Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-08-10
THREE OLD PICTURES
WASHINGTON AND MRS.
WASHINGTON.
WHERE ARE THESE PORTRAITS 2
s,,ctch of the English Artist
Who Painted Thcm---His
Famous Pasteis.
SUFFOLK. Va, July 25. 1893.

In 1876 two portraits OF washington
.,a ono of Mrs. Washington were
,oin,ed from life by james sharpless
a,d taken soon afterwards to England.
within recent years they we're brought
70 this country for sale, but the pur-
cbsser. II they were ever cold, and their
,-osent location. so far as my knowledge
"a arc unknown. While reference
- been made from time to time to
rortraits Of both Washington and Mrs:
Wosbincton and their value "a good
i,kcncsses and works of art fully
At forth. do not recall any
sccount or criticism OF these by
Sbupless. though the fact that they
vcre made and from life is well known.
ms would seem to be inexplicablc,
,,nce from what have been able 70
I'm Of the painter, his talents we're OF
tGob order and admitted on all sides,
msyropting the conclusion that these
c,rtraits must have been good likenesses
- soil as excellent works OF art. Paint
II from life not more than three or four
,cars before washington's death, they
we're among the lateet OF the pictures
,.,1e of him and Mrs. Washington
lnriog his lifetime. and for that rea-
Sor 4 for no other. should be en-
.,,Ied n peculiar value. have
- d1ih that snch further information
a. apy Of your readers might be able 10
civo of them would prove highly in
,sros,ing. especially il such information
.hould reveal their present ownership
AMI show that they are accessible to the
,,blic Why in the search for articles
,Lat pcrtain TO Washington or the times
N which he lived. for the decoration OF
,Ie Virginia Building at the Worlds
F,,r. no mention has been made of these
,.rtraiis aud no steps taken to secure
it.m | cannot say, but that they would
lii Greatly TO the attractive features or
Ts,orstiops OF the building there can be
ro doubt. 1t is TO be hoped that the
,;,tures will vet come TO light and their
r,r,t, be- duly recognized, il they are
M, already well known to those whose
callipq is the study of works OF art
THE NOTED ARTIST.
sharpless. We arc told. was born in
fn,Iand in l75l and died in New York
February 26. 1911. Being OF Roman
Catholic family he WAS educated in
franco for the priesthood. He studied
CT, N London, married and sailed for
America IL 1894 with his wife and three
children, but was taken by the French.
carried into Brest and imprisoned seve-
r,l months. On his liberation he again
Embarked and reached New York
In safety. He of once began a
-o1r O, the United States, and.
travelling in a four.wheeled carriage
with one horse, visited the prin-
c.rsl cities and towns OF the country to
PANT the portraits of notable persons.
II vss during this tour, no doubt, that
the portraits Of Washington and Mrs
Washington were painted by him: SUI
fox sas one Of the places visited by him
ana there it was that he made pictures
in pastel Of a number of her prominent
citizens whose descendants still preserve
All cherish them. Notable among these
Ictlres are those Of my own grandpa
rent, on my mothers side, the late
Arthur Smith who was Postmaster In
Suffolk fol forty years and one of her
prominent mcrchants) and his wife, Su-
SAD.
PAsTEus PRESERVED.
At the time these pictures Of my an
cs-tors were made between 1900 and
lsUU the artist gave pastel of himself,
male iy himself or his wife (for she was
ag artist also). to Mr.. Smith, who hung
J., between the pictures of himself and
wife over lis parlor-door, where 1t re-
maiued with the latter undisturbed more
than eighty years. down TO February,
ls>S. these three pastols are yet IN our
hmiy, and venture TO say as works OF
OFT are not to be surpassed by any works
cl Ike kind since the days of Sharp
llss The other pastels OF the same
ja,e in Suffolk possess all the charming
clamctoristics of the artists work.
Though be worked some in oil, most
Of tie pictures made by Sharpless du-
ING his tour were executed In pastels,
Wa 10 Philadelphia in February, 1889.
and visited Independence Hall, where q
large number Of these pastels DIRE pre-
served, being likonesses chiefly, IL not
Together, Of notable men Of the latter
part ot the eighteenth and the begin
linz Of the nineteenth century. In my
conversation with the lady in charge OF
tAe hall. informed her that my family
Possessed a pastel Of Sharpless made
other by himself or his wife about the
tine the pictures under her care were
L.llc. she listened attentively, seem
i--iy deeply interested, and then said
with lali-doubting expression on her
face "Sir, II you have such a picture
it's tie only one known to be in exist
ne
PORTRAIT PAINTERS.
SLarpless returned TO New York in
1863. Ills wife and daughter, Rolinda,
we've both painters OF portraits. Mrs.
Sharpless exhibited pastels of General
Warrington and Or. Prestly at the
Royal Academy in 1901. She worked at
Bah and Bristol, Ing, and left oil her
property TO found an art institution in
tL- latter city, where she died in March,
lsii, Rolinda, who exhibited at the
Academy ii 1920 '23 and in 1892. lived
al Bristol, where she died 10th February,
lo's Her brother, James, who also
painted portraits. died in Bristol in 1889.
Another brother, Felix, painted and died
u North Carolina.
VALUABLE SUGGESTION.
have often thought that an interest
ne aud valuable portrait gallery might
be established in every city and town in
Virginia by the collection OF the por-
Traits Of tlsir prominent citizens who,
irom the earliest days, have done much
towards their growth and prosperity.
such portraits are 10 be found in greater
numbers than most people imagine in
pnSate families rs well as elsewhere and
should BE- placed where the public may
Lave access 20 them. Who says that their
owners could not be induced to part
with them II each municipality would
provide suitable place for their pre-
srSation Z / hope, at any rate. TO SEQ
Tie pictures OF Suiiolk's great men
placed IN some such depository "some OF
lhesc days" There ere many such pic