The Detroit times., 1913-06-14
MERCY'S DREAM,
FAMOUS CANVAS
is OWNED HERE

man with drawn sworn; the man
within has also drawn his weapon IN
defense of the woman and chilc.
Through the cavern entrance the as
tant figures OF marching soldiers can
be seen. 4 look or horror is on the
woman,s face, the child writhes IN
the mans arms and cries In terror.
What it's al labort, nobody knows.
A card on the back OF the picture
bears the label Prosecuted Christ
fans" but there is little TO warrant
the title. Mrs. Donaldson sent a
photograph OF the picture TO Samuel
lsham, the famous American artist,
who replied.
MY impression is that IL repre-
sents a scene from the old tragedy
OF 'Pizarro,' which Sheridan translat-
ed from the German OF Kotzebue. and
in which Mrs. Siddons. Kemble and
Kean were famous, The first per
formance OF 'Pizarro' was In 1872.
which would indicate that your pie
ture was painted in England toward
the beginning of the last century by
some of the contemporaries OF West.
FNiseli and Hayden"
With due respect for AIR lsham S
opinion. IL should be noted, however,
that West and the painters OF 1900
had adopted the innovation OF Sir
Joshua Reynolds and had begun to
paint historical scenes with some
attention to accuracy of costume.
The antique garb OF the personages,
and the rude weapons which they
bear. indicate that the period repre-
that nf Tho
conquest OF Peru: while the char
acters are assuredly neither Spanish
nor Inca. 1t seems far more prob
able that the picture was painted at
an earlier period In Vests career
at the time OF his Trojan war pic.
lures, when ne was being criticized
for his over-employment or red
browns.
But II Mr.. Isham Is right, the pic
ture concerns the love OF Roiia, an
Inca leader. for Cora, q daughter OF
the sun or Inca priestess. She has
bestowed her affections on Alonzo,
Spaniard OF the conquering army, and
by him has had a son. Several cat
astrophes occur, during which Cora
loses. the boy: aud in the last act
Rolla. who has rescued the child. re-
stores him TO his mother, dying OF the
wounds he has received In the at
tempt. Even then, the picture does
not follow the action OF the play with
accuracy.
/ The other picture. "Mercy's Dream,
represents Mercy. asleep. at the FOOT
OF tree. An angel Is bringing her
a sparkling crown. The picture was
so we'll received that Huntington
painted q few replicas. One OF MS
pictures is in the Metropolitan mu-
scum, New York, and a photograph
OF II. in Mrs. Donaldson's possession,
shows that It differs to some extent
from the one which she owns. But
an edition OF Pilgrims Progress,
printed In Cincinnati In 1875. has as
its frontispiece an engraving OF
"Mercy's Dream" that was certainly
not taken from the Metropolitan
picture. and was just as certainly
taken from Mrs. Donaldson's picture.
or one lust like II. Mr.. Isham sara
concerning 1t:
"As for the 'Mercys Dream | see
no reason to doubt that 1t IL one ot
the canvasses painted Mr.. Hunt
ington. I do not think anyone knows
which is the original painting, that
ia. the first that he painted. He exc
scuted them all himself, and there Is
no reason why the first should be bet
ter than the rest. l. know OF no
other replicas besides those you men
ton. indeed knew only OF those IN
the museums. 49,
Such are the pictures In the little
house at No. 1913 Highland-ave. The
merely curious will be disappointed
in them. as there III nothing modern
or sensational about them; but con.
noisseurs and students OF art VIII nnd
themselves we'll repaid II they VIII
look at them and help Mrs. Donald
son And a market.