The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-12-12
MR.. ARNolo's ADDRESS.

Mr.. Arnold spoke in substance as fol-
lows:
Rhode Island has the honor OF beihs
the FIRST community. on this continent TO
initiate some OF the most important OF the
forces that govern and control the world
spiritual mechanical and artistic.
Our beloved little Rhody was the first
10 break the shackles that fettered. relis-
ious thought through Roger Williams; 10
manufacture cotton cloth by machinery
through Saml slater. and also the FIRST
10 introduce the fine arts through John
Smybert. the first artist OF note TO prac-
tice his profession i'm this country. Smy-
bert came TO Newport in lT2s with his
friend. the good Bishop Rerkley. who
was 40 thoroughly spiritual In his ma =
ture. that he didn't seem to know that
matter existed; and his elaborate treatise
10 prove II To he only mental hallucina-
ton. a fiction of the mind. has ratified the
metaphysicisns and psychologists ever
since. Smybcrt probably did not share his
friends opinions. for an artist who had
passed his life I'm transferring human
features To canvas, must have felt that
matter was much more in evidence than
mind or spirit.
Smybert must have obtained some rspu-
tstion in England as Horace Wslpole
mentions him in his anecdotes of English
painters and sculptors and while he was
in italy he received a commission from
the Grand Duke of Tuscany. for a paint
ing of Siberian Tartars which was pre-
sented 10 one OF the Russian Grand
Dukes
best known is Bishop Berkeley and his
family, now in the Yale University Cal
Iery; the picture represents the good dean
surrounded by his family, the figures are
fun length, the artist standing in the
background. The individuality expressed
In the faces would indicate that the like
nAsses were good but the tone OF the
painting Is cold, the technique is hard
and lsbored but his portraits are highly
priced by those who own them, and their
possessors feel as do the owners OF
Stuart. a Copley or a Malbone that ID al
most entities them 10 become a daughter,
Columbian dame or son OF the Revou-
ton
GILBERT STUART.
In the record OF St Pauls church. Mar
ragansett. there Is the following entry:
April ilth, 1856. being Palm Sunday,
Doctor Mcsparrsn read prayers, preach
"a aud baptized child named
Gilbert Stuart. son OF Gilbert Stuart lie
suuft-srinder. suretes: the doctor. Mr..
BENJAMIN Mumford and Mrs. Hannah
Mumford"
In February. 1900. the Rhode Island
general assembly voted to have Stuart
paint two full length portraits Of Wash
ington. one for each of the capitals. the
price 10 be $500. for the pair. The one in
the state house at Providence Is a fine.
stately. disnifed portrait. and one that ls
the envy of all the great collectors Of
the country. Two separate offers have
been made for IL OF $4,000 each
stuart and Malbone though natives 81
Rhode Island did comparatively little OF
their work here, stuart studied with
benjamin West who was painter I'm or.
dinary 10 George. the third. and a fter he
left Vests studio started one or his own
and was successful IN obtaining commits
sons from the nobility. who were pleased
with his portraits probably from the fact
that his tendency was 90 sccentuate the
cood features Of the face and 10 lightly
touch the faulty ones and also because he
was an unusually fine conversationalist.
and would keep his patron interested bv
his fund " anecdotes and general in
formation.
lie had an intuition az to what would
Interest. and The hour would pass quickly
for both. But ne had an ambition n
paint the portrait Of Washington. and he