Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1891-11-18
rHE LONG LOST PORTRAIT OF
WASHINGTON.

One of the most singular stories In
che annals of art is the theft and disap-
pearance of an authentic full length Of
George Washington, painted by Gil
bert Stuart, the friend and pupil Of
West. This long missing portrait was
one three replicas made by Stuart
from the weIl-known original painted
to the commission of the celebrated
Marquis of Lansdowne. That original
and two of the copies are we'll and
clearly accounted for; but the third
disappeared in the following manner,
and has never since been heard Of:
The portrait was painted for Mr..
Gardner Baker, of New York, an active
member of the Society of st. Tam
many, which, at his suggestion estab-
lished q museum. This museum was
in 1895, made over to Baker, who add
ed, among other attractions, the full
length of the great General. In 1898
he appears to have gone to Boston to
exhibit the picture; but, dying there of
yellow fever, the portrait went to q Mr..
Laing in satisfaction of claim By
hnd-by the Commitle charged with
furnishing the Presidents house at
Washington bought the picture, which
was entrusted to oneWinstanley, a tricky
ne r-do-weel of painter. to pack and
ieliver. Winstanley. however, copied
the Stuart in his own vile way, de-
ivered the copy, and fed to England
with the original. Stuart himself was
the first to discover and denounce the
fraud. But though he repudiated the
canvas that still hangs in the White
House. and though the evidence
against it is overwhelming. patriotic
citizens of the States still believe it to
be the genuine portrait repeated by
Stuart himself from the Lansdowne
full length. What became of the u
uine work stolen by Wlnstanley,
painter and thief?
Well, there is considerable reason to
believe that it is now in the posse ssion
of MIR. William Burrows, a picture
dealer at Douglas, Isle of Man. Some
time ago there was a sale at Vernon in
that island, in consequence of tie death
Of Mrs. Harrison, who was Mrs. Han
cock thaving been twice married) and
daughter of one Breed, who formerly
owned Breed island in Boston Harbor,
whose name is immortalIzed in the
battle of Breeds Hill, and who settled
In the Isle of Man early in the century.
Among variety of pictures disposed
VI NJ tuc dlOTtbdlu 5hlc WIS u une
length In oil of George Washington,
and capital impression of the engrav-
ing which Heath made from the Lans-
downe portrait, thus robbing Stuart of
his copyright, and leading to probably
the first and certainly the bitterest dis
pute On record concerning American
and English artistic rights. Mr.. Bur
rows bought all the pictures at the sale;
ha t,vl. Al.
painting, and its all but complete
identity with the engraving led HIM to
conclude he had acquired genuine
Stuart Washington. Hence those re-
cent paragraphs snent the discovery"
in the Isle Of Man, hence journey to
London, picture in hand, to consult
the experts.
Now the exparts all agree that it is not
only genuine Stuart, but very fine |
pecimen in point alike of han ling,
color, design, aud mot less importantly |
of preservation. Our picture here is \
taken from Heath's engraving, and is
obviously noble portrait. Mr.. Bur-
rows canvas Is essentially the same |
(the differences between it and the |
Lansdowne being extremely slight, and |
not even so m4rked as those which, as |
a rule, naturally appear in replicas); |
but fine as is the black and white, does |
not equal the delicacy and distinction |
of the work now in Mr.. Burrows's pos.
session. Space forbids such a lengthy |
statement as could be made OF the |
facts; but, briefly, the considerations
In favor of this being the replica origin
ally intended for the White House are
these: Winstanley came to England, |
presumably with the portrait. about
the same time as Breed What more
likely than that Breed purchased the
picture for his Isle of Man home,
which he named "Mount Vernon" aftes
Westinghouse? 1t has hung in the
principal room there for nearly ninety
years; Heath's engraving purchased
probably at the time of publicstion)
being in the bedroom. 1t is pretty
certain that Winstanlsy stole the pic
ture to sell; it is not unlikely that he
sold 1t to Breed. This Isle of Man
picture is a genuine Stuart, and OBJ
viously careful replica on smaller
scale of the Lsnsdowne portrait; it sup
plies in all essential points, apparently,
the missing full length. If, Therefore,
this is not the White House portrait,
then Stuart painted another full-length
hitherto unreoorded; or there was
painter who painted in exactly Stuart's
and forged his signature,
about whom history and we know moth.
ing.