The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1855-02-21
THE LAST PANEL Op THE RoTuspo.-PowELBs
M

the Mississippi This work Of ar, has attracted universal
attention Criticism abroad and home, has been almost
unanimous in stamping Of the highest vindicatons
of the artistic genius Of country that has yet been
produced The subject itself is fall Of nterest DE Soto
who had served under Pzarro during the conquest Of
Peru returned TO Spain With immense wealth and repu-
taton that had preceded him for glorious deeds in arms
He married the beautiful Isabella dc Boabda, the dangh
ter Of of the most distinguished families Of Spain Tie
was offered high and honorable position in the govern
men by Charles and surrounded BY circumstances
which would have in any other produced content
ment ease, happiness Not with DE Soto His imagna-
ton excited by the romantic stories Of the conquest Of
Mexico produced dreams gold and glory concerning the
unexploed regions OF the Fordas He asked and obtained
permission Of his equip expedition that
exceed in the magnfcence Of its result everything
that had yet been undertaken
When il became known that new enterprise command
ed by one of the conqaerors of Peru entertained
crowds Of the distinguished and wealthy hidago
locked bis standard Soldiers of Portugal who had served
in the the frontiers volunteers and we
are told by the historian Of the time Gareasso dc la
vega-hat when muster Of the forces called, the
Portuguese appeared glitteng FURNISHED armor while
the Spanards looked very gallant and clothed with
silk upon silk All that wealth could produce Law
ished in the equipment of the expedtonarms, armor,
booded horses of Arabia and slaves
to become cumbersome The army composed Of thou
sand men, sailed under the favorable auspices they
touched at Cuba where the forces mustered and in
1889 they landed on the shores Florida II is not
purpose to follow them along their crcutous aud difficult
route their battles and their hardshps In
the spring of 1871 they arrived the banks Of the Mss
nd
taken Of the country the Of Charles of Spain.
There they were met by depuation of various Indian
tribes who brought presents eoncate the eonqueror
Of their country
It is this point Of time Mr. Powell has selected the
subject of his painting One of the most comprehensive de-
scrptions of it that has appeared quote from the
New York Daily Times:
Ihere five great groups in the picture. Not taking
them the order of their Importance but the order in which
them, beginning with the right side foreground
where we see company of talwart planting IN
spirit Of veneraton the God Of the universe in solemn
Of what they deemed to be grand event
The expeditions of those days carried with them all the
pem Of European civilization The priest went by the side
of the with the embems the traditions and the
worship Of the Christian Church Here the raised
with the image Of the crucied Son Of God The censor is
heldty eccesiasc; and, he waves IL the incense Of
goes up the bosom of the Mississippi The
aged priest whose white beard almost down to the
cred book he holds gives his blessing he plants the Tree
Salvation amid the sotudas of the West The Herculean
who has dug the place resting from his labor looking
and soemny upon this act of devotion and
1t is impressive group because it Illus
trate the eloquent and touching how true
and sincere the religious sentiment Of that age The
group alone would make fine picture by itself.
SAT corner the foreground is another group,
corresponding position the just described and illus
ating important feature of the event transporting
is being dragged up by the artillery mentor the
always planted in regions with incense from
the priest and smoke from the Of the soldier that
point either of then had been left out OF the picture
could illustrated the spirit the sixteenth century
In the Of the foreground Immediately between the
groups have mentioned the massive iron
camp Chest with arms, helmets, plates, baeaxes,
and all the implements of thrown together in just that
confusion in which they when those who attend
general in his marches have had time to distribute each
thing in its place. In every of these details the exact
and model Of that age faithfully preserved
Even the itself must have been copied from Of that
time The artillery guns, carriages and implements of the
century, SPAIN easily recognised
cavalier hat Of the age of Charles H. the Quaker
tune of the present day.
In the centre the picture exactly De Soto himself
Arab horse, which that time bore much
higher reputation than and these horses abound
Spain above all other European countries Thousands
of fine booded Arab horses brought to the New World
by Spain representatives. We complain
that Powell has painted fine horse for do know
VINO IN tnat ne
he could paint mule; and the why he chose mule
preference horse for Napoleon crossing the Alps
not because he rode mule for he did such thing
The mule the animal in the universe that anybody
who what the Alps through
would choose to bear him. The fact it, Napoleon Bonaparte
rode fine horse the Alps far he could ride
ALL and then dsmounted There mule in the story
Delarouche has failed in horse Mr. Powes model
his horse ADD FL Kaders battle horse and the utmost
extent OF Powclps hope attempt, that he should
merely paint portrait of him since il known that
nothing the earth could exceed his beauty strength
metry, and perfection. This horse them and still is
the imperial stables St. Cloud There thing this
horse remarkable aside from his magnificent symmetry
of proportion, and is in any but Arab
horse that has been perfectly trained then
cept when he has rider his back whom he respects
The horses full Of tremuous electricity
and yet he gently that he and the rider
The attitude of DE Soto is sublime because is natural
painted the moment not exactly Of the first but
second giancethe earnest comprehensive glance the
great river. And difficult conceive Of the
nifty and inspiration that would beam counenance
of the cavalier when he gszed for the first tme upon
imtabe Of future empire for his distant sovereign
There is loyalty, there surprise, there grandeur there
is soemnty he have looked
group that shah describe which the beautiful
Indian lodges into the soft atmosphere with almost
Moslem chastenes upon the Indians, of all ages
who stand and the horse going
scousy by baskets OF Indian quantities OF wild game
and flashing uappingsa this is for the moment unseen
forgotten by the whose gaze the magnificent
that stretches before him. The aier by
what shall call the nm group and describe
fourth. Nearest to him is the venerable man.
Laax 1..l.. L.. -.