The Evening critic., 1882-03-06
Original Portraits of Washington.

The Osgoods have just given to the reading
public Miss Elizabeth Bryant Johnstone's
'Original Portraits of Washington" issuing 1t
on the 22d Of February as an appropriate COM
pliment TO the work and its author and as
memento OF the sesqui-centennial of the ami
versery. 1t is bound in green and black and
gold, and In brown and black and gold.
medallion head of Washington is on the cover,
framed in a laurel wreath cought with the
monogram OF the United States. 1t is printed
on cream paper, in beautiful type, and the
heliotypes and engravings, that form so large
n part of Its contents, are Of exceeding in
terest.
The author has been unwearying in her
search for material, and her "nnds" have
been valuable and often surprising; as, for
instance, Savages painting of the family on
the porch at Mount Vernon, which for fifty
years was believed TO have been burnt-the
belief being circulated in every place where
the engraving appeared by the statement that
this was all that survived. But above the
min entrance Of the Boston Museum Miss
Johnsone saw 1t, where 1t had been hanging,
unnoticed, for two generations. 1t Is living
proof OF the accuracy Of the artists engraving
of his own work and of Sartain's reproduction.
Each portrait brings out some phase In the
character OF the remarkable man, whom 1t is
our American fashion to laugh at and ridicule
with our lips and reverence and admire with
our hearts. In the Rembrandt Peales, for In
stance, he is leonine; In the Stuarts he Is the
stately old man. who looks back with calm,
beautiful eyes on the triumphs and defeats, the
struggles and humiliations by and through
which he bought victory. Trumbull is the
military painter by excellence, although there
is q Rembrandt Peale in which the fiery eyes
and angry brow proclaim the soldier to the
extinction of the statesman. In the Copley and
the Chas. Wilson Peale he Is the young officer
who wore his red coat loyalty as long as he
could do II honestly. In the "Claypoole pic
ture" (Jas. Peale) his strength Of Will and
massive calm are the leading characteristics.
In the Wertmuller, his dignity and courtli-
ness. The pencil sketch by B. Henry Latrobe
Whose name the author, by the way, has re-
versed into Henry b. Latrobe), is one of the
best profiles ever made of him. and the Robert
Field medallion the most pleasing portrait.
The Williams portrait in his Masonic regalia,
has associations and certain charm for the
| fraternity as a distinguished Masons picture,
| but is the least attractive OF ALL
The Ceracclu bust and the Canosa statue
are the finest sculptures, although the Bailey
and Bartholomew statues are better known. In
| the Canova he is represented In the armor OF
| Roman conqueror, but is seated listening ap-
transcribing their mighty rythm on the tablet
| of history. The engravings Of this, made by
| the order and under the eye Of the sculptor,
| are extremely valuable, for they are the only
trace left in the world OF the masters exquis-
lite work, the statue having been burnt In the
| State e-house at Raleigh, N c., years ago.
| There is fine plate OF the Washington, Kos
| ciusko and Lafayette medal, which, except In
| collections OF coins, &c., is now tradition
| memorial stones In the monument and the
| inscriptions on all of them. There are O
| thousand little incidents OF the great mans
| life, gathered from the artists journals, pri
| vate letters and memoirs, for the author has
availed herself of every opportunity the coun
| try Afforded, incidents that give a better In
sight into his character as II really was than
| all the lives OF him ever written. His foreign
fame Is gauged by the number of foreign
| artists commissioned to paint his por
| trait, and the simplicity and
| grandeur OF the mans nature standing III,
test OF a worlds admiration is sketched in al
| mastery way by the author as the picture b,
| the artists 1t Is most exhaustive work, an(
is fun OF interesting matter, well told, ant
carefully compiled. OF course, in such a mas
Of detail some errors of name and date hay,
crept in, but they are errors that can easily b'
corrected by the author In her next edition
| The dedication is TO Gen. Garfield, and the pre-
face is a piece OF good, terse writing. He
| "acknOwledgment" Is sample and grateful
| II stands unique among books, for n
mans mind would have given weight and In
| terest TO such a world OF minor details, an'
| few women could deal so strongly with them
She has entered heart and soul into her sui
| tect, but personal feeling is made subseryien
TO accuracy and justice 10 artist and work
| The object OF the book Is 10 bring into new III
the Interest and pride in Washington that be
longed TO his day and generations TO make tina
day and generation perpetual present tim
| 10 the country; 10 encourage respect for tn
man by citing his claims upon IL, and TO pay
| personal tribute to one who was not only n
| markable in America, but who has had fe
equals and no superiors in the military histor
| Of the world