Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1879-10-09
Pictures of the Presidents.

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 thirty years ago, he ex-
ecuted n 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. Bryan, Esq together with the
portraits of Taylor, Fillmore, Pierce, Eu-
chanan 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, II greater
number mdilferently good, and few real
ly excellent. from some unexplained
cause the portrait OF General Harrison is
not embraced in the collection. The dircc-
tors are anxious to supply the commission,
and two have already been forwarded them
for inspection, with n view to their sale.
but neither proved satisfactory. The bet
ter of these came from Louisville, ard is
the property of Mr.. Oliver w. Lucas, Clerk
of the Board of Aldermen of that city. Ii is
by Mr.. John II. Johnston, formerly Of Gin
cinnati, but now of Baltimore, and was
painted in 1910, about the time of the
Generals election to the Presidency 1t is
tolerably correct likeness, but the colors
are much faded and il was considerably,
though not irreparably, injured in its trans
portation hither For these reasons and in
the hope of securing less Objectionable
picture, its purchase was declined. Mr.. j.
III. Beard painted several portraits of the
General, which must still be in existence in
a good state of preservation. The portrait
of Mr.. Lincoln was painted in 1860, during
the pendency of the Presidential election
or Immediately thereafter, under an order
from Mr. Bryan, then citizen of Chicago.
The face is unshaven, which gives it
rather youthful look, without in the least
improving his native homcliness. Mr..
Lincoln was in the habit of explaining that
he turned his beard loose at the sugges-
ton of lady, whose knowledge of his per
sonal 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-spltter at once
per and neither lips, leaving them free for
the osculatory reward, and in few weeks
garnished his cheeks, chin and throat with
hirsute adornment which puzzled Mrs.
Lincoln and surprised his acquaintances
without, as already intimated, enhancing
his personal pulchritude. As the necessary
conclusion TO this ''ower true tale it
chanced that he and the unknown lady met,
and the promised reward was claimed and
received. lie was never clean-shaved
afterward. The next ugliest of the Presi-
dents Counting Jefferson as ''good-thlrd'D }
is Zachary Taylor. HIS portrait somewhat
refines the plain features of the rough and
weather-beaten old soldier, but il very
correctly represents him ''as he lived.
His eye. which was black. keen and pier
cling, greatly relieved his commonplace
countenance, and il fairly glows from
Healy's canvas. Probably the most strik-
ing picture in the lot is that of General
jackson, who, too, in spite of his long life,
never grew to be a marvellous proper man,
although his appearance was very distin-
gushed He sat for Mr. Healy in the
spring of 1916, and the picture was fiEished
only nine days before his DEATH The pic
tuIC 10 III llldi hCu COIltldSl WIFI TIC 1ull
length portrait of the General painted by
Vanderlyn in 1919, which hangs in the
main gallery. The latter represents him in
uniform, but bare-headed, standing beside
a cannon, sword in hand, with the smoke
of battle filling the background, and its
blaze flaming from his eyes and illuminat
ing his face with martial glory. Healy's
is stripped of all this glamour, and affords
painful evidence of age and infirmity, of
disease and suffering; but the wonderful
head still bears its leonine aspect, while the
steel-blue eyes, undimmed by time or APP
plication, 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 rendered
more agreeable and impressive. Yet it is
sad to look upon, and one at last turns from
it with sigh of relief.