Evening star., 1936-09-19

His Circle" set forth by the Metro
politan Museum of Art during the
four Summer months, when travellers
from all parts Of the country pass
through the turnstiles at their en-
trance 1t was a clever and well con-
sidered idea, arranging such an exhibi-
ton at this particular time, for pri-
marily it brought to attention the fact
that the early builders Of our Republic
were men of culture and taste-men
who, while occupied carving a ma
ton out of the wilderness" and setting
up a government, valued the arts and
accorded them due place in life. The
tercentenary exhibition at Harvard
evidences the uses to which the arts
were put by the early settlers and the
skill with which they were employed
a common acceptance Of fundamental
principles in the matter of design as
well as an obvious yearning for beauty,
The Franklin exhibition in New York
carried the theme farther by showing
that an intelligent appreciation of the
fine arts is a common denominator OF
understanding and fellowship among
the cultured citizenry of all nations.
Benjamin Franklin was chosen as
the pivot for this epoch marking ex-
hibition, not only because he himself
was a lover and patron Of art, but
on account of his intimate association
with those prominent in literary and
artistic circles of America, England
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might thus be placed upon art as one
of the most prominent links between
the three nations involved in the
American Revolution. Thus this
exhibition took on an international
aspect.
mo American OF any period" Mr..
Winlock, director of the Metropolitan
Museum of Art. suggests, sat to SO
many artists. nor to painters so widely
disassociated, as, for example, Robert
Feke. early American, and Jean
Baptiste Greuze, Partisan" And
none. he might have added, has been
SO generally we'll portrayed.
Two of the most significant portraits
In this exhibition were those by
Benjamin Wilson, painted in London
in 1859, when Franklin was acting as
agent for Pennsylvania in its con-
troversy with the Penn family, and
by Joseph Wright, the son of Patience
Wright, painted in Paris in 1882,
when Franklin was officially in at
tendance at the Conference of the
Treaty Of Peace with England. The
first of these has permanent place
ment in the White House, and was
lent by the President of the United
States; replica of the latter is owned
by and hangs in the Corcoran Gallery
Of Art. incidentally there is an in
teresting story about the former. The
artist was known to Franklin for his
electrical experiments and for his
sympathetic cartoon. THE Repeal of
the Stamp Tax After being painted
in London it was brought to this
country and hung in Franklins home
in Philadelphia. Upon the evacuation
OF that city by the British 1t was
taken by Maj. Andre and sent to
England, where 1t remained until
1906, when Earl Grey, whose ancestor
had commanded the departure of the
troops, returned it to our Nation
While next to the earliest known
portrait of Franklin, it shows him
with little vestige of youth and with
out the strength of character which
later canvases portray.
THE portrait by Joseph Wright Is
much more satisfactory. Curl
ously enough, that owned by the Cor
coran Gallery of Art was purchased
from a dealer in London in 1885 for
f200 under the supposition that it was
by Duplessis. Charles Henry Hart,
well known authority on early Amer
lean painters, discovered and called
attention to the erroneous attribution
in 1906, when the label and catalogue
listing we're changed. There is GER
tainly striking similarity between
the Duplessis portrait and this. The
pose is identical, the expression prac-
tically the same. In this portrait, as
well as in that by Greuze, he Is seen
wearing fur collar on his coat, which
does not appear in the Wright.
The Duplessis oil was painted In
i778, the year Of Franklin's presenta-
ton at the French court, and remark
was made at the time that he wore
no wig and by his dress proclaimed
his inmate simplicity" Undoubtedly
Wrights in Philadelphia. 1t was under
Franklin's protection that Joseph Wis
ited Paris in 1882 after having studied
with West in London. His mother,
who, it will be recalled, was the first
modeller in America, specializing in
portraits in wax, wrote Franklin at
that time that she heard her son was
painting his portrait, and was much
gratified thereby.
Franklin gave Wright sittings, and
from the first portrait from life, the
painter made several replicas for
which additional sittings were given.
To Franklins grandson Wright wrote:
II would wish he would give me leave
to make another copy Of his picture
! am fearful to ask, as consider I
may be in some measure troublesome,
and he must be tired of seeing me SO
constantly" -.
This probably accounts for the. fact
that the replicas are by no means
identical The one in the Corcoran
Gallery of Art is. for example. more
finished and a much more mature
work of art than that shown in the
New York exhibition. lent by the
Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts,
but no change whatsoever has been
made in the drawing. In this partic-
ular they are one and the same.
Franklin, inventor, author, diplomat,
printer, lover Of the arts Of music and
painting. connoisseur Of prints, Is seen
In redbrown suit with white stock
and ruffled shirt, seated in straight
backed chair, turned to the left. but
looking toward the observer. His eyes
are very seeing. his mouth large and
firm, his hair, brushed back from his
forehead, falls in uneven waves to his
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