The Dickinson press., 1888-08-04
PORTRAITS OF WASHINGTON.


Rembrandt Pcalc's Account of How tho
First President Sat for His Father
Rembrandt Pcal" the artist who painted
the famous, hut li"rrilr in its subject and
Sli@gcstivencss, picture, "'rhr court of
Death, was II son Of tl" also famous tI,air,
Wilson l'ealc, who painted from personal
sittln2S several portraits of Washington. H.
recent interview he said: "Wnsllin2tun
gave siitingS Ia Stuart and my father al the
same time, and was often with him TIN,
was when he was president -al,uut l.9l IT,.
sat f"r my father in the quit early morning
before his stat" tu", had luol u," and
when Ii" appeared tu the eyes ,f the charmed
observer simply as George Wnshng,,n tho
man and citizen. He was then about g.;
years old, and th" tolls and trial, which h,
had passed through as TIA" commander Of the
army, ami the quite as great cares Of six
years of the presidency, added to the weight
OF increasing years, had told with no little
severity upon his tall stately and still ilnlos-
ing frame and features His somewhat ,lin
lH.lr was gray; years and fears and cares
had ;ll left traces on his face" and lis teeth
being gone. til" lips and checks and lines
about the mouth were, somewhat depressed
and contracted. My fathers portrait of
him. repeated Mr. Icnlr, WAS exactly of
Washington rs Ii" really was while he w,,s
the man only, and I'cforc he had prepared
himself, as president, To enter upomhi more
especially then than now, nt,l,l'ls ,lui les us
chief executive of TIN" great but very young
republic"
But why" it was asked, eth" two por-
traits being painted at the same tii" sh"rlh
Stuart, bc very uliliIi.. your liIthcr's::''
''Simply because, continual l'"al", ''rs |
have already stated, WASHINGTON gave hi,
altlnSs to Stuart on the same day. ht after
Il careful preparation of his state toilet. and
he was"&""r''ngly, almost nlstorey nice in
all matters of conventional dress and 1t, port
mcnt. Indeed, the remove from, Ire iallncrs
and customs of E,nglald. in,,ni,rcl!y was so
recent and 50 slight that the social ntmos-
phcrc of the White Iinus,, I,nrtnnk largely of
the etiquette Of the court, and the oHuc"tcl
and pi;lcticcd department. of tln. oX,cutive
chamber was formal in degree us that
which had been necessary in order to have.
audience wit Ii the kiilg
''rhs stat" toilet, among other things, in
clulrl the careful cpinpii32 and I,pwtlerili., of
the hair and tI" tying Of it in IL t,,!c: ;lsp;t
discreet make up Of the face, and, most
noticeable of all, the fitting into thu iuuniiluf
a fun set Of falls. teeth. Nuw. tlI" art and
skill ut III" dentist in tlp,, days had nut at
tanned To a T"ry perfect imitation of nature,
and the plate, being l;,r.s" aud clu!n.y, gayc
to the mouth and whpl,. bower port ion ui the
face tliat Hat, full, square aud unnatural uy
pcarancc Which uli r'tu observers uf
StE!rt'a great portrait cannot fail 10 observe,
and which is very often lie,iuni,gly re-
marked upon. Til, portrait was adopted rs
lHrmonI@lnS NOR" fully with tn" courtly
conception Of what the personal appearance
and hubliimruts nl one in 50 great authority
s.."ud b.: but a. It portrait, it is Of the
President rather than Of Tia" man. and is to
hc regarded as The ideal, rather than as tie.
r"al Washington. "A, :. Io;,Sr in Tn. Sara
tpsian