Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1889-05-01
CENTENNIAL ART.
vAGNrPIcBNT PAINTINGS OF CENTURY
AGO
DISPLAYED II New york-The WashingtonS V'm-
maud Greatest Attention, but There Are
Many Otter Notable Works
Of Art

NEW YORK. April 3O.-The Sun says:
Four large rooms at the Metropolltar
Opera House. ons Of them big enough to.
be called hall, are now filled with loan
collection Ct portraits and relics illustra-
tive of the period OF the first Inauguration
There are 2O3 painted portraits and large
number of engraved ones, with sixteen
busts. between 30 and 300 relics of var
ions sorts, $50 articles of silverware, Or,
more exactly, 359 catalogue entries repre-
senting a larger number Of pieces, and l52
newspapers and magazines published dur
ing the Washington period
OF course, the collection OF portraits is
the chief fe allure Of the show. Ntither in
s;z- nor in historical or artistic interest
does il rival tie great miscellaneous co..
lection that was gathered in Philadelphia
last winter and sc instructvely catalogued
nv Mr.. Charles Henry Hort that to study
It Thoroughly meant limited education
IL Americ n history. But limited though
this exhibition IS 20 a certain speciSl period,
that period CHARGES to ne one when not
cnly many great men were alve, but seVe-
raj portrsit painters who have not since
hen SURPASSED, iithey have been equailed,
on this side OF tbs OCEAN. Enough OF their
better works are present 10 give New YORK
ers their first real idea of what IS meant by
q Copley. a Stuart, or a TrOmbuil. And
az regsrda Washington portraits, at all
events, the collection surpssses IN interest
the one in Philadelphia, and is undouht'
sdly tbs best that has ever been got to-
gether.
FIRST IN CELEBRITY
is the Vaughan portrait No 27), which
Stuart pointed from life in 1895. 1t shows
the right size of the face. while The Inns
downe tall-length and the Athepe IN head
show the left side. In color ana iii ban
ding it is an excellent example Of Suart's
art; and it is 80 much more pleasing IN
character than the Athen9 I'M head tbat
one cannot but lament the artist did not
insist u1on this likeness instead Of so often
copying the other, that it has become the
accepted simulawum If the Father ct his
Country. Very similar in pose and chsIac-
ter is the Gib5s portrait NO. 2S) that hangs
near nv. [. has suffered by cleaning ep-
pareptly, but mus, at all times have been
inferior to it's peighbor, and those critics
are right, perhaps, who regard it as re-
,,l,oa not another original f~e~' l'fV. THO
big replica OF Iue B1ndsowne portrait No.
90 IS 8 thoroughly bad example OF Stuart
at hiR worst; but il is interesting as show
ing the school OF the famous originsl.
Several replicaS of the Ather eum head are
likewise present, gooj, bad and Indifferent,
the finest being undoubtsdly the one
loaned by Mrs. Pruyn, OF Albany, (No
33) and formerly owrsd by Samuel Wa b.
ington. Here Ne have beautiful color ard
good execution, ana less of tbs mOuthy
look than usual.
In strong cantra5ts with these Stua'ts,
oil Of which, while they vary in excellence,
show the same general conception of the
great original, is the large three quarter
length by Joseph Wright NO 40) This,
with the companion
PICTURE OF MARTHA WASHINGTON
no 49,, was purchased few years ago by
Mr.. c. w Bower after careful eXamineti n
Of written snd printed testim onias, which
certainly seemed 20 prove that they were
| indeed the ones which, it is known, this
artist painted from life. But .hey need no
credentials to pivH them interest or add
authority 10 the interpretation they pre-
cent. This Wa-hiDg On is net exactly
S,uart's; there aIe d ffeyences IN feature as
well as il expressiip. But we all know how
two painters may see a model in divers
WAYS. and vet ea,h he partly right and II
is easy TO believe that the true Washing
ton may have stood, let rs say, half way
between S!uari's sud Wright conception
! Tie latter shOWa us IN individual quite
devoid of cte t;1ge Of pompousness mat
STARTS poitTaysls have, yet digaltied TO
the point of ser rity, full! Ct intelligence
acutsness and moral power. The military
air is lacking It is a purely civilian
Washington, occupied with the plans Of
the city that vas 10 bear his name; but for
this very reason we may, perhaps, couut
ii nearer the exact truth of the day when it
WIS done thsn the work of the more fa
nous Stewart. In addition, it may be
said that the picture is very well painted,
ard is quite delightful In color. 1t is no =
for the first time shown to this genera iOr,
AID, this fact bang considered, il may b
called the chief feature of the show.
Then we have the big Trunb0ll portrait
with white hose No. go, which is the
original of the replica in the City Hall,
and small first study for it, more at
tractive as a work of art; the Princeton
portrait No. 10 by C. w. Peale, which
was painted to ill frame that reyo-
lutionary cannon ball had persuaded
George 1. to Iscate; a number of other
portraits by this Peale and his brother
James; copies ofShirpless's picture; several
by other kno and unknown hands, and
numerous miniatures, including the one
By Ramage which Esssupposed to be lost,
but was unesrtheds few weeks age.
But the other portraits are too interest
ing for the WashDgtops to claim all the
notica they deserve None attracts or de-