Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1856-04-10
Mlisrellanp.
From the National Intelligencer.
Portraiture of Washington;

From the National Inteigencer. e
Portraiture of Washington: t
pE1Ne AN APPENDIX TO THE cUsTIs RECoLLECTIoNs e
AND PRIVATE MEMOIRS. :
It is assuredly both desirable and proper that
there should belong to the American people,
and descend to their posterity, faithful por-
traiture Of their WASHINGTON. They have In
their own country all the materials requisite and
necessary for such work nor need they TO 60
abroad to ensure its most happy execution-they
/, having artistic genius and skill Of the highest
order at home.
The earliest original of the Pater Patrie is
The portrait Of Colonel Washington painted BY
: Charles Wilson peale in 1772, and is now in
fine preservation at Arlington House. This
splendid and most interesting picture formed
the principal ornament of the parlor at Mount
Vernon for twenty-seven years, and for the truth
of its resemblance to the Washington OF colon
ial times DR.. James Craik was frequently ap-
piled to, who pronounced IT TO be faithful
likeness of the Provincial Colonel in the prime
of life. The venerable James Craik, it is well
known. was the associate and bosom friend OF
the Chief from 1854 to the last days at Mount
Vernon.
Next in tho order of succession we have full
length of the Commander-in- Chief, painted by
Peale in l779, during the Revolution This
Peale may be very properly styled the soldier
artist for in spring time he would lay ASIDE
his palette. and commanding company, fight
campaign, and on going into winter quarters
take up his palette again, and paint the por-
traits of the great men of the army of lnde-
nendence, The soldier artist gave most
graphic aud amusing account Of his painting
the portrait of General Green at Valley Forge.
He said The wretched hut that formed my
studio had but two articles of furniture-an old
bedstead and three-legged chair The Cen
eral being heavy man, placed him upon the
bedstead. while steadied myself as well as
could upon rickety chair it was awfully cold,
and had every few moments to thrust my hands
into the fire to enable me to hold my pencil.
In such studio, and with such appliances, was
nainted the only reliable likeness that we have
of the illustrious soldier who was the hero OF
the South and second only to him who was first
of all.
peale delighted to relate incidents that oc-
Cured during his intercourse at various times
with Washington, particularly the display OF
the vast physical prowess of the Chief in l772'
He said One afternoon several young gen
tlemen, visitors at Mount Vernon, and myself
were engaged in pitching the bar, one OF the
athletic sports common in those days, when
suddenly the Colonel appeared among us. lie
requested to be shown the pegs that marked the
bounds of our efforts then, smiling, and with
out putting off his coat, held out his hand fol
the missile. No sooner" observed the narrator
with emphasis, I" did the heavy iron bar feel The
grasp of his mighty hand than it lost the power
of gravitation, and whizzed through the air
striking the ground far, very far, beyond ou'
limits We were indeed amazed, as we stooc
around all stripped to the buff, with shirt
sleeves rolled up and having thought ourselves
very clever fellows, while the Colonel, on retir
ing, pleasantly observed, When you beat my
plUCil, yOuuS RSuoOmOht IL Wy "6"A"'
In 1890 appeared the equestrian portrait
the Chief by Colonel Trumbull. In the execu
tion of this fine work of art the painter hat
standings as we'll as sittings-the white charger
fully caparisoned, having been led out and hell
by a groom, while the Chief wrs placed by th
artist BY the side Of the horse, the right arr
resting on the side of the saddle. In this move
mode the relative positions of the man an
horse were sketched out and afterwards trant
ferred to the canvas. There is a copy, size
life, of the equestrian portrait by Trumbull
the City Hall of New York. The figure
Washington, as delineated by Colonel Trumbul
is the most perfect extant.
In 1889 the first President lost his teeth, on
the artificial ones with which he was furnishe
answering very imperfectly the purpose II
which they were intended, marked change o
CURED in the appearance of his face, more
pecially in the projection of the under lip, whit
forms SO distinguishing a feature in the wor
of Stuart and others who painted portraits
the great man subsequent to ]789.
we now come TO Drilllant era Ill tiie niotO
of the fine arts in the United States, in the r
turn of Gilbert Stuart to his native land from
long sojourn in Europe, where his great fame
portrait painter obtained 70: him the title
the modern Vandyke. The Distinguishing C
cellence of Stuart, as portrait painter, co
sisted in his giving the expression Of charact
to his portraits, u novelty in portrait painti
in the United States more than half a centu
ago. Stuart's object and ambition on return
to America was to paint the great man of
country. He gave to this work all his GENT
all his skill, and the best feelings of his heal
The first portrait of Washington by Stuart CT
ated great sensation on its appearance in Ph
adelphia 1t was soon followed by the ce
bratcd ull-length for the Marquis of Lal
downe. In this splendid picture Stuart
failed in the figure of the Chief, unapproachal
as he was, in painting the head. The gr'
artist had never made the human figure his
cular study or practice. Hence, for The C
rect figure of Washington zoe must refer, in
cases, to the works Of IrumbuH. 1t was
good fortune to see much Of Gilbert Stuart
his studios of Philadelphia and Washing
city. and to hear him say, Z" / do not prett
to have painted Washington as the General
the armies of independence; knew him not
such have painted the first President OF
United States" And again, upon his be
asked, Whom did Washington most resi-
ble,o he replied, t" No one but himself.