The Washington times., 1901-09-15
PORTRAITS OF JEFFERSON
One of the Most Valuable Owned
in Washington.
The Earliest Known Executed by
Mnther Brown in 15SG - General
Kosciusko ms a Painter and Thorn
toms Criticism of His Work.

Mnther Brown in 1ss6 Genera
KOsciusko as a Painter and Thorn
toms Criticism of His Wor,,
The earliest life portrait Of Thoma.
Jefferson known is in the possession o
Mr.. Henry Adams, of this city The can
vas. 2Sx36 inches. was painted by Math
er Brown in 1856, when Jefferson wa.
in his forty third year. The artist wa.
a native of Boston, and a grandson OF
the famous Tory clergyman. Mather
Byles. He went to London and had
some instruction from Benjamin West
and at cue time held a prominent posi-
ton in the English metropolis as q
portrait painter. His portrait of Jeffer-
son was painted in London for John
Adams, and the artists receipt for the
price of the picture is attached to the
back of the canvas. 1t reads:
London, May II. 17sG. Reed of his Excel
lency, John Adams Esq., Six Guinness for kit
kat portrait of Mr.. Jefferson.
A replica was painted for jefferson
and Brown also painted a portrait of
John Adams for his famous colleague.
which picture, with the Jefferson repli-
ca, and one OF Thomas Paine, which
Brown also painted for Jefferson. has
disappeared. Trumbull wrote from
London to jefferson at Paris: Brown
is busy about the pictures. Mr. Adams
| is like yours. / do not think so well
Of" The portrait has, however, con-
siderable historical Importance, as be-
! ing the earliest delineation of Jefferson
that has come down to US.
| Its history, so far as it can be
CLEANED from contemporary accounts
of the life portraits of jefferson, is an
| interesting one. The excellent portrait
| OF the eminent statesman and patriot
In the Declaration of Independence pic
| ture in the rotunda of the Capitol is the
| result of a study made By Trumbali
| from Jefferson at the latter's residence
at Chaillot, France. This study, one of
those small cabinet portraits, on panel,
for which Trumbull is SO justly cele-
| brated, is now in the possession of Mrs
John w. Burke, OF Alexandria, Va. The
head of Jefferson, however, in the
| painting at the Capitol, is not a close
| copy of the original study.
A number of portraits of Jefferson
were made that cannot be traced, which
| is the more to be regretted, as some of
them are by skillful artists. Jefferson,
as is well known, was a man of ele-
J CANT tastes, and a thorough connoisseur
| of art. He numbered among his per-
| sonal intimates Richard and Maria
| Cosway, Trumbull, Peale, Houdon,
Ceracchi. and most of the foreign con-
| tingent that emigrated to the young
| nation.
1t was chiefly through his influence
| that George Hadfield, the brother of
Maria Cosway, came from England as
assistant architect of the Capitol, and
that Cardelli and Persico came from
Italy to execute the statues and cary
| ings. jefferson was himself an anna
| teur architect of no mean ability, as
may be seen In the noble and chaste
| design of his house at Monticello, the
| plans for which he drew with his own
| hands. He also designed the buildings
| of the University of Virginia. which
would be of credit to an experienced
| professional architect.
|
lost portraits of jefferson is the bust
| made by Ceracchi, which was destroyed
with the burning of the Library of Con-
gress, December "a. 1851, and of which
/ there appears to be neither replica nor
copy. Dr. William Thornton. the first
| Commissioner of Patents, and an anna
| teur artist of decided proficiency, calls
| 1t, in writing to Jefferson, superb
| bust, one of the finest l ever beheld."
Jefferson paid Ceracchi $1,000 for the
| original marble, the italian having ex-
ecuted the work at that price more as
| a concession than otherwise. Ceracchi.
1t will be recalled, was the originator
of the scheme for grand national
monument in the Capitol building, and,
| when Congress refused to grant the Cat
that time) fabulous appropriation for
the purpose, the artist left the country
in great dudgeon.
William ]. Coffee, an Englishman,
who modelled small busts in terra cot
ia, made a bust of Jefferson in April,
1918, as also busts of his daughter Mrs.
Randolph. and granddaughter, Ellen,
for the three of which Jefferson paid
sl05 In commencing the sculptor to
Madison as really able in his art
jefferson said he gave Tess trouble
than any artist, painter, or sculptor
have ever submitted myself to-" This
bust is also now missing. although
those of Mrs. Randolph and Ellen are
at Edgehill.
Robert Houdon. the celebrated
ItrCt of Taf-
ferson in 17s9 when the author of tie
Declaration of Independence was forty
six years of age. A cast of this bust is
now owned by the New York Historical
Society. Houdon took mask of JEFF
ferson's face; and for the bust in mar
BILE jefferson paid Houdon The sum OF
1000 francs. This same year 1t was ex-
tibited in the French Salon, being, 1t is
said described in the catalogue as m.
Sesserson. envoye des Etas de la Vir-
CINE"
Unfortunately the original marble
was destroyed by the carelessness of
workmen at Monticello during Jeffer
sons lifetime.
A portrait of jefferson at sixty was
painted in 1893, by Rembrandt Peale,
and is now owned b. the New York
Historical Society. Gilbert Stuart
painted three life portraits of jefferson.
two of them being executed in this city.
one Of these latter is the famous profile
in monochrome. There are number Of
these Stuart profiles, so-called, but the
identity of the original is still undeter-
mined. T. ]. Coolidge, of Boston. great
grandson of Jefferson clginS own