin "I.i"r "I tm". mn
be rc-nrrangrd ms follows: /. The lan.in- 81 'o.u"
bus which must b" considered ib" :irsr .ri ,...
dent in our national history :. The discovery "i 'L
Mississippi by DE Soto. 3. The Baptism "t P"cah"r
ta,: !. The embark alton "i the Pilgrim. a. N.i' L..
ven; >. lie declaration "t independence, +" IL" 80
ptulation al Saratoga; :. Th" caPiGa'son NJ i"rI.
town: md. =. Washington rrSIgn!Hg hrs C"IHmIa7l31
nj Annapolis Mary ylanl.
The fret four pictures were painted, respectively, b..
vnnd"rlyu, Powell! Chapman, and W"Ir. 'a'h "i
whom received ten thousand doIlars. ia" ":"r'-
thirv thousand dollar. for ihrm.
Mr. Vim. II. Powell IA Il lihiiv" "t NJ .....
about thiry-tvc wears nf age, and Wa hIv"rd- ="
pill ol the late Mr.. innan.
The Washington Globe has tn" lolloNi.. @"'"a .-
thjs celebrated painting
"The las; Vacant niche IN the rutgu&u .: 30" ,Hi.
tol filed this morning, Will. HoY"Iis As'u.rn.
painting, which a!!rnct- great -ttruii"i. -" 900"
ject is the discovery n' the MJ,i.-ppi by j." ~"
Whether the picture given with strict hi-i"r" '!r.
iy is the subject uf observation, but j! .'''i. i'
crssnry To observe :Aut historical rrprr.'n ; o'
historically rgr. The artist lik" The poet, t.'- j..
cellsc, without which his canvns5 would present ~.
pleasan: scenes. Tie train o DE S"i" "'n, ""nh'
less after II long Journey through tie "g"''rI'' o.
dirt and rags, and tn" trapping {" ta"r '",.'- "'i'
NOT rs gorgeous Spanish grh'r!"' WOMB hpP'".
with M home bu, Mr.. Powell witI All IN ccnii, Aa=
derived instruction from I'll" l""t WI" s; ;hi 'iI.'
which nf.n.S the rvc ~ n good it';ulc. N" lGli't
cn sis d.croo,,v r-6 -harc. Hs'orlcm!l" "run'
il is nn ey1ui.ite work oi art, hnd We Gav .ywpn
;bjzc with the youm. Gril-t III 'Is contamination n
his .,ud.. and labOrs, and aspirations from boy.
hood. now that he ranks with The painters who ar.
selected hy his government 10 adorn the Capitol ul
IN. rruubC.