Omaha daily bee., 1889-02-10
1pr nv TIVE SENATE

There was recently presented in the
United States senate bill from the
committee on library, proposing TO au-
thorize that committee to purchase
life-size portrait OF Abraham Lincoln,
to be hung in the capitol. The portrait
was painted during the lifetime OF Lin
coin by G.. w. #. Travis, painter OF
high reputation, il not Of great fame,
aud the price asked for 1t is fifteen thou
sand dollars. There was discussion
which terminated in an order relegat-
ing the bill to its place on the calendar,
but which possessed some interest, as
showing the estimate of art by certain
senators distl nguished in other depart,
ments OF culture.
The principal champion OF the bill
was Mr.. Voorhees,, who described the
painting as superb, and who was quite
willing to pay the sum asked for it. But
the more practical, if not less generous
and patriotic senator from Ohio, Mr..
Sherman, objected that fifteen thousand
dollars was an enormous sum to pay for
a portrait. He knew that portraits OF
the highest style of art, by the most
eminent American painters, in full life
size, are painted at from twenty-five
hundred to five thousand dollars. To
the support of Mr.. Sherman rallied
Mr. Hale, Mr.. Hawley. Mr.. Chandler
and Mr.. Palmer, connoisseurs who
knew nothing about Mr.. Travis, the
painter, and professed little acquaint-
ance with the Lincoln portrait, but all
Of whom were quite confident that the
sum asked for the picture, was very
much greater than it was worth because
portrait painting is done both in Eu-
rope and in this country by distin-
guished artists for very much less Nhe
Michigan senator, Mr.. Palmer, who
has perhaps devoted to art as much time
as he could spare from politics aud the
lumber business, observed that it seemed
to him that probably the portrait may
be worth twenty-five hundred dollars if
this artist has very high reputation;
otherwise not, because reputation is
very often what determines the price"
1t always does with the class of buyers
who have no other basis of Judging n
picture.
Evarts reminded these gentlemen that
the question was not what would be the
rate by which an eminent artist would
now produce portrait of Mr.. Lincoln
Doubtless life size portrait of the mar
tyr-president could be had from any of
the several distinguished American
painters for one third of the sum asked
for by the library committee to purchase
the Travis picture, but por-
trait painted to order would possess
none of the historical interest of that
produced by n portraiture from life, and
that interest has value quiet distinct
from the worth of the portrait as a work
of art. The view of Mr.. Sherman that
"the measure of value is the cost of
producing like article" may be par
doned of statesman whose habit of
mind is to value everything from the
economic standpoint, but principle
that may properly be applied to deter
| niue tho value of a locomotive, a now
ing machine, or pair of boots, will not
apply to a historical painting, the merit
| of which, as work OF art, is admitted.
The is but one life-size portrait of
Abraham Lincoln, painted during his
life, and it is conceded TO be an admir-
| able picture of that great man. 1t should
have permanent place in the national
capitol, and no patriotic citizen will find
fault with the cost OF giving it such a
| place, even though it be three or four
times greater than the price which the
| most eminent artists charge for paint
| ing portraits. There are some things
| the value of which cannot be measured
by the cost of producing like article,
Mr.. Sherman to the contrary notwith-
standing.