Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1904-01-15


die was invited down to the Chateau de
Rochambeau the following spring to
spend several weeks and to paint the por
traits of several members of the family.
That same year GSSD he exhibited in
the Salon a portrait of William st. Clair
of Washington. of which a correspondent
wrote home that it was a fine likeness, a
/ most excellent portrait with speaking
expression, adding the picturesque re-
I mark that There is no etc. about this
picture take it, means that no
mental reservations accompany his en-
comum.
1t was about the same story every sue
cessive year. The young man had struck
his gait and recognition, with those tam
gible tokens of success, commissions for
portraits, now became assured and sub
stantial. In 1882 he became a pupil of
Cabanel 1t has been stated in several
biographical articles that he studied un-
der Bonnat; but this is an error. as his
only masters We're Gerome and Cabanel. He
continued to exhibit i'm the Salon as long
as he remained in Paris. In the winter
of 1882 he was in such demand for por-
trait work that he established himself in
better studio in the Avenue de Nillers.
| When he returned to Vermont it was diff
ficut to recognize in the tall, bearded
painter the young Bob" Hardie that the
town Of Brattleboro had known so well
few years before But Brattleboro had
and retains high appreciation indeed OF
| his brilliant achievements; and Bob
Hardie has long since been registered on
the Brattleboro roll of honor which shines
with the lustre of such names as Larkin
Mead Mary wilkins. Mary Howe and
William Morris Hunt-sculptor, author,
singer and painter.
Having traced in a fragmentary way
the outlines of our artists career up to
the time of his graduation, up to his real
entrance uron his professional labors.
have brought him to about the period
when | first knew Of him through his por-
traits-that is, about ten years ago. In
the National Academy of 1858 his full
length, lifc-size, portrait of David Dud-
ley Field painted for the Court of APP
peals at Albany. attracted an uncommon
degree of attention, which was as much
due to the intrinsic merit of the work it
self as to the celebrity of the subject.
Following this striking work. the fine
portrait of James II. Beal. president of
the Second National Bank OF Boston.
served to introduce the artist to the pub
lie of this city. Ever since that time the
artist has swung pendulum wise. between
his New York and his Boston studios, with
occasional sojourns with his mother in
Brasteboro; and the list Of his works
stretches out impressively, to testify alike
to his industry and to the wonderful
measure Of favor he has received. Also,
it is to be noted. his sitters become more
and more prominent persnnages as We
go down the list university presidents
and professors, eminent judges, great
scientific men, great merchants. states
men. publicists-illu illustrating his growing
reputation and vogue.
The foundation of that reputation and
vogue is doubtless the strict. honest. di-
rect veracity which the world demands in
all its human documents. For there is
..v,f,,
realism of Hardie's earlier work In his
searching style nothing was eXtenuated.
nothing was neglected. and nothing was
sacrificed His portraits instantly re-
called those of Bonnat, not only by thier
undertaking inSstenCe upon all the facts
in sight, but also by that curious cross
Matching of the background which is one
of the hall-marks Of the French painter.
They We're as strong as uncompromisingly
strong as anything that Bonnat ever
signed. Their fault was that they were
too conscientious. The portraits of Chief
Justice Morton Of the Massachusetts SUI
preme Court, of William II. Baldwin, pres
ident of the Boston Young Mems Christian
Union; of President Eliot Of Harvard
University, of Professor Ellie Charlier. Of
T. IL. Abbott, president of the Wisconsin
Central Railroad: OF Samuel Johnson, of
Lincoln +. Brigham, Chief Justice Of the
Superior Court; of Walbridge \. Field,
Chief Justice of the Massachusetts SUI
preme Court; of Alexander Wheeler. of
Secretary Langley of the Smithsonian In
stitute; Of Robert NJ. Morse, of Benjamin
II. Bristow, eX-Secretary of the Treas
ury; of Henry Woods, of Eustace c. Fitz
of Judge Durfee of Rhode Island of the
late Surgeon General Baxter, of Horace
White, of James Page, of Frank Mer-
riam, of Col. Oliver w. Peabody. of
Thomas Doane, of Redfield Proctor.
United States Senator from Vermont. and
many others-all possessed those qualities
OF sound and skillful handling studious
representation of detailed fact. vigor of
modelling and construction. solidity and
fidelity, which are, If not the highest, still
the most fundamental and necessary at
! tributes of good Forfeiture.
But the interval between the time when
the first of these portraits was painted
and the time when the last was painted
was fruitful period in more than one
sense Hardie was learning not to play
all his trumps at once, cartes sur table;
he was temperng his brusque candor with
subtility and reservations; he was more
and more concealing his art by art. more
and more using the great artistic prin-
clple of sacrifice. When his portrait of
Senator Proctor of Vermont was first
exhibited in Boston, il was a striking de-
monstration of the artists DEVELOPMENT
along the lines indicated. Senator Proc
tor is a rugged American type; and his
typical character is so well brought out in
the picture that ii may be said to be a
work of historic import. 1t depicts him
at three quarters length, standing by a
table, on which one of his hands is rest
ing, while the other hand Is half plunged
into his pocket lie wears a black frock
coat and dark trousers and is posed full
front At the right of the background
on the wall is the coat-of-arms of YER
mont, and at the left is an open window
through which is seen a pretty glimpse of
a green landscape and a blue sky This
portrait is one of the most remarkable for
intense vitality and strong expression of
individual character among all the works
OF the artist 1t is a portrait which looks
listens, judges; in its presence it is not
discreet to utter secrets
In certain respects the portrait of Indigo
Brigham, which was painted at about the
same time, is a performance of even great
err interest. 1t is a condensed biogra phv
on canvass, and a revelation of legal
character of most striking nature The
Judge is shown standing behind a rail-
Ing hung with green baize, and he holds
a law book before him, from which he has
evidently Just been quoting, and he is
proceeding to comment upon the citation
and to elucidate the application of II
His bland and genial expression his easy
ana graceful gesture-as he waves one
hand slightly, placing the other on the
rail-constitute one of the most unmis
taxable pictorial pantomimes Imaginable
and 1t would be but "A pardonable extrav-
asance to say that the hand was arguing.
moreover. one feels confident that the