The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1879-09-24
Presidential Pictures.
Washington Letter to Cincinnati Commercial.

Washington Letter to Cincinnati Commercial.
Healy's portraits Of the Presidents of the
United States, recently added to the Cor
coran Art Gallery, are mainly the studies
from which, about 80 years ago, he ex
ecuted a commission from Louis Philippe,
then King of the French. Those of the
earliest Presidents are copies from Stuart
and Harding, the others are from life.
They were purchased of the artist by
Thomas B. Bryan, Esq, of this city to-
get1er with the portraits of Taylor, Fill
more. 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 1eally excellent.
From some unexplained cause the por-
trait of General Harrison is not en-
braced in the collection. The Directors
are anxious to supply the omission, and
two have already been forwarded them
for inspection, with view to their sale,
but neither proved satisfactory. The bet
ter 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. Johnston, for
merly of Cincinnati, but now of Baltimore,
and was painted IN 1910, about the time
of the generals election to the Presidency.
1t it tolerably correct likeness, but the
colors are much faded, and it is cons d.
erably, though not irreparably injured in
is transportation hither. For these rea-
sons, and in the hope Of securing a less
Objectionable picture, its purchase was
declined. Mr.. j. H. Beard painted sew
eral portraits of the general, which must
still be in existence, in good state of
preservation ~
The portrait of Mr.. Lincoln was painted
in 1860, during the tendency of the Presi-
Dental election or immediately thereafter,
under an order from Mr.. Bryan, then a
citizen of Chicago. The face is unshaven,
| w"ich gives it a rather youthful look,
| without in the least improving its native
| homeliness. Mr.. Lincoln was in the hab-
| it 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 judgement,
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 restricted his tonsorial operations
to the upper and neither lips, leaving
them free tor the osculatory reward, and
in few weeks garnished his cheek s,
chin, and throat with hairsuit adorn-
ment which puzzled Mrs. Lincoln, and sur
prised his acquaintance without, as al
ready intimateG, enhancing his personal
pulchIitude. AS the necessary conclusion
| to this "o'er true tale," it Glanced that
he and the unknown lady met, and the
promised reward was claimed and re-
ceivcd. He was never clean shaved after
ward. ~ f"s ..aa." sr
The next ugliest of the Presidents
Counting jefferson "good third'D is
Zachary Taylor. His portrait somewhat
| refnes the plain features of the rough
and weather-bcaten old soldier, but it
very correctly represents him Gas he lived"
His eye, which was black, keen, and
piercing, greatly relieved his common
place countenance. and it fairly glows
from Healy's canvas.
Probably the most striking picture in
the whole lot is that of Gen jackson,
who, too, IN spite Of his long life, never
grew to be q "marvelous proper man, al
though his appearance was very distin-
guished. He sat for Mr.. Healy in the
spring Of 1845, 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 1919 which
hangs in the main gallery. The latter
headed, standing beside o cannon, sword