The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-08-04
Official Portrait
 Of Pres. Washington
Famous Hudson Bust, Now at Mount Vernon Selected
 By BicentenniaI Committee

Washington. D. C.-The Houdon
 Bust of George Washington at
 Mount Vernon has been chosen by
 the United States George Washing
 ton Bicentennial commission as the
 subject for the official Washington
 portrait which 1t will distribute over the country in It's plans for organizing the nations celebration | of the Two Hundredth Anniversary of Washington's birth in 1932.
 Tn circulating this portrait of
 Washington, the United states
 George Washington Bicentennial commission will make known to Americans the work of q great Frenchman recognized as one. oi the foremost portrait sculptors Of all times. Thus further cOntri- button will be made toward pay-
 ment of the debt which George Washington owed to Lafayette and to the French for timely aid dur ing the struggle for Independence.
 Jean Antoine Houdon lived from
 1741 to 1928. Born the son of Il
 domestic in the employ of q
 courier, he rose like ,Moliere 10
 be an outstanding figure of the
 eighteenth century and one of the
 glories of French culture. While Houdon Is known also for imaga- tive sculpture, his fame rests
 chiefly on a series of 200 busts,
 a collection forming ons of the
 monuments of world art. Besides
 his bust of Washington, he also | made likenesses of Benjamin Franklin, John Marshall, Rosseau Miliere, and Voltaire.
 The circumstances of HOudon's 1 selection to execute a likeness 0i ! Washington are themselves an in- | teresting page in American history On June 22, 1784, the year after | the successful close of the revol,i- ton, the legislative of Virginia re- solved that measures be taken for procuring n statute of General | Washington, of the finest marble and best workmanship" After
 much consultation. in which Thom. as Jefferson and Benjamin Frank | lin took an active part, HoudOn already at the height of his fame
 was selected as incomporably the
 most reliable and proficient artist Washington himself has left q | record in his diaries of Houdon's stay at Mount Vernon for the pur- post of modelling, this bust closc | observation and measurement oi Washingtons features and figure He also made life-mask of Wash ington, for correction of the bust Both mask and bust served as | models for the statute of Wash ington by HOudon ordered by the State of Virginia and later erected
 in Richmond. The original bust
 was presented by Houdon to Wash
 ington and has been seen by every visitor to .dount Vernon.
 One especially interesting cir cumstances accounts for the lte I which Houdon imparted to Wash ington's head. During the artists visit at Mount Vernon. Washing ton had occasion to decline with
 some mitigation shady bargain offered him by a horse e-dealer. The passing mood impressed Houdon as so characteristic of the man that he immortallZed 1t in his bust The result In the opinion of critics is to give the likeness striking V.s-
 or and power.
 | In reporting to the Hon. So Bloom, associate or the Uniteo l states George Washington Bicen' tennial commission, the commute, l of historians and artists appointeu
 to select this official portrait o' | Washington stated that all avail, l able Iikenesses of Washington hao
 been studied. All had their in'
 divldual merits. but the committee was unable to arrive at maJoritA