The Portland daily press., 1879-09-10
Pictures of the Presidents.
The Portraits in the Corcoran Art Gallery
Why Lincoln Stopped Shaving.

Washington Letter to Cincinnati Commercial
Healeys portraits of the Presidents of the
| United States recently added to the Corcoran
| Art Gallery, are mainly the studies from which
about thirty years ago he executed 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, of this city, together v it'll the
portraits of Taylor, Fillmore, Pierce, Buchan-
an and Lincoln painted since the French roy
al order, and sold by him to the gallery They
are of various degrees of merit
one or two are quite bad, a greater num-
Der indifferently good, and few really excel
lent. From some unexplained cause tthe por-
trait of Gen. Harrison is not embraced in the
collection. The Directors are anxious to sup
ply 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 1t is
by Mr.. John r. Johnston, formerly of Cincin-
natl, 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
it was much injured, though not irreparably,
in its transportation hither. For these reasons
and in the hope of securing less objectiona-
BILE picture, its purchase was declined. Mr.. j.
III. Beard painted several portraits of the Gen
eral, 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 Presidential
election, or Immediately thereafter, under an
order from Mr.. Bryan, then citizen of Chca-
go. The face is unshaven. which gives it
rather youthful look, without in the least i'm
proving its native homeliness. Mr.kLincoln
was in the habit of explaining that he ''turned
his beard loose" at the suggestion of 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 to
his beauty, and if he could be persuaded to cul-
tivate 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 for
the osculatory reward, and in a few weeks gar
nished his cheeks, chin and throat with q hir-
suite adornment which puzzled Mrs. Lincoln,
and surprised his acquaintance without, as
already intimated, enhancing his personal pull
chritude. AS the necessary conclusion to this
'ower true tale', it CHANGED that he and the
unknown lady met, and the promised reward
was claimed and received. He was never
clean-shaved afterward.
The next ugliest of the Presidents Counting
Jefferson ''good thirdly is Zachary Taylor.
His portrait somewhat refines the plain feat
ures of the rough and weather beaten old SOL
dier, but it very correctly represents him "as
he lived' His eye, which was black, keen and
piercing, greatly relieved his commonplace
countenance, and it fairly glows from Healy's
canvas.
Probably the most striking picture in the lot
is that of Gen. Jackson, who in spite of his
long life, uever 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 finished
only nine days before his death. The picture
is in marked contrast with the full length one
painted by Vanderlyn in 1S19 which hangs in
the main gallery. The latter represents him
in uniform, but bareheaded, standing beside a
cannon, sword in hand, with the smoke of bat
tie filling the background and its blaze flaming
from his eyes and Illuminating 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 application, retain their marvellous power,
and seem to look directly through the behoder. |
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 sign of relief