Evening star., 1935-05-19
By Nellie Deland Dre1el.

By Nellie Deland Dre1el.
rF ONE is privileged to stroll
through the galleries of the White
House many lasting impressions
i are created. They inspire de-
sire to be curious or to delve into
history, especially as regards the por-
traits of wives of the Presidents that
have found place there. Now that
Mrs. Roosevelt has succeeded in Secur-
ing a portrait of Mrs. Herbert Hoover
to hang on the White House walls,
we begin to wonder why so few por-
traits of First Ladies are exhibited
there.
The recent portrait of Mrs. Hoover
was painted by Miss Lydia Field En-
met of New York. 1t is a gift to the
White House from the Girl Scouts
organization in recognition of Mrs.
Hoover'S interest in that body of
young women. The delay in hanging
the portrait was caused by some de-
tails in the painting that the artist
wished to change. Mrs. Hoover sat
for these changes while in the East
last Summer. The portrait shows
Mrs Hoover in a natural pose, gowned
In black velvet with elbow sleeves and
V-neckline.
Among the other portraits some
have been there many years, painted
by noted artists Of their day, while q
few are more recently done, all bring
ing to mind not only the portrait, but
the artist. The oldest portraits bring
to mind the early days of the White
House. Who were these artists, and
by whom were they given the assign
mentS for their work?
ON ENTERING the East room from
the foyer, the portraits of the
first President and his wife, George
and Martha Washington, seem to
smile a greeting, and it will be re-
membered that Martha was literally
the First Lady of the land She helped
to plan the White House of the future
Presidents, but she was the only wife
OF a President who never dwelt there.
Martha Washington's portrait was
painted by Eliphalet Andrews in 1873
and curiosity makes one wonder how
SO fine a likeness was obtained, hav-
ing been made so many years after the
subjects death. After the artist &C
cepted the commission from the Gov
ernment for this work he determined
that time and labor should not be
spared in striving for an ideal por-
trait. The head and shoulders we're
taken from an old miniature. the orig
mal OF a Gilbert Stuart. This repro
duction is claimed by noted artists to
be a creditable piece of work. The
dress is of handsome white brocade-
satin over a petticoat of quilted old
rose silk; the overdreSs is edged with
point lace, rose pattern, and the
graceful train is finished with knife
pleatng. The bodice is pointed with
round neck and the sleeves are edged
with tiny frills of pleating and lace
that falls to the hand. The fine lace
cap, style OF those days, frames the
face. A cloud of white tulle is grace
fully draped about the head and
shoulders. There are no jewels.
This gown was made by Worth, who
used the best authorities on the style
of that period. 1t was worn by Mrs.
Darling of New York at the Centen-
nial tea party of 1876 She is said to
have posed for the artist when he
painted the portrait.
Much controversy has arisen from
time to time among artists regarding
the portrait of George Washington
how it could be the original one
which, it is claimed, was taken from
the frame by Dolly Madison when the
British raided the Capital, and if it is
Gilbert Stuart. One critic says:
''The bad drawing of the figure may
have been Stuart characteristic, but
the bad drawing of the face, never!"
Another declares: Looking into the
face of the portrait for evidence, one
who has the slightest acquaintance
with the master handling and tender
color tints of Stuart must know that
he never could have painted such a
head of such a man whom he so ad-
mired, even worshiped." This critic
adds: ut is quite plain that this pic
ture is libel on both Stuart and
Washington" However, many per-
sons give an adverse opinion in the
matter-and so the argument will
never be settled.
GILBERT STUART was born at
- Middleport, near Newport, r. l.,
December 3, 1755. He painted his
first portrait when but 13 years old,
having had no art instruction. In
ITO he won the friendship of Cosmo
Alexander, who took him to Scotland,
where they lived and studied to-
I@ir
Stuart was forced to return to Amer
tca on account of financial ADVERSE
ties and for time was obliged to
make his living as an organist, hav-
ing studied music as well as painting.
His meeting with Benjamin West,
however, with whom he went to live,
brought about change in his for
tunes, and he soon thereafter began
portrait painting, executing commits
sionS of noted persons in this country
and abroad. In 1887 he went to Dub
lin, not returning to America until
1892.
One Of Stuart's ambitions was to
paint George Washington, and in
1875 this wish was gratified. He be-
gan his first portrait of the first Pres
1dent, who was said to be the only
person in whose presence Stuart found
himself embarrassed. Not satisfied
with this portrait, he persuaded
Washington to sit again, and the re-
suit was the head "Athenaeum," an
unfinished canvas showing the left
side of the face. This remains the ac-
cepted likeness of Washington Later,
it is recorded, Stuart did full-length
portrait of Washington, and it is sup
posed to be the one in the White
House over which so much contro-
Versy has taken place.
The portrait of Dolly Madison, also
painted by Eliphalet Andrews, is a
splendid reproduction of the original
painting by Gilbert Stuart, which |
still hangs ir the Pennsylvania Acad- |
emy OF Fine Arts in Philadelphia. |
The fame of the fair Dolly when mis-
tress of the White House will never |
die. Her personality is outstanding |
in the annals of the mansion and the |