New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-11-03
iously written from stuart's statement at the


time.
Now to complete the history of the Lansdowne
picture 1t created, says Mr.. Mason, great san-
sation when il reached England and Lord Lhns-
downe in acknowledging the receipt of 1t said OF
Washington: +" II | was not too old would go
TO Virginia to do him homage Heath engra'e"
IT, with Lord Lansdownes consent which ough'
never TO have been given, though Mr. Bingham
must share with him the blame of the TRANSACTION
for Bingham omitted till TOO late to tell Loru
Lansdowne that Stuart wished to reserve nIs
copvriqht Lord Lansdowne dying in 1903,
| Williams became the owner in the way s'ateu
above Then Williams became bankrupt ana MS
creditors disposed of the picture by LOTTERY I'
which forty tickets were sold at s25O-hl'y
| guineas-apiece Mr. Delaware Lewis won III
an English NJ p, with American connexions
His uncle. Mr. William d. Lewis of Philadelphia,
induced him to lend the portrait for the Cen'ehihd'
| Exhibition in Philadelphia, 1915, and 1t was there
| on view all that summer, but In the brlusn STU
| ton then it came back TO England MT LOWS
died three years ago, and the picture is now Aoru
| Rosebery's
| II is picture, and not portrait merely "haV
was said of it when in America l know noC nor
whether anywhere full justice has been done 10 IL
as work of art 1t is possible enough thau Vheio
are particular points in which as hKeness o"o
| Gibbs or the Vaughan picture, neither OF thehi
an original may be preferred TO this. But plcture
| is to he considered as whole, and where is lhere
any picture of Suart's comparable as a whole 10
| this? lie was careless Of accessories, say ms
critics, but the accessories are here such as the
portrait demanded The tall figure, tall AS in NE
stands well out from the background uI"""
curtain with landscape seen through the Winuo" :
| s..1.. Il md ~.
the cloth half lifted. a volume underneath ettered
| Constitution and Laws OF the United States d
rich carpet on the floor He has just risen from
carved armchair. covered in dark red velvet;
the escutcheon of the Union in the centre OF the
woodwork at the top. There he stands with hfm
foothold on the solid earth, clothed soberly ana
richly in the costume of the eriod-dark-proWh
or black velvet coat and preecn'S,
black silk stockings, lace cravat anu
lace rufles. very deicately painted :
differing silver buckles in his shoes. The rlgh'
1 arm is stretched out, half raised with grace the
! gesture natural, the left holds just below the
hilt silver mounted swOrd-a sword SAID 10 nave
belonged to the Count de Noaillcs, given by HIM
70 Stuart TO be painted into this picture; melted
afterward into teaspoons by good Mrs. stuart
who could not bear the weapon in the mouse
| and no doubt wanted the spoons, the thrifty soul
The attitude is free from cOnStraint; no hint
of the subject sitting or standing 30 he painted
| Gusts thought the legs-he calls them limbs-too
short: some one less tall than Washington posed
for them; Alderman Keppele, says one account;
the Count de Noailles, according to another
| The hands were Stuart's own, says Gusts, and
they also are too small. 1t may be so il matters
| little The leg; are, at any rate, well turned,
the hands have character. The face is turned
as in the Athenaeum portrait. so often engraved;
moro of the left side visible than the right, but
the lines less soping, and the Whole stronger
countenance The features are drawn with greater
energy; the eyes darker, with more light and
life StIarts gifts as a colorist are here to be
seen perhaps at their best; he has used carna-
lions freely and the shadows that set of the
lights are bold. Clearly he has sought for the
character of the man he was depicting and as
clearly has found it. This is no mere transcript
Of the mere actual facts of feature or complexion.
The eyes gaze out from the canvas those
of man who saw life steadily and saw it
whole" There is authority and the habit of
| command in attitude and expression alike. As
! Constable said to the friends whom he had
gathered to see the copy of this picture: There
| is the man" aud it is, they answered with
one accord " the man himself Thus, and not
| otherwise, he stood and looked. This august
! benignity was his. This is the man who made
us one people and independent; this the firm,
wise, just, patient and admirable leader whom
we revere. 1t is, the whole, the most interest
ing picture in the world to American, and
TO look on it he must come 10 England.
G. w. s.