The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-02-12

PoRrRtrT or TsEn Al W AsHIScToa By a y.
HrrT srr.ar-. afrs. G. G. Williamson, OF tnss
city. Inns TIacef in The State Library JOE pr
servat,on an oiI-portrft OF den GIL, Stuart
ton by that celebrated artast u sl... y ,n,an"
,rhcre has l,cen some doub! existing ailons,
co.,no;sseztys OF the fine arts lor sonls
,;,,,n ,,ost 90 70 the number OF the orlsiha
n,intinrs Of Washington by Tins muster
hand II IS said by those who profess W
i.noyy that there were only GTec orlGiilal
n.;ntinns ofthc "Father of bis Country. by
tIr Stuart. One was destroyed by the painter
hrfnro its completion, on account OF soh'e
;naccnracy; one is at present in the Boston
Athrnruin. having been bought aud deposit
ri there after passing through various hands
and the other, which was painted tor tue
MARQUIS of Lansdown, is now somewhere III
Eurcrc, There were also several copies
taken by Mr. Stuart from these originals, and
II is thought. in accordance with the above
account, that the picture deposited by Mrs.
Williamson is one Of these copies. As there
are no positive records, however, to autllen'
ticate sjeyond doubt the foregoing account,
we arc inclined to place much confidence in
the fact asserted by the owner Of this ore
that II is IN original painting.
ANYTHING connected with the history OF
one Of these valuable portraits will no doubt
be interesting to the lovers of the tne arts,
and we therefore take the occasion to give
the history of this one as received from the
family into whose possession it came:
Mr. Thomas Williamson, OF Norfolk, va,
for many years cashier of the Old virginia
Bank at that place, and who devoted much
Of his time and large sum OF money 10 the
collection of many valuable paintings, DC,
was presented with the above portrait OF
Washington By tho wcll-knoWn painter
Dunlap, who WAS favorte pupil OF Stu
arts. This painting was in course or COM,
pIction at the time Of Mr.. StuarCS death. ana
was lief. by him to his friend and pupil Dun
lap, by whom it was presented to Mr. Will
hanson, and b; him to the present owner.
At the time Of its presentation to Mr.. " IL
hanson, Mr. Dunlap stated that II was IN
ORIGINAL painting by Mir. stuart, anu Us slicn
it Vas handed down to the present owner,
in whose possession it has been Tor nearly
thirty wears. When 1t came into Mr. Dun
Ian's possession il WAS entirely finished with
the exception Of the drapery, which was
added by that painter. Mr.. Dunlap re!ralnetl
from touching any part of the head for fear,
rs he said, Of njuring its perfect resent
ianre, and only added the drapery. lnde'
pendent Of this direct and conclusive testi-
rony, the portrait itself bears the unnis-
taxable stamp OF the genius of the iiDmor-
tai stuart. This portrait. which has upon
it the dust and marks Of ages, though not
enough to hide its true merits, should be re-
touched and newly framed. We understand
that this will be done at an early day.
II is Il most valuable acquisition to the
p,emoty OF tic honorcd dead Of our old
Commonwealth, and with the many other
pictures in tie Library which represent the
genius and nobility Of the old State should
be guarded and preserved with a jealous