The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1908-04-19
PAINTING PORTRAITS AT 81.
4. J. CONINT mas DONE ONE or
BEECHER FOR sIMHERST.

He Painted Lln,Oln Before he Was Presl.
dnt-Traced the Mound Builders in
the Misg0aJt valley Passed Backs
Before the Nar--A life Of Incident.
A portrait has been. sent from New York
10 Amherst College. where IT. will have
its formal presentation next commence
ment, from tho hand Of an artist whose
work links Tie preApnt with the exciting
DAYS before the civil var, II is a portrait
{ D fHenry Ward Beec Yer donebyA.J j. Conant
on commission from 4 friend Of Amherst
who knew that Mr.. Conant had painted
Beeoher many times and was we'll ao-
quainted with the Brooklyn preacher.
Mr.. Conanf Is 81 and Is painting portraits
to-day in the same studio In the old Studio
Building in West Tenth street which no
leased on his arrival in New York twenty
seven yean' ago But he wa painting por-
traits long before thus
He painted Lincoln beGIre he hecame
President. One Of his historical canvases,
q portrait OF Major Anderson. who com
mandcd at Sunter when t1e fort was fired
upon. hangs I'm the ,Oullum Memorial Hall
a. West Poim Mr.. Conunt IL ~ full Of
"Reminiscences and arbCdotes of a long
and eyentul Iife covering some Of the
most interesting periods of the country's
history that IN hours Of conversation with
him only the surface of his recollectionS
would be scratched,
Ask any ~ The Cronies : a small group
Of friends who for several seasons past
- -. ...A.uDgN a., aaaaVnhla WaNanA-
ioally at s1h Il foreign restaurants Of the
city JUS. for the slke Of dining with Mr..
Conqnt and RApning to hs stories. For At
81 MIR. Conan continues to he \ good
fellow with those le likes.
# am not an old man he says. "and
anyway | was rails d in Vermont, where |
worked elevsn years,on a,farm; that gave
me a gopd slrr
When an adsuirer Of Beeoher many
years ago asked Mr.. Commit 10 paint the
preac ers portrait for him both the painter
and his nl-ron kncw that there would be
difficulty in "etfing Bescher to sit. Beecher
had had enough Of sitting for portraits
and he fatty declir ID, even when his wife
urged him to do il for friendship,
But az tiP friend was bound TO have a
portrait ne Ssked Mr.. Conant TO get together
all the plot ,grsphs u Beeoher he needed
and lay in. the pprlrait and carry it as
far AS he coat from the photographs. Il
know\ hat Shn you have done that he
mid. L can get Beecher' over here to look
at the pi"ture.'
But rue-e are three Beechers,' said
Mr.. Conant. ~ | paint him as he IL in
the pulpit. ~ he always is painted, his
friends wor2t like il; If + paint him as he
Is among HIS, friends the public who know
him only in the pulpit won't like il. Aud
there is anotler Beecher Tint ought TO be
painted. the Beechcr standing calmly facing
down that Manchester mob when Lincoln
sent him ove- TO England to stem the tide
Of sympathy that was running there for
the Southern Cause
Mr.. Conapt painted Beecher that time
for his friends. He has o painted him
In oommemoration OF his Manchester
achievement ...'.
When the wolk on the first Beecher
portrait had been carried IA far as might
be from the photographs Mr.. and Mrs.
Beecher came 10 look at il. When Beecher
saw il he said -I1l sit; but take away
those books. They give a false impression.