The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1891-11-19
A THEFT IN ART.
The Story Of Messing Portrait
OF Washington.
Belief rhat It Is stili in Existence in tho
Isle OF Msn-Thc portrgi, originally
Intended for the Waite
House.

House.
One of the most singular stories in
the annals of art is the theft and dis
appearance of an authentic full length
OF George Washington. painted by Gill
bert stuart. the friend and pupil of
West, says tho london Black and
White This long missing portrait was
one Of three rcplicas made by Stuart
from the well-l:nown original painted
to the cointa isaon cf The celebrated
Marquis of Lnnst.ownc That original
an1 two of the copies are well and
clearly accounted iur. but the third
disappeared in the following man
ner, and has never since been heard of.
The portrait was painted for Gardner
Baker. of New York. al active member
of the society of st Taminany, which
at his suggestion established museum.
This museum was in 1906 made over to
Baker. who added AMONG other attrac-
tions the full length OF thc great gem
eral In 1898 he aprcara to have gone
to Boston to exhibit the picture; but,
dying there of yellow fever, the por-
trait went to n Mr. I,aing in satisfac-
tion of claim. By ard by the com
r,;ttea c,,,r~o,1 r.;t,, fur,;.h;nr tho
nresident's ,,ouse ., \vnshin-,on boupht.
the nicture. which v.,s ;pt,nsted IN one
Winstonlev 81 tri,l,v rc,rto.vccl of a
painter, to pack and deliver. Winstan-
ley, however, copied the Stuart in hls
own vile way, delivered the copy, and
fed to England with the original.
Stuart himself was the first to discover
and dcnor-c, the fraud Eut tbourh
he repudint.d tho canras That still
hanrs in the white house, and though
the eeidep.c ..-.ins. II ;s ove-yvhcln-
inc ,otr;otio citiyons of ILL.,. states will
still behave i, to lo ,he genuine nor-
trait repeatcd by Stuart himself from
the J.ansdowrc f,,,, ,pprth What he
came of tho ,-nru;ne vori, stolen bv
Winston,ey. paintar and tl,iefp
w.,t ,har, ;e co,.i.,or.,,,o ,oo,o, ~
bo,;ors H.. !, !. nn,,. i, W.. ro.,acss;o,,
of yc;,li,,, r,,.,,,-o =, ,,;.t ,,r,, ,loo,c,. ~
n,,,.I,s Isla nf ,Jn", e.,,, ,i,,,, roo
ther, y.os saIo -, -. yn,,rn, :,
flint ;,l.nd j., r,~ynr.,r,,.o IF tho
dc,tb of Wrs ~, rr:e,,-, v,,.o ,y..e . Mn
uapco.,, rb.r;r,r leon t,vir, ,-,.r,icdN
and - darrhter of GRO Hroad Who
rornor,y ovsnod prood ;e,,rd j., lie
ton horbo,. y,hosc ,,r,,o lie ,,,,,,,,,.,,,;-od
IN Tho h.4+,o nf rrood.e biIl ,-,d ,,,,,o
.a,t,od in tho IsIa of M.n n,,lr Il, tho
con,,,rv Ar,orr v,r;o,, 90 n;.t,,ros
d;snoscd of at the oforeso;d solc w,s =,
enc r,, ,arot,, IN nj, of Cooroo w,sh-
;ncton and !. conit,l ;r,rroesion of +he
~, 'r,., r;n,, which yIo,th n,,do f,.o,,, Tho
Iansdowno nortr.;t ,bus roh,,;n,
Stp,rt of his cnnvr;rbt and ,ood;rr to
nrobablv tho frst and certo;nly the
h;tterost d;e,r,o On rooor1 oo,cn,.r,;ro,
American and Enrlish artistic r;obts
Mr. burrows horgbt ,ll the n;ctures ,t
the cole .nd tho nr;rt the ,n,stor1,,
stv,e of the n,int;ng and its 81, hut cow
niete ident;tv With tho enoravinp Ied
| him to conc,rdo no h,d acon;red a
uen,;na Str.rt W.sb;npton Hence
those racont nor,rronbs onant the
"discoverv,, !, tho Js,e of M.n. bence .
;ournev 70 London p;c,nro in hand +o
oonsrlt tho o,nor+s
Now the exnorts NJ, ,rree that Il &c
not only a genuine S.unrt. but a very
| 6ne sneo;msn in noi,t oI;,,e of co,or
handling, desirn and mot less impor-
tant) of preservation. Mr.. Burrows
canvas is essentially the same (tbe diff
ferences between it and the Lansdowne
being extremely slight, and not even so
marked as those which. as rule. natur
ally appear in rcplicas); but the Lans-
downe does not equal the delicacy and
distinction of the worl, now in Mr.. Bur-
rows possession, but which ought
| properlv TO be in the national portrait
gallery. The only portrait of Washing
ton there is poor-so poor indeed that
apparently the authorities don't think
it worth exhibiting Washington, after
all. was as much british MS American;
and the national album certainly should
contain a likeness worthy of the man