The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-03-27
PORTRAIT OF GEN. HARRISON.
That of Mr.. Forbes Put ON Exhibition
Yesterday.

The portrait or General Harrison winch Mr..
John Colin Forbes, the Canadian artist, has
been painting for the last few days, was on
exhibition yesterday at B.. H.. Herman's. on
North Pennsylvania street. There were nu-
merous persons in to see what the artist had
succeeded in making Of the ex-President.
The picture is a three-fourths length, and
shows Mr.. Harrison in morning dress. seated
in library chair. The attitude IL extremely
natural. The right elbow rests on the arm
of the chair, and in the fingers are his eye
glasses, evidently just removed from his
eyes. Between the middle fingers Of the left
hand ne holds a letter and envelope. The
expression Is excellent, and the peculiar
wilderness and fineness of his flesh are adj
mirably reproduced. The light-colored trou-
sers, the double watch chain, just caught
by a bar through the buttonhole, the quality
of the paper and the wear of the edge of the
library chair are truthfully placed on the
canvas. Mr.. Forbes, who was in the store
leading artists of the city, and several Of
them were present to- view the work. He
Sketches made of General Harrison, for the
artist did not have him for any length or
time for a single sitting; The effect was
made on him, rather than in duplicating on
canvas the subject before him.. AT first the
pose was made with one hand to his face.
Inc artist ItlL that u uiu Y iOOh q > IL IL
was one which was natural to Mr.. Harrison.
Mr.. ID. NJ. Ransden, who saw the picture with
the hand up, remarked that Mr.. Harrison
did not sit that way. and the, pose. was
changed, much to the satisfaction of the
artist, Mr.. Ransdeli and the sitter az well.
Mr.. Forbes, in speaking OF the hair. said that
ir was quite unlike that or most persons.
'Tt is white. very fine and silky" said ne.
land reflects the least ray of light. On the
top of the head 1t will be silvery white. while
below the temples, just over the ear. it
takes the darker tiQtS or shadows M
In reply to a question about the chair the
artist said it was a chair belonging to Cor
as it made a good background for the fig
ure. rsss
Mr.. Forbes painted a picture of Mr.. Glad
of Canada to the English statesman. 1t was
decided TO have a portrait painted, and Sir
John Millais painted one, but it was not sat,
Mr.. Forbes, who went 10 Hawarden expressly
TO paint the portrait. Fine photographers Of
the painting have been. made. The portrait
Of Gladstone, which Mr.. Harrison saw at
Schauss gallery in New York, and which led
him to permit Mr. Forbes TO paint this one Of
himself, was not the original Gladstone por-
trait, but was a replica, and the latter be-
longs to the Liberals in Canada. While Mr..
Forbes was in England he made many
sketches Of Mr.. Gladstone, come of them IN -
and many photographers and etchings have
been made from them. Mr.. Forbes had
with him here a number OF ph~otogravures
painted. One was a full-length portrait Of
Ezra Cornell, painted for the library at AL
bany. The position Is very like the one Of
Gladstone. Several pictures of the artists
son, a ine-looking lad, were among. the col
lection. Mr.. Forbes left yesterday for Itha-
ca, ~. Y, having been to join his
wife and sons. one OF whom is Ill with mea-
sizes and the other has suffered a severe scalp
wound from a fall. The picture of General
Harrison will be sent 10 ithaca to-day, where
Mr.. Forbes will put on some finishing touch
es, and then 1t will be sent to New York TO
be shown in Schauss gallery April p The
where 1t will hang in the library of Gen.
Harrison's home. IT IS undoubtedly the best
portrait that has beer or ever will be made
Of Mr. arriSnn :. -