Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1888-05-01
PORTRAITS OF WASHINGTON.
''emnrandt Peaie's Account Of How I'm,

s'e"prandt Peale's Account of Hnr. In.
'"sl PRESIDENT Sat for HIS Father.
rembrandt Peale, the artist who raiptad
Inc famous, but horrible in its subject and
99useeStiVeness, picture, 1.-THE Court of
, Dea'n, was a SON of the also famous Charles
uNsoh reaie, who painted from personal
''''ipgs several portraits of Washington. In
recent interview he said: "Wsshinoton
save sittihgs to Stuart and my father at the
same Time, and was often with him. This
was when he was president-about 1874 He
SAT Tor my father in the quiet early rnornine,
before his state toilet had been made and
"hei he appeared to the eyes of the cbarned
observer simply as George Washington fine
man and citizen. He was then abont 10
years Old, and the tolls and trials which be
had passed through as the commander of the
arihy, and the quite as great cares of six
Fears OF the presidency, added to the weight
OIL increasing years, had told with no little
severity upon his tall, stately and still impos-
ing frame and features His somewhat thin
mar was gray; years and fears and cares
lau all lett traces on his face, and his teeth
peihg gone, tine lips and cheeks and lines
a'ou' ehe mouth were somewhat depressed
anu Contracted. MY fathers portrait of
hlm," repeated Mr.. Peale, was exactly of
a. NC IcttLiJ was While he
the man only, and before he had prepared
himself, as president, to enter upon his more
especially then than now, arduous duties as
chief executive of the great but very vounp
republic"
But why" it was asked. .sthe two nor
traits being painted at the same time sbould
Stuarts be SO very unlike your father,sr'
SIMPLY because" continued Peale. .sas I
have already stated, Washington gave his
sittings to Stuart on the same day, but after
careful preparation of his state toilet; and
ne was exceedingly, almost austerely nice in
all matters of conventional dress and deport-
ment. Indeed, the remove from the manners
ana customs OF England's monarchy was so
recent and SO slight that the social atmos-
phere OF the White House partook largely of
the etiquette of the court, and the expected
ana practlced department of the executive
chamber was as formal in degree as that
winch had been necessary in order to have
audience with the king.
ms state toilet among other things in
cluded the careful combing and powderine of
the hair and tho tying of it in a cue: also a
discreet make up" of the face, and. most
noticeable of oil, the fitting into the mouth of
full set of false teeth. Now, the art and
skill of the dentist in those days had not at
tanned to very perfect imitation of nature.
and the plates being large and clumsy, gave
to the mouth and whole lower portion of the
face that fat, full, square and unnatural ap-
pearance which all careful observers of
Stuart's great portrait cannot fail to observe.
and which is very often questioningly re-
marked upon. This portrait was adopted as
harmonizing more fully with the courtly
conception of what the personal appearance
and habilimentA Of one in so great authority
should be; but a. a portrait, it is of the
president rather than of the man. and is to
be regarded as the IDEAL rather than as the
real Washington S. Peese in The Sara
togian.