The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1883-06-19
OUR GREAT PAINTERS.
KemtnlscemCes OF .BOhn V0nderlyn's
"Landing of COlumbus.''

Landing OF COIumDue.|
1t seems that the incident is still before
the eye-though over forty years have
elapsed since it was witnessed-of the
staging hanging in front of one of the
great pictures of the rotunda of the Cap
itol at Washington, supported by long
ropes, extending along the whole breadth
of the painting, distance of some twenty
five feet, and movable up and down as
necessity required, with the figure of an
artist alert upon it, with palette and brush
in hand, touching here and tracing there,
and then recedng few feet to see the
effect of the change, as though the inspi-
ration Of the glance was intensified and
its nice perception became intuitive in the
act.
The outward scene, the living fore
ground, if it may be 80 called, was a pic
ture in itself, the boldest figure being the
earnest painter, who was bcqueathing a
national work to posterity, to execute
which was alone a distinguished compli-
ment, bestowed by Congress in his selec-
tion as an American artist to fill another
of the vacant inches of that grand gal
lery, the most Of which had remained va
cant since the veteran Trumbull filled
several of them in the early portion of the
century. This work for posterity the
artist had commenced in 1889, and had
placed in position few years after. But
nowhere-not in his studio-could he
scan the effect of the achievement so we'll
as in its destined place. There stood the
man upon the trembling platform, touch
ing and glancing, pacing this way and
that few steps, as if for new light,
sometimes passing his brush into his
palette hand, as if to shade his brow with
the other for repeated glance. There
moved below men and boys, as if on i'm
portant duties or errands, who scarcely
looked up at the little gentleman upon
the rigging, for they were accustomed to
the changing novelties Of the rotunda.
Men, women and children, and loiterers
from the far confines of the Republic,
formed the mobile and lingering assem-
blage, that for long years had given ami
nation to that aesthetic arena These
were diverted by the varied attractions
ofthe place. And yet, now and then, some
grave Senator, whose vote had sanctioned
the conception of the painter as the
national perpetuation of grand histori-
cal fact, paused and gazed upward at the
small figure, seeming diminished to the
beholder by the height, as if feeling as
responsible for the result of the artists
work as the artist himself felt enthused
in it's progress.
If one could have attained stand
point to take in all these accessories, and
could have fixed the objects for mo-
ment as in the tradition of the once
paralyzed world, the outer scene would
also have had grand effect.
The picture was the Landing of Co.
lumbus :" the artist was John Vanderlyn.
Nearly the closing work Of his life, nearly
the elimination of birth honored in the
figures 1876, it was meet that the finishing
touches should be given leisurely and ac-
cording to his fancy: for he might paint
no more, and the staging once taken
down, might in all probability never be
appraised again, even if from the great tes-
selated floor of the rotunda Vanderlyn
the canvas, with heart-pulsation as
glowing as the eyes of the Medus@ from
the mosaic floor Of the Roman Senate,
that seemed to crave redress of the death
of Cesar, whose body rested upon the
animated stones. However eminent the
artist, whatever great achievements he
may have secured, there remains some
thing yet he must accomplish to atone for
some fancied wrong that fate may have
inflicted, and the picture upon which he
was engaged was perhaps to be the salts
faction of Vanderlyn's life. He bestowed
long time upon it-had finished it, and
yet, high in it's place, he dreamed it could
be bettered with the supernal light cast
down upon it from the apex Of that great
DOME a painter would retouch his work,
as he might fancy for advantage, at every
new glance, as poet will think he can
improve his golden numbers at every Pc
rusal of his manuscript But there comes
time when hand and brain must have
their final rest at last, and time must be
the arbiter of the artists thought.
Vanderlyn, unconsciously displaying
his neat figure to the beholders below,
with his face unseen, while he wrought so
rapt in the interest of his ideal tableau
that he knew not Of them, with his coat
thrown upon cross-rope of his supports
that his very nerve and sinews might be
untrameled for the work, had it to finish
then and there, or never.
1t was finished A labor 80 worthily
achieved dispels criticism, and the Land
ing of Columbus, and the Baptism OF
Pocahontas, the sailing of the Mayfower,
and the arrival on the Mississippi Of our
own DeSoto, with the other great pictures
which illustrate the history of our CONT
nent, will live as long as there may be an
exaggerated significance in the word for.
ever.
Vanderlyn died in 1852. He was in
Europe from 1903 to 1915. He made fine
copies in Italy from Correggio and Ra
phael 1t was in Paris that Aaron Burr
sought to assist his gifted countryman
whose vocation was 80 foreign from that
of the politician, and to some extent may
have forwarded his wishes. Burr was
%hor aalfaxiled having croaaAd the Wate]