Evening star., 1925-12-06
EARLY AMERICAN
ART ON EXHIBIT
Portraits, Miniatures and
Silver on View at Ma
tionaI Museum.
By LEILA MECHILN

ever held In washington is that OF
early American portraits, miniatures
and silver which opened with
private view and reception last eve
ming in the National Museum. Tenth
and + streets, under the auspices of
the National Gallery OF Art. This eX.
hihtior, which will be on view TO the
public from today to January 3, In
elusive. on Sundays from 1870 to 43O
and on week days from $50 70 4:30,
comprises more than 100 portraits.
over o0O Miniatures and an equal
number of pieces of silver wrought
by early American painters and
craftsmen.
1t has been assembled by Il group
of local art lovers styled the Wash
ington Loan Exhibition Committee,
Mrs. William Corcoran t,uStis, chair
man; Frederick II. Brooke, vice chair
man; Mrs Porter T.. Chandler. seCre-
tary: William Tarmelee, treasurer,
and Ms William Penn Cresson, Fred
eric y DelanU. Mrs Peter Goelet
Gerry William II. Holmes. Mrs. Nc
Cook Knox. Miss Leila Alechlin, &.
Powell Minnigerode. Duncan Phillips.
Mrs. Duncan Phillips. Mrs. Corcoran
Thorn Mal. Gist Blair and Miss
Ernst There have been three sub
committees. each responsible for one
section. They are as follows: Com
mittee on paintings, Miss Leila
Mechlin. chairman; Mrs. Porter r.
Chandler, vice chairman: Mrs. VIII
liam Penn Cresson, Mrs. w. VI. Grin
nell, Mrs. McCook Kno. Miss Sarah r.
Lee, Lynch Luquer and Mrs. David
A. Reed Committee on miniatures.
Miss Helen Amory Ernst. chairman;
Mrs. William F. Wharton. Mrs. John
Hill Morgan, Mrs. j. Madison Taylor
Miss Elizabeth Allen White, Mrs VIII
liam Cabell Bruce. Miss Lillian Giffen,
Mrs. Rose Gouverneur Hoes. Mrs
Henry Leonard and Mrs. Orme Will
son, jr. Committee on silver. Maj.
Gist Blair chairman: Hollis French.
Mrs. John Henry Gibbons. Luke Vim
cent Lockwood. Mrs. Brecktnridge
Long and Mrs. Miles White. jr.
Paintings From Homes.
The paintings for the most part
come from Washington homes and
have been 5rared by residents of this
city. The COrcOran Gallery, the Ma
tional Gallery OF Art. the United
States Capitol and various depart
ments of the Government have also
generously made contributions, and
from out OF town has come an excep-
tionally fine group. loaned by Her
bert l.. Pratt of New York. whose
collection Of early American portraits
Is famous. Represented in this col
lection are 81 Of the early American
painters, all OF whom worked before
1880. SO complete is the representa-
ton that nor more than five of all
the known early American portrait
painters are not represent ed. Further
more, in every instance the PAINTERS
are represented in this collection at
their best, the pictures shown having
been chosen by an expert. II. B.
Wehle of the Metropolitan Museum,
New York, who generously acted as
advisor to the subcommittee on por-
traits.
Practically the whole story Of early
American portraiture is set forth in
this exhibition. There are no less
than nine paintings by John Single
ton Copley, born in Boston in 1897,
whose works are now highly
esteemed for their artistic merit that
their ownership Is considered COM
monty among New England families
badge of artstocracy. Five of these
portraits have been lent by ID. Copley
Amory of Boston, who is now residing
in Washington and is a direct de-
scendant of the painter: four others
have been lent by Miss Goldman. and
are portraits of members of the
Amory and Goldman families These
presumably We're all painted before
1774, when Coplev left this country
for abroad. In 1879 he settled in
London, and there he remained until
his death in 1915.
Met West In London.
When Copley reached London he
found established there an American
painter from Philadelphia. Benjamin
West, who, tradition has 1t, learned
from the Indians how to mix colors,
and had attained considerable sue
cess in painting before seeking knowl-
edge and patronage abroad in 1868.
Surprising as 1t may seem, this un-
tutored early American artist not
only Won the patronage of the King
of England, George Ill but was one
of the founders of the Royal Academy,
and It's second president. Included
in this exhibition are three paintings
by this remarkable early American
painter. who not only won success
abroad but helped innumerable other
early American painters along the
same road, as teacher, friend and ad
visor. The West paintings are a
Cupid and Psyche" lent by the Cor
coran Gallery Of Art; a self-portrait-
and a very fine one-belonging TO the
National Gallery, and a portrait of
Mrs. Monroe lent by Mrs. Gouverneur
Hoes.
Vic vi w tSl - lIlOSl ldleDlcu DuDllS
was Gilbert Stuart who after wears
Of successful study and work in Lon.
don and in Dublin returned to the
United States to paint WashinSton's
portrait. OF all the early American
portrait painters Gilbert Stuart un-
doubtedly stands first, and one OF his
portraits of Washington was sold in
New York a few years ago for no less
than $4,000. There are ID portraits
by Gilbert Stuart in this collection:
three are members of the Shippen
family-Chief Justice Shippen.
Thomas Lee Shippen and DIR. William
Shippen, jr.; another is a portrait of
John Randolph when but a lad. Still
others are OF George A. Otis and
Archbishop Carroll.
Associated with the name Of Stuart
invariably is that of Charles Wilson
Peale, born in Queen Anne County,
Md, in 1741, whose brother, sons
and daughters all attained distinction
as portrait painters. There are seven
paintings by the elder Peale in this
exhibition, among which is a portrait
of his brother. James Peale. who is
we'll represented in the miniature sec
ton. and a portrait of Mrs. James
Peale. both lent by Herbert Pratt.
Mr.. Pratt has also lent a portrait of
Washington by Peale, which some de-
clare to be even a more satisfactory
likeness Of our first President than
the works of Gilbert Stuart.
Peale Portraits.
Among the Rembrandt Peale por-
traits are likenesses of Mrs. John
Rrice and children, loaned by Arthur
T. Brice; Of Andrew Jackson, from the
National Gallery collection, and a por-
trait of William Pinkney, loaned by
Mrs. Mccoy Jones.