Eastern times., 1856-03-13
Portraits of Washington.

The National Intelligencer publishes some
interesting papers relative to The life of Geo.
Washington, emanating from the pen of his
distinguished relative, e. w. p. Custis-
They are designed as an appendix 10 the Gus
It's recollections and private memoirs of the
great warrior and stalesman-the hero and the
patriot. OF the early portraits which were
made of Washington, Mr.. Custis speaks as
follows -
The earliest original Of the Pater Patrie is
the portrait of Col. Washington, painted by
Charles Wilson Peale, in I772, and now in
fine preservation at Arlington House. This
picture formed the principal ornament Of the
parlor at Mount Vernon for twenty-seven
years, and for the truth of the resemblance to
the Washington of colonial times, DR.. James
Craik was frequently applied TO, who pro-
nounced it to be faithful likeness of the pro-
vincial colonel in the prime of life
Next in order of succession we have full
length of the Commander-in-C Chief, painted by
Peale in l779, during the revolution. This
Peale may be called the soldier artist; for in
spring time he would lay aside his palette, and
command a company, fight campaign, and on
going into winter quarters, take up his palette
again and paint the portraits Of the great men
of the army Of Independence. The soldier ar
list gave most graphic and amusing account
of his painting the portrait of Gen. Green at
Valley Forge. He said: 'The wreiched hut
that formed my studio had but two articles of
furniture in it, an old bedstead and three-leg-
ged chair. The General being heavy man,
| placed him upon the bedstead, while | seated
myself as well as could upon the ricketty
chair; it was awful cold, and had every few
moments 10 thrust my hands into the fire TO
enable me to hold my pencil In such stu
dio and with such appliances, was painted the
only reliable likeness that we have of the il
lustrious soldier who was the hero of the
South. and second only to him who was the
first of ALL
In 1890, appeared the equestrian portrait Of
the Chief by Col. Trumbul. In the execu-
tion of this fine work of art the painter had
standings as well as sittings-the white charg-
er, fully caparisoned, having been led out and
held by groom, while the Chief was placed
by the artist by the side of the horse, :he right
arm resting on the saddle. In this novel mode
the relative positions of the man and horse
were sketched out and afterwards transferred
10 canvass. There is copy, size of life, of
the equestrian portrait by Trumbull in the
city hall of New York. The figure of Wash
ington, as delineated by Col. Trumbuli is the
most perfect extant.
In 1889, the first President lost his teeth,
and the artificial ones with which he was fur
nished answering very imperfectly the purpose
for which they were intended, marked change
occurred in the appearance of his face, more
especially in the projection of the under lip,
which forms so distinguished a feature in the
works of Stuart, who painted portraits of the
great man subsequent 10 1889.
In the head by Stuart and the fRure by
Trumbull, the Americans have a standard from
which TO draw materials for an accurate re-
production of his form and feature.
The form of Washington deviated from the
general rule, since it descended from the
shoulders TO the hips in perpendicular linesi
the breadth Of the trunk being nearly as great
at the one as the other. His limbs were long
large, and sinewy in his lower limbs he was
what is usually called straight limbed. His
Joints, feet and hands, were large, and could .