Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-02-21

the circuit of the easel, Iebuhihb 10
place among his companions WIN an en-
phatic ugh" A similar lnVesesa''o"
was made by each chief In turn, al emu
ing with the same uninterprefiD" .aa,
ment. after which the whole party hieu
out of the room. Trumbull had meant 10
make portraits of these savages, pnt con-
WINGED that there was magic In MS afN
they would have nothing TO do win MN
His full-length painting OF Washington
ordered by citizens OF Charleston, ana
representing him on the heIu vi
Trenton in the zenith of his military
glory, f. a heroic production, ana enc,te1
from him more enthusiasm IMAM ne I'D.
ever been known TO express ID resafu
TO any OF his portraits
When It was rejected, ana d paln.ins
OF the president" requested III us piaec'
Washington said: keep this for your
self, Mr.. Trumbull, and finish 1t to your
taste" This suggestion was acted
upon. II was retained by the ar
list for years. and hnaliy pur-
chased by q committee ana piaceu d.
Yale College. Another full-length po,-
trait by Trumbull is owned by MI Eu-
mund Law Rogers. Of Baltimore, ana
bust painting by the United states ~o'-
eminent.
sTUARTs WORK.
Stuart turned from brilliant professional
success in Europe, and came "
Philadelphia In 1874, In order TO paint
the President. his advent inaugurating
a new era in the history of the fine arts
in America. He outstripped all his COM
petitors IN this country in finish ana
beauty Of coloring, but his greatest giit
was his power TO transfer TO canvas
the characteristics OF his subject. his
nervousness has been questioned, ana
doubts have grown out or thlS as ~
which of his pictures are from situnss'
and which are copies. He Acknowledges
only two life paintings or Washington
one the full-length, painted by order Oh
Mr.. William Bingham of Philadelphla1
for the Marquis of Lansdowne; and the
other the vignettehead, known as the
"Athenaeum Portrait" done at the re-
quest Of Mrs. washington. There was
an original preceding these, which (ac-
cording to his statemenD he rubbed OUT.
Mr.. Bingham ordered two full-length
paintings from Stuart, presenting one 10
his friend. and keeping the other Tor MN
self. The former is now the property Oh
Lord Rosebery, and the latter hangs IN
the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts
in Philadelphia. a recent writer contenus
that the academy picture Is from hIe'
and the I.ansdowne portrait the copy.
for the head OF one or the other of them
and was frequently accompanied in MS
visits TO the studio by Harriet Chew
,(afterwards Mrs. CARROLL, whose CONVEX
sation, he said, should give his face It's
most agreeable expression. For the
hand, Stuart used a wax model OF MS
own. while a certain William Smith "a
small mani sat for the figure, the artist
trusting to his memory for necessary
changes.
Everybody sat to Stuart who had money
enough to pay his prices, and wnen MIS-.
Washington asked for vignette OF her
husband he was so besieged with appI-
cants that he left Philadelphia and went
to Germantown that he might be free
from interruption. Securing the use OF
barn. he fitted 1t UP as painting-room,
and in It the Athenaeum portrait the best
known representation OF Washington was
painted. AS this work developed reali-
zatIon of its value dawned upon the ar
fist. and, that he might retain II, he post
poned from day to day putting the nnish-
ing touches to the background, mean while
dashing off one copy after another, when
he termed his Misunderstanding bills.' IL
Is said that the President called repeated
" to ask If the picture were ready, ana
finally losing patience, turned away with
evident irritation, saying: II Will not come
again. Mr. Stuart; when the painting Is
completed you can let me know"
1t never was completed. Stuart AFTER
wards refused an offer for 1t for $1,000
from an English gentleman. and another
OF 5000 from the State Of Massachusetts
1t was finally purchased from his widow
for 81. 800 by the Washington Association
of Boston, and presented to the Boston
Athenaeum His "hundred-dollar bills"
and also replicas of his whole-length
painting, are scattered all over the coun-
try while copies of these copies have
been made by other artists. 1t Is supposed
that the third original was not rubbed
out" but is one of three fac similes-the
first known as the vaughan Portrait,
the second as the s-Channing Por-
trait" and the third the property OF MT
Charles Henry Hart. Of Philadelphia.
The last life portraits Of Washington
were from the brush Of James Sharpless'
Of England. A specimen OF his work Is
owned by Mrs. George r. Goldsborough'
Of Maryland, and another by Mrs. Morton
Lewis, Of Bridgewater, Penn, inherited
from her grandfather. Miers Fisher, or
Philadelphia. cabinet profile done with
a pantograph and automatically exaco
has descended to General Custis Lee, or
Lexington, Va, so that General Lee may
be said to own the first and last life por-
trait of Washington.
GILBERTA s. WHITrLE.