Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1861-03-28


The New York Herald gives the following
description OF the historical painting which
has been ordered for the Capitol at Colum-
hns
MR. W. II. Powell has completed the car
toon of his great work, "Perrys Victory on
Lake Erie, which has been ordered from him
by the State Of Ohio for the rotunda Of the
Capitol at Columbus. The picture is sixteen
feet by twelve, proportions which have en-
abled the artist to give the figures their nat
unl size. The period Of the action chosen IS
that SO wildly described by Com. Mackenzie
in his life Of Perry:
"Deserled, he says, "by the Niagara, which
was TO have encountered the secohd Of the
enemy's ships, and sustained only by the
Caledonia, the Ariel and the Scorpion, we
ind him resisting for more than two hours
the whole of the British squadron. Finding
at length his vessel cut to pieces, bis guns
dismounted, his means Of resistance destroy
ed, and nearly the whole of his brave crew
lying dead or wounded around him, instead
Of yielding the day, after having done every
thing thar depended upon him TO win it and
leaving the responsibility of defeat to the COM
mander Of the Niagara, he thought ouly OF
using the means that remained to him still to
secure a victory. Passing from the Lawrence
under the enemy's fire, saved from death as
if miraculously, he reached the Niagara, and,
by an evolution unsurpassed for genius and
hardihood, bore down upon the enemy, and
dashed with his fresh aud uninjured vessel
through the enemy's line 1t was thus that
the battle Of Erie was won, not merely by
the genius and inspiration, but eminently by
the exertions of one man."
In the picture Perry is seen in his pinnace
leaving the Lawrence, the stars and stripes
floating at the bow, and the hero himself
standing in the centre, With his hand extend
ed in acknowledgment OF the cheers which
greet him from the disabled flag ship. The
balls are flying about him in every direction,
and one has Just struck the oar from the hands
of a negro whose alarm is characteristically
depicted. PerTy's brother, a boy about
twelve yesrs Of age, is seen tugging at his
coat in the vain effort to make him sit down
so as to render himself 8 less conspicuous
mark This incident is rendered the more
interesting by the fact that the model who
sat for the little midshipman is the grandson
of Commodore Perry-a young Vintoa, son
of the well known clergyman of that name
and said to bear a striking resemblance tothe
hero Of Lake Erie.
The figure of Perry is, of course, the CEN
tral object in the picture. It is admirably
drawn, and conveys in the freedom and un-
studied elegance of its attitude a correct idea
of him as he is described By those who knew
him The head is gracefully set on his
shoulders, and his features have refinement
which contrasts we'll with the broad, mass. We
faces Of the boats crew. These are all shIdie
taken from the navy yard, and are distinct
types in their way, They are sketched with
a vigor and individuality that impart to them
a separate interest and that realize all the
excitement of the scene. So carefully, in
deed, has each point of the picture been made
to tell, that the story is complete even to It's
minutest details. We fancy that we have
under our eyes the battle itself, with all its
shifting incidents and emotions. A more
credible work. taking into account its motive
and the holiness with which it is drawn, has
never been attempted by an American artist
If painted with the same truthfulness with
which it is designed, it will deserve to rank
with the best historical compositions of the
| French and German schools.