The Washington times., 1919-10-31
Wnshington's Paintings.
Going to Ruin From Lack
NCare, Says II. G. Seebold
By Frederic j. Haskin.

tell The War Department was
more open about it There ii, was
disclosed that the sum supposed to
De allotted is, seven hundred and
fifty dollars for each portrait. bur
that fortunately for our none-to-
good reputation as an. artistic ma
alton, this extremely meager
amount is usually increased. Be
tween one and two thousand dol.
lars is paid as a rule.
Letters voluminoua-
Some of the correspondence on
this subject is interesting. and il is
surprisingly voluminous. More
bargaining seems to have been done
over Mr.. Taft's portrait than over
any of the others. One man offered
to paint a life-size bust of him.
furnish gold. frame. and maybe
throw in the hands. all for one
thousand dollars. But this offer was
refused and as a result Mr.. Taft
goes down to posterity handless.
Two thousand dollars went for a
rather poor portrait OF former Sec
retary of War Garrison, who holds a
vivid yellow pencil .caressingly. Mr..
Scott says that five hundred of this
amount was added because Of the
advanced cost of material. Mr.. Gar
rison is large man, but surely an
extra fve hundred dollars worth of
paint was going a little strong.
A telegram in the files from ex-
: Secretary of War Stimson shows
that the suffering was not all on
one side. 1t says, my portrait has
been painted by Carl .Melcher for
F., firteen hundred dollars. Mr.. Mel
cher is now ill in New York hos
pita1."
James j. Haney, chief messenger
of the Department of Justice, claims
that his department has the finest
portraits in the Capital. Mr. Haney
has served under eighteen of the
fifty-one Attorneys General and says
that every one of their portraits
is a good likeness, and surely he
ought to know. There is a mellow
ness and richness of tone about
these portraits, especially the earlier
ones, and dignity about the poses
which make one feel that here are
some fine. specimens of American
painting as well as some pictures OF
fine Americans. There is an especi-
ally good painting of Judge RAN
dolph, who was appointed by Wash
ington in 1883. Bradford. the second
attorney general, called the ladies'
man, because of his beautifully kept
small hands and graceful pose,
makes an interesting picture also.
1t is said that Judge Olney doubled
the pTice allotted for this portrait
out of his own pocket SO that his
face might go down to posterity
worthily limned.
Historically Priceless.
Aside from their artistic value or
lack of it, these pictures are price
less as historical records. Indeed,
one man suggested they are inval-
liable as pageant of the neckwear
of our statesmen, and tell in a most
impressive way how the humble
collar and tie waXed and waned
through the history of the country.
The canary-colored waistcoAt is
here also. and eke the lily white.
The hand OF the public speaker.
stuck between two buttons of the
coat, abounds. There are secretar-
les surrendered by heavy tones and
gazing eagle-eyed into the future
and secretaries jaunty in riding cos
tune. Martin Van Buren, is pink
and cherubic with cottony mutton
chop whiskers. Lewis Case is swad-
died in robe of black, like a fat,
dyspeptic Hamlet. James G.. Blaine.
nightly buttoned up, clutches the
arm OF his chair. and seems i'll at
ease. Elihu Root. sitting at his
desk, ia debonair and humorous.
John c. Calhoun. with wildly dis
ordered hair and desperate gaze.
seems 10 be displeased with the way
things are run without him.