The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-12-03
PORTRAITS AND THE STATE.
Art Treasures Which Have Histori-
cal and General Value.

cal and General Value.
There are signs OK the times which
may be taken to mean that art with us
is in q measure coming into its own
Municipal decoration, both in sculpture
and painting, is beginning to receive
recognition. There is still, however, an
important branch of municipal and
state art of peculiar significance, and
for which as yet no adequate provision
has been made--the art of portraiture.
! The value of Ahis art as an adjunct to
the display and ceremonial of state has
not yet been duly grasped by those
who could or should control it,
| England, through pride of race or
premonitlon of future greatness, en-
couraged the art of portraiture by for
eigners long before she possessed paint
ers Of her own. Under Henry VIII, and
afterward under Charles ! and Charles
| II, Holbein, Sir Anthony More, Van
dyke, Janssens, Sir Peter Lely, and
! then Sir Godfrey Kneller, knighted by
| William III, and raised to baronetcy
I by George I, were impressed into the
service of court and mobiles, and the re-
suit of this instinct of self-perpetuation,
so to speak, has left England rich in
portrait treasures Of the best period of
the past. VandylSe alone painted more
than 200 of the princes and mobiles of
the day, while of Hoblein's drawings of
the chief persons of Henrys court
eighty-nine are among the greatest
treasures in the present collection of her
majesty. Now it is doubtless the fact
that this practice of importing painters
produced in England in the eighteenth
century a group of native portraitists,
who for charm of color and distinction
of style are generally regarded as mas
ters of their art. The foreign artists
were but the precursors of Romney
Reynolds, Ganesborough Hoppner,
Opie Raeburn and Lawrence-a galaxy
of bright stars which shown with suf-
ficient briliancy to light up English
art. Not only great men and fair
women were subjects of their pencil,
but ceremonials, epoch-making NOM
ents of state, pageants, marriages, bap-
tisms, funerals, even whatever was
worthy of such commemorauon it was
their peculiar province to depict. Such
works Were treasures for all time and
help to make a state glorious. They
are conserved in a national portrait
gallery. The builders of an empire are
thus imagined for posterity, an inspira-
ton and incentive to coming youth
1t is not, however in the mere foster
ing of portrait painting that the state
should interest itself but in the proper
housing and maintenance of these
VIZ tNrbo
very portableness portraits are subject
to strange and often damaging vicis-
STUDIES. This should not be permitted
When a picture of this nature is de-
signed for a special place the place
should be waiting for it, that it may
become a part of the structus itself
Do not permit the objection to be
urged that the temporarily waiting
panels would destroy the beauty of the
hall; there are many ways in which
this might be overcome, the room at all
times preserving its effectiveness as a
well-decorated interior.
If it We're the practice Of those who
erect halls for municipal or state use,
colleges, chambers Of commerce or
boards Of trade to maintain certain
rooms as repositories for portraits
which custom and the function of the
call for. such rooms would be
beautiful and dignified and contribute
much to the splendor of the building as
a whole. Organizations, civic halls,
state houses and national departments
possess portraits of persons whose
achievements have identified them
with the activities that the structure
stands fer. With due consideration
and some architectural forethought
these canvases might be made to serve
a splendid decorative purpose and add
much OF the architectural beauty and
of the halls that hold
htem. 1t is clear that they hardly do
this at present.
There may be a way, however, to
overcome this handicap. 1t would be
no invasion of the prerogative of senti- !
ment if the preparations of these me
MORALS were placed under the control
Of the authorities, who should care for
them and house them, or of a special |
committee which should select the |
Dainter-a committee whose concern it
would be to know the best that was
Being produced in the portraiture Of the |
lay. On this board Of selection, then, !
nigh be one artist of reputation chosen I
to act with them. This could
doubtless be arranged, and the judg- ,
nent of the professional painter who !
should thus act would be valuable on |
he further question of framing and |
placing the picture; for this all has to /
10 with the harmony and beauty of the
lall destined for this character of dec
ration or ornamentation. This Great |
ng Of an art committee to select the
'9intcr might Wei be adopted In con 4,
lection with any and every portrait,
'ficial or semi-official, which is to be-
onle a part Of the establishment of a
public place A committee, too, would
possess the judgment to secure the
work during the lifetime of the sub
ect for a contributtve cause Of the
weakness Of the present mode of acqui-
ition is the delay incident to it, If a
und were set apart for such expendi-
ure the state or corporation need not
wait the tardy action of family or
riends; nor need it preclude their con-
to the memorial And it
would certainly be a great gain aes-
hetically to the recipient institution
1ere the picture painted from life.
The fact that our great Institutions
ccept the often less than mediocre cam