Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1879-08-27
PICTURES OF THE PRESIDENTS.

The Portraits in the Corcoran Art Gal
lery--Why Lincoln stopped Shaving.
Washington Letter to Cincinnati Commercial.
Healy's portraits of the presidents of
the United States, recently added to the
Corcoran Art Gallery, are mainly the
studies from which, about 80 years ago,
he executed q commission from Louis
PHILIPPE, then king of the French. Those
of the earlier presidents are copies from
Stuart and Harding, the others are from
life. They were purchased of the artist
by Thomas B. Bryant, Esq, of this city,
together with the portraits of Taylor,
Fillmore, Pierce, Buchanan and Lincoln,
painted since the French royal order,
and sold by him to the gallery. They
are of various degrees of merit; one or
two are quite bad, greater number in
differently good, and few really excel
lent. From some unexplained cause the
portrait of Gen. Harrison is not EN- brac-
ed in the collection. The directors are
anxious to supply the omission, and two
have already been forwarded them for
inspection, with a view to their sale,
but neither proved satisfactory. The
better of these came from Louisville,
and is the property Of Mr.. Oliver W.
Lucas, clerk of the board of aldermen
of that city. It is by Mr.. John r. John
ston, formerly of Cincinnati, but now
of Baltimore, and was painted in 1910,
about the time of the Generals election
to the presidency. 1t is a tolerably cor
rect likeness, but the colors are much
faded and it was considerably, though
not irreparably, injured in its transpor-
tation hither. For these reasons, and in
the hope of securing less Objectionable
picture, it's purchase was declined. Mr..
J. II. Beard painted several portraits of
the general, which must still be in ex-
istence in good state of preservation.
The portrait of Mr.. Lincoln was
painted in 1860, during the tendency of
the presidential election or Immediately
thereafter, under al order from Mr..
Bryant, then a citizen of Chicago. The
face is unshaven, which gives it rather
youthful look, without in the least i'm
proving its native LONELINESS. Mr..
Lincoln was in the habit of explaining
that he " turned his beard loose" at the
suggestion OF a lady, whose knowledge
Of. his personal appearance was confined
to newspaper cuts, which fairly made
him an ogre. She wrote to him that, in
her woman's judgment, whiskers would
add much to his beauty, and if he could
be persuaded to cultivate them she would
kiss him the first time they ever met
The gallant rail-splitter at once re-
stricted his tonsorial operations to the
upper and neither lips, leaving them free
for the osculatory reward, and in q few
weeks garnished his cheeks, chin and
throat with hirsute adornment which
puzzled Mrs. Lincoln, and surprised his
acquaintance without, as already init
mated, enhancing his personal pulchri-
tude. AS the necessary conclusion to
this Cover true tale" it CHANGED that
he and the unknown lady met, and the
promised reward was claimed and re-
ceived. He was never clean-shaven
afterwarC.
The next ugliest of the presidents
Counting Jefferson a "good third ~ is
Zachary Taylor. His portrait somewhat
refnes the plain features of the rough
and weather-beaten old soldier, but it
very correctly represents him as he
lived" His eye, which was black, keen
and piercing, greatly relieved his COM
monplace countenance, and it fairly
CLOVIS from Healy's canvas.
Probably the most striking picture in
the lot is that of General Jackson,
who, too, in spite of his long life, never
grew to be marvellous proper man."
although his appearance was very dis
tinguished. He sat for Mr.. Healy in the
spring of 1915, and the picture was fin
ished only nine days before his death,
The picture is in marked contrast with
the full-length portrait Of the general
painted by Vanderlyn in in 1919, which
hangs in the main gallery. The latter
represents him in uniform, but bare
headed, standing beside cannon, sword
in hand, with the smoke of battle filling
in the background, and its blaze flaming
from his eyes and Illuminating his face
with martial glory. Healy's is stripped
of all its glamour, and affords painful
evidence Of age, infrmity, Of disease and
suffering; but the wonderful head still
bears it's leonine aspect, while the steel
blue eyes, undimmed by time or applica-
ton, retain their former marvellous
power, and seem to look directly through
the holder. A duplicate of this picture
may be seen at the Hermitage; the pose
is slightly altered, and the effect rem
dered more agreeable and impressive.
Yet it is sad to look upon, and one at
last turns from it with sigh of relief.