Evening star., 1932-11-23

tions that he was 30 greatly instru-
mental In securing to his country.
"Cities may be founded bearing the
name Of washington, columns may pc
erected and his memory be cherished IN
the bosom Of O grateful people; there
would nevertheless be something want
ing. Had his features been more ordi-
nary and his expression less distn-
guished, the rising generation would
still wish to know his own peculiar look.
Aspect Also Noble.
But when 1t Is known and recognized
that his aspect was as noble as MS con-
duct and that his countenance corre-
sponded with his character, 1t Is the
more incumbent on US to seek for and
transmit to posterity the true delinea-
ton and impressive image OF that coun-
tenance. Nothing can more powerfully
carry back the mind to the glorious
period which gave birth to this nation
nothing can be found more capable OF
exciting the noblest feelings OF emula-
ton and patriotism"
How exceedingly dificult was the task
Of faithfully depicting the FatheS OF
His Country is made manifest by the
great differences in impressions OF the
man himself as recorded by his con-
temporaries. DR.. Eisen says: Accord
ing to the extant portraits Of Washing
ton. his features must have changed,
not only from year to year but from
month to month, or even from day to
day. What Is even more incredible,
different artists, painting him at the
same time and during the same sitting,
interpreted his features SO differently
that we find 1t dif1cult to believe that
they portrayed the same man. Regard
less Of actual changes, due to age, worry
and different moods, each artist has
tened to modify his original sketch, in
the hope of producing portrait that
would please a public which undoubt-
edly insisted that its great leader should
appear as hero, a conqueror, states
man, and with such imposing person.
ality as fully and worthily to represent
the American Nation before the whole
world. It behooves us. therefore, to
compare the works of the different art
lists who portrayed him, as well as the
various portraits Of any one artist, and.
what Is of even more Importance, to
compare the contemporary descriptions
Of Washington's appearance with con-
temporary painted and sculptured por-
traits. In this way we hope to discover
errors in artists conceptions and means
to separate the originals and personal
portraits from copies and repncas made
by the same or different artists from
some certain model"
DR.. Eisen then quotes from prose de-
scriptions of washington by George
Mercer, Marquis de Barbe-M Marbois, BriS-
sot de WarVille, Chevalier de Pontgi-
baud, George washington Parke Custis,
Count Axel Fersen, Eliza P. Gusts, John
Vanderlyn, Marquis de Chastellux, Julian
Ursin Niemcewicz, Isaac Weld, Lieut.
Piel Lord Erskine, Sir Peter Parker,
John Bernard, James Sharples, Jedidiah
Morse, Mallet du Pan, Rembrandt
Peale, w. Lanier washington and other
writer's.
The consensus Is that Washington
had blue-gray or gray-blue eyes and
sandy hair. He stood feet 2 inches
in his stockings and was rather thin. y
He never wore a wig, but he powdered
his hair. His manner was formal, but
he was capable Of relaxing. While
President, it is said, he shook hands
with no one.
List OF Portraits.
DR.. Eisen lists portraits of Washing
ton at the Capitol, the White House, the
Corcoran Gallery, the National Museum,
the Smithsonian Institution, washing
ton Cathedral and elsewhere within the
District of Columbia.
The interest of DR.. Esen in portraits