The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-01-14
Portrait of Yancey.

An artist here. Samuel Hoffman, has just completed . life-sized oil portrait of Yancey. made not from any of the several port aits painted during his life, but from steel en- graving which by common consent best shows him as he was It will be hung in the hall of the House when the Legislature meets, just over the Speakers stand It represents him standing by the table in his law library, the artist preferring to picture no event in his Ife for his every act is subject of contro- versy. but to portray the man. The attitude Is one of semi-repose. He stands erect, the height of the picture being exact to the life, s feet 10 inches, and the mind suggests to it. self that he may be about to begin speaking. The dress. the books that are around. the iet1 ter on the table. the proportions are all made from the most careful enquiry into the facts as they were.
 Mr. Hoffman never saw the subject of his portrait. He was a child when Yancey died and has been only a few years in Alabama. Desiring to paint historical masterpiece for AIabamians, he inevitably selected Yancey. From all can find out about him. he was . lion in action I have tried to picture him as 6 lion in repose He had e great face. and as 1t shows there the man was capable of anything when aroused The whole man was capable Of any posibility. The portrait as I have designed 1t Is not merely the physical repfoducticn of figure and face. but my purpose was to suggest the greatness and tho power there behind the mere flesh and blood " That Mir. Hoffman has Succee1ed In htS spien- did conception all who knew Yancey and have seen the picture are agreed. It admi ably D, eeerves the impress on which every picture of the man makes on the behalder; that he was a lonely man He was sufficient unto himself pioughed his own way through, the fields of policy and followei no one else. All tradition tells that he was genial and com panionable but he had chunns. There was a certain fine courteEy. always hetween himself and even his law partner. ''Lonl ness'' is the only word that begins to describe the mex pressible conception which his pictures bring up in the mind.
 A theory advanced to explain the ncressin Yancey "cult' Is interesting. Forty years ago. even thirty years ago, that la~ge class of men who made and constituted pub! opin- ion in Alabama came from the olier states. Mention of a great Alabamian in ther pres ence at once drew out mention of e eater one in Georgia. the Carolinas. Virginia or Tennessee. The present generation do not even go back to the several Canaans of their fathers for a college education and are disposed to stay at nome for their heroes. Indulgtng their pride of statehood. and thinking of the Ala bamians who rank with the heroes of their fathers, then centre on Yancey as the one man of the great first class who was supreme in his field, and unless some one as great shall come on to divide the field with him, his fame is like to grow indefinitely. l his por- trait hung In the hall of the House is expect ed to do much to encourage legislation in the interest of the young department of his- tory which has made so vigorous beginning.