Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-12-26
PAINTINGS IN THE CAPITOL.
They Are Being Protected by Cover
ina of Glass.

Better care is to be taken of the
paintings in the capitol. Several
have already been glazed and others
are soon to be thus protected. Glazing
a painting does not mean vanishing
it: it means putting glass over it, 1t
/ involves in the case of many of the
! big paintings at the capitol difficult
and delicate work. The transporta
/ ton through marble corridors and up
marble stairways of a large rectangle
/ of thick plate glass is hard work. The
/ bringing down from the walls a big
picture in a ponderous frame is more
work. Men stand on stepladders
that may slip on the polished floors or
I tip over. The picture may have hung
So long in its place that the hodfasts
have rusted into the wall staples.
Then come the removal of the canvas
from the frame, the putting in Of the
glass. the replacement of the canvas,
the glung and mailing of molding and
the rehanging of the picture, frame
and glass shield.
A glass weighing 125 pounds was
put over Charles Wilson Peale's por-
trait of Washington last week This
impressive picture hangs, and for
rs has hung, at the west stairway
| leading to the Senate galleries. 1t is
one of the very interesting pictures OF
the capitol collection. Under the
glass one may read the signature &C.
w. Peale. pink. Phila., 1779"
Charles Wilson Peale was a cap.
tain of volunteers. He began this
painting in ITS, While the continental
army lay at Valley Forge. He worked
on it during the campaign resulting in
the battles of Trenton. Princeton and
Monmouth. At Monmouth the artist
and Washington were in a farmhouse,
and the background of the picture
represents the scene from the window
of their room. Dimly one may see
Monmouth courthouse and lines of
Hessians under guard of continental
troops. Working on the picture a..
Princeton, Peale inserted in the back
ground old Nassau hall.
This painting was ordered. though
not appropriated for. by Congress.
Lafayette ordered a copy of it, which
was presented to Louis XVI, and is
said still to be seen at Versailles. The
original in some obscure way was sent
to France and sold, though Peale
seems not to have been a party to the
| SALE 1t came into possession of
Count de Menou. who brought it to
Washington when he came as charge
daffaires. He deposited it with the
national institute. Later it was
placed in the patent office and still
later in the Smithsonian institution.
Peale's descendants claimed the pic
ture. The congressional Joint com
mittee of the library, after investiga-
ton, was satisfied as to the rightful-
ness of the heirs claim, and in 1882
Congress bought the picture from
Titan Ramsay Peale for $4,000.
The position of this picture was
such that people could touch it with
| their hands. The glass will now pre-
vent any danger from this source.
Another popular capitol painting,
hanging in an exposed space, and
Which was glazed last week, was "Tha
Recall of Columbus" 1t hangs in the
east corridor of the Senate gallery,
facing the battle of Lake Erie. 1t
was painted in Paris by A. c. Heaton
OF Washington, from studies made at
the place of Columous's recall. near
Granada, Spain. Congress bought il
in 1854 for $2500
Because of late political events the
Recall of Columbus" has a sinister
sound, but the recall of Columbus was
happy and not an unhappy episode
in the life of the discoverer. Columbus
had made his last appeal for aid to
Ferdinand and Isabella, then in eamD
near Santa Fe. He failed and start
ed away discouraged Isabella. like
many other ladies. changed her mind,
and sent messenger to bring back
columbus, who was overtaken at the
bridge of Pinos, midway between
Santa Fe and Granada The picture
shows Columbus mounted on white
mule being halted by the queens
courier.
The proposition has been made to
protect with glass The Battle of Lake
Erie painted by w. II. Powell and
bought by the government for S25, 900.
IhlS is the painting which was
slashed by some malevolent person &
lew months ago, but which has been
so skifully repaired that the art lay
man cannot detect where it was in
Jured. 1t is not proposed to cover the
whole picture with glass. Across the
bottom OF the picture, where persons
ascending or descending the Senate's
east stairway can touch the canvas.
1t is planned to put strip of plate
glass about two feet wide.
One of the capitol paintings lately
glazed is The Florida Case" on this
picture is black sign telling in gold
letters that it is The Electoral Com
mission February 3. 1877, painted
from life sittings 1S77-79 in the U. S.
). Z. room by Mrs. Cornelia Adele
hassett." Many persons are usually
standing before this picture engaged
IN identifying the notables whose
features are painted in it-Washing-
ton Star.
r,Ir, to-a $780,