The morning call., 1892-09-29
PICTORIAL FAKES.

In their accounts OF the Cabrillo celebra-
tion at San Diego our two morning contem-
poraries published portraits of the Portu-
guese pilot himself. No such portrait has
been given in THE CALL; and this for the
excellent reason that. SO far as is known, no
por trait of Cabrillo exists. Having to
choose between reproducing an imaginary
portrait or evolving a likeness OF the
ancient navigator out of the general proba-
bilities of the case, or Omitting the portrait
altogether, THE CALL elected to pursue
the last course as the most res spectful to the
people who are celebrating the landing Of
the early explorer.
The date of Cabrillo's birth is unknown.
He landed at San Diego in 1912, and died
in 1913. He had been dead ffty-siy years
when Velasquez was born, and before
VelasQuez there was no portrait painting
in Spain. As early as the middle of the
sixteenth century a few Spanish youths
crossed into Italy, took lessons from the
Italian masters, returned home to paint
altar pieces. and connected themselves wiIa
monasteries without pursuing the public yo-
cation of painters But Cabrillo had been
dead half century before Herrera and
Pacheco paved the way for VelasqueZ, and
great master ard his compeers reproduced
the faces of their distinguished contempo-
raries so that they are familiar to-day.
Even in VelasQuez's time no one had his
portrait painted but the great of the earth
kings. queens, grandees, cardinals, bishorS,
generals and statesmen. CabrillO was only
a captain of a caravel when he left Spain.
He was not even Spaniard. though he was
in Spanish pay. 1t is the height OF imprOba-
biIity that he ever had his picture taken.
In these days OF photographs everybody
presents his family with a presentment of
his features. But photography is quite
modern Improvement. When the Govern
ment at Washington re solved TO adorn the
capital with statues of the heroes of the
revolution the rising American sculptor.
Larkin J. Mead, received a com mission for
a statue of Ethan Allen, the hero of Tie0D-
deroga. Being asked whether he had found
any old picture 10 guide him in reproducing
the features OF his subject he replied in a
nonehalant way: "No; | shall sculp the
features after my own idea Of what they
must have been" He was as good as his
word. and now the Ethan Allen he evolved
out OF his inner consciousness IS travelling
down 10 p0sterity as a faithful portrait Of
the real man.
The portraits of Cortes and Columbus
which are published in books of history
and biography may be authentic. They
were men of such prominence that il is
quite possible some contemporary may have
thought it worth while to reproduce their
features. or to get them reproduced by an
artist in want of job. So kings, cardi-
mails and generals probably still live In the
canvases one sees in galleries Of art. But
when we come down TO common men, the
Onus OF proving genuineness rests on the
possesSor Of the alleged portrait. When
the centenary of Junipero Sierra was cele-
bTated here a few years ago a portrait
Of the distinguished father was offered to
public view. II was said to be a copy Of 4
picture which existed in a religious house in
the City Of Mexico. Its authenticity rested
on tradition current among the monks IF
the house. Was il genuine, or was il, like
Cabrilo's picture in the Chronicle ana En-
GmiHer OF yesterday, an effort Of powerful
imagination?
Every newspaper proprietor is free to
conduct his sheet in his own way. There is
no law to prevent our neighbors from pub
fishing portraits of Adam and Eve. "as our
special reporter saw them In the Garden OF
Paradise" That sort of thing may even be
pronounced enterprising journalism. But
it cannot be reconciled with the regard for
truth which the average reader expects to
find in his fayorite paper. The Latin prov
erb 10 the contrary Notwithstanding. people
at large have decided objection to baing
fooled. When a distinguished contemporary
unearths from its vaults a portrait of
Black Bart and publishes it under the name
of the Bishop Of Mesopotams, people feel
that the editor thinks meanly of their in
telligence They DO not enjoy being victims
Of impoSture. They cannot help faneying
that journalist who tries to fool them
with a picture would fool them with the
accompanying text, and that they cannot
trust It's statements Of fact any more than
its pictorial displays. When a daily journal
impresses the public that it is reckless of
truth in lis accounts of passing events, its
held on the public mind will be weak.