The Washington herald., 1922-08-20
Room in Battle AbbeyHous
JohnB Barton Payne Collection
Gallery in Richmond Has Paintings by Murillo,
Andrea del Sarto, Rubens, Guido REM
And Gilbert Stuart.
BY AMY D. PUTNAM.


By AMY D. PUTNAM. 1.
Temporarily housed In the Con-
federate Memorial Institute until
such time as the city of Richmond
IL able to AFFORD a separate art
museum the John Barton Payne
collection Of paintings may be
seen In the north room of this
building at Twelfth and Clay
streets in the west end Of the
city.
These pictures and statues were
presented to the State of Vir-
ginia in 1920 by John Barton
Payne, late Secretary of the In
terror in President Wilson's cabi-
net. and at present a resident Of
the city of Washington. When
these works of art were offered to
the State there was no suitable
place to house them in the capital
city of that State, and II was only
when Judge George Christian Of
fered the use of one room Of the
Battle Abbey" temporarily, until
the State could build an art gal
lery that the gift could be ac-
cepted. Then the State art COM
mission which is empowered to
handle all such loans and gifts
accepted the collection In the name
of the State. 1t was felt that the
possession of this fine collection
might serve to hasten considerably
the date when a State art gallery
would be erected.
Judge Payne Is a native of Vir-
ginia, and an ardent Confederate
sympathizer. devoted to the his
tory and traditions of his mother
State.
The collection contains some
works from the old masters. and
is a very pleasing aggregation OF
paintings on the whole.
The two pieces of sculpture, one
at either side OF the long center
benches are very pleasing. Both
are by Hiram Powers. the Amer
lean sculptor. One is of Sir Isaac
Newton. and the other OF our own
Benjamin Franklin. They add
much to the attractiveness Of the
room.
pictures. Is a bronze tablet of pres
ChhokiOh eho" ms lu INC ~llc
and mother of John Barton Payne
lures are. The inscription runs:
Presented to the
Commonwealth OF Virginia
- By
John Barton Payne
In Memory of
His Wife and Mother
Jennie Ryrd Rryan Pavpa
Elizabeth Barton Payne.
In this gallery the artist and the
lover of art feel at home imme,
diately. They recognize at ono,
paintings by Murillo. Andrea de
Sarto. Rubens. Guido REM and oul
own Gilbert Stuart
The arrangement OF the pictures
IL very good and the gallery seem,
not overcrowded. None of the
bright blues. greens. reds and yel.
lows of the later and present day
artists are allowed to come next
to the dark or soft-colored Older
masterpieces. These were placed
by Arthur Dawson, himself a well.
known artist. and great friend
I OF Judge Payne.
In every unobtrusive nook and
corner Of the gallery and OF the
Lee Camp Annex. next to II. are
shelves of historical books. includ.
ing some works on Virginia anc
some art works.
Let US look first at the picture.
from the American school. tn,
first one that attracts us is a Gil.
bert Stuart. This shows Capt
Joseph Anthony, an uncle OF Gil
bert Stuart, who is said to hav,
helped the artist financially IN hi.
trips abroad in search of improve.
ment and inspiration in his work
Everyone seems fond of Gilbert
Stuart. and We should have a Ger.
tain pride In him as our first trul,
American artist of any note anc
as the painter OF our first Presi.
dent.
There are nine portraits b,
George Peter Alexander Healy oil
G. p. A. Healy, as he is usual,
called. Healy's life extended ovel
eishty-one years. from 1913 {,
1894. or from the early days Of
our democracy until well within
our own time. He has been yer,
popular with the American peopl,
and has painted many celebritie.
both here and in Europe. H,
studied under Baron Gros ant
Thomas Couture, and one pictur,
OF his. at least. is said to be very
like the works of the great Cou.
ture. This is the portrait of Jenny
Byrd Bryan, afterwards Mrs. Johr
Barton Payne. posing as a pupi
of his. This was his salon pic.
ture, and has always been in tn,
hands of the Bryan family. Mr.
Bryan. the father Of this youns
lady. was one of the most liberia
patrons of Mr.. Healy. The girl 4.
more eager and alert than mos
girls of the time were pictured
and has not the stiffness and lacl
OF expression shown in so man,
of the portraits Of women in thos.
days.
Another group by Healy show.
the Bryan family. including Hon
T. Barbour Bryan. Jennie BYRD
Bryan. his wife. and Char Page
Bryan. their son. Both tne elder
and the younger Mr.. Bryan at.
tained some distinction. the young.
er one being in the diplomatic
service for twenty years.
Mrs. Lucy Page Whitehead is
also a relative of the Bryans II
would seem.
Healy has painted two favorite
heroes in Calhoun and Clay. The
Vice President and the man who
almost became President are well
painted and seem to live before
our eyes.
Another of Healy's works is 9
self-portrait. Very sweet and
loveable is Henry Wadsworth
Bongfellow as painted by Healy
We cannot wonder that he gained