Evening star., 1934-07-15

with her fathers head In her arms,
as she had desired
Washington has gone bTidge-mind-
ed and the coming years VIII see at
the Nations Capital some Of the most
beautiful bridges In the world Some
years ago when the curved bridge,
known as the @ Street Bridge, was
built over Rock Greek, there was
much talk about the extravagance Of
such a bridge. and yet since then
million dollar bridges have become an
almost unnoticed part of Washington.
The Taft Bridge-knOwn as the
Million-D Dollar Bridge in common
vernacular - the beautiful Arlington
Bridge. the plans for the new Calvert
Street Bridge and the P Street Bridge,
now building, VIII all add TO the
beauty of the city and are an enter
ing wedge against the ugly sore spots
along the Potomac River, which 1t is
hoped. even BY the Congress, VIII
some day be eliminated
The historic Waterloo Bridge, In
London. is soon to be torn doWn-at
least the London County Council, OF
which Miss Ishbel Macdonald is a
member. says so, but the House OF
Commons decided by vote OF 1874 TO
l59 that the old Landmark shall stand
The council defled the Commons and
voted by a majority of rs to Al that
the bridge be destroyed.
When Mrs. George Washington
Whistler sailed for Europe In l843, to
join her husband in Russia, where he
had gone at the invitation OF Emperor
Nicholas l to build a railway between
st. Petersburg and Moscow, she little
dreamed what a triumphal progress
her. portrait would make in her native
country, 81 years later, when she was
acclaimed by thousands Of people who
daily visited the several galleries In
which her famous portrait, by her
son. was exhibited
And now almost coincident with
the hundredth anniversary of the
birth of her distinguished son, James
Mcneil Whistler, on July 10, 1884,
an old desk at her Scarsdale cottage
has disclosed letters telling of the
circumstances of the painting of one
of the worlds greatest works of art.
And for the first time 1t is revealed
why the portrait was painted sitting
instead of standing, as was first
intended.
Perhaps never in the history of art
has a single portrait been SO univer-
sally glorified, and while there has
been much criticism of its reproduc-
ton on a stamp issued by the Post
Office Department in honor Of
Mothers day, the President received
the plaudits of millions of mothers
throughout the world for its selection.
There has been much criticism that
the foreground had to be foreshort-
ened in order to make the stamp con-
veniently small and that the ring on
her left hand is not visible; also that
the vase of flowers was placed at her
feet on the stamp. The latter addi-
tion, however, was doubtless undue
zeal Of the engraver to make it con-
form to the custom of sending flowers
on Mothers day.
In a letter dated Friday afternoon,
November 3, 1871, Mrs. Whistler
writes, MY portrait you would like.
as Debo 0Iady Haden) says it reminds
her of grandmother and Uncle VIII
liam Mcneil. When it is photo
graphed I hope to send you one
Margaret must not blush for the
vanity Of her old chum, in praise of
her own likeness But thankfulneSS
to God is my emotion, and it was a
aSiY x1slai
the painters model that gave the
expression which makes the attractive
charm. If you could hear Mrs Hooper
describe the struggle Jennie has gone
through in his persevering work to
finish pictures, you would understand
the transition from hope deferred
which maketh the heart sick to the
charming present and future work
Then Mrs. Whistler, goes on to say
that lovely study of a beautiful
young girl had to be discontinued
owing to her severe illness and that
her son in his bitter disappointment
had turned to her, as he always
seemed to do when discouraged.
She continues in this letter, so !
was not surprised at his setting about
preparing large canvas. late though
1t was in the evening, but I was sur
prtsed when the next day he said,
Mother, l want you TO stand for me.
1t is what I have long intended and
desired to do, to take your portrait
Mrs Whistler then gives the reason
for the sitting figure. Il was not as
well then as am now, but never de-
pressed Jennie by complaints so 1 stood
bravely two or three days whenever
he was in the mood for studying me
(hiS pictures are "Studies'D, and l Sc
interested stood as a statue. but real
lied it to be too great an effort. Sc
my dear patient artist. for he is
never worrying in his perseverance
concluded to paint me sitting per-
fectly at my ease"
II was on seeing this portrait that
Thomas Carlyle decided to have
Whistler paint the famous portrait OF
himself which, together with the
mothers, constitutes the artists most
! popular Canvases.
When the portrait of Mrs. Whistler
was submitted to the Hanging Com
I mlttee OF the Royal Academy in Lon
don it was decided to reject it; but on
one Of the members threatening to re-
sign and stir up a scandal the picture
was accepted 1t was however, the last
picture Whistler ever sent TO the
annual exhibition
Mr., Joseph P Kennedy chairman
Of the new Securities and Exchange
/ Commission. when he was thrown
is that proper cinema talk-on the
! screen at a local picture house last
I Thursday. received a bit of applause
although his remarks were not at all
humorous or gay. but it was his way
Of stating a few facts about his job
/ He seems to have had something to
do with movies and was the person
who arranged a course of lectures on
motion pictures at Harvard. Will
Hays and other film leaders spoke
there. He left the films, however
some years ago. His connection was
purely financial and his announce
ment at the time that what the
I movies needed was more culture is
now a slogan with the present cam
. paIgn for cleaner and more delicate
+ presentations that will leave Just q