Evening star., 1938-07-24
Fine eAmerican Artists
Painted Leaders
of Allies.
By Leila Mechlin.

~ new Smithsonian Gallery O
~ Art, authorized by Congress
at its most recent session, will
be to provide exhibition space for {
national portrait collection to which
valuable contributions have alread!
been made.
The idea of a National PORTRAIT
Gallery seems to have taken shap.
even before the Smithsonian Institu.
ton came into existence. In l842 6
full-length portrait of F. P. G. Guizot
biographer of Washington and Prime
Minister of France under Louis Phil
lippe, by G.. P. A. Healy, was pre-.
sented to the United States by 6
group of American citizens residing
in Paris, and placed by President
Tyler in the safe keeping of the Ma
tional Institute, which was at that
time upbuilding a national collec
ton.
Two other portraits by Healy were
added to the collection by friends o1
the institute, one of William C. Pres
ton, United States Senator from South
Carolina, the other of President Tyler
himself. Joel R. Poinsett, late Sec
retary of War was at that time presi-
dent of the National Institute, which
1t is said, had membership of 1000
an amazing number for an art or
ganlzation in that day-or indeed
now. In 1860, with the expiration OF
the Institutes charter, and in agree
ment Herewith. these and other works
acquired were turned over to the Gus
tody of the Smithsonian Institute and
luckily, escaped destruction in the
disastrous fire of 1865.
So much for the beginning. For
q good many years-in fact for three
quarters of century-the idea seems
to have slumbered, for no further eff
forts were made to assemble or support
a National Portrait Gallery. Then
came the World War-and with it
awakening. Partly because of the
service rendered by art and artists
during the great conflict, and in no
small degree as incident to the re-
joicing occasioned by cessation of hos
tilities. group of distinguished
American citizens formed National
Art Committee in January, 1919. with
the object of obtaining portraits of
leaders of the allied nations to be
preserved for all time in a National
Portrait Gallery in Washington.
OF THIS committee Henry White,
former Ambassador to Italy and
France, and at that time with the
Peace Commission in Paris, was ap-
pointed chairman, and Herbert L..
Pratt of New York, who undoubtedly
conceived and took responsibility for
the plan, secretary and treasurer. The
Smithsonian Institution, the Ameri-
can Federation of Arts. headed then
by Robert w. De Forest, president of
the Metropolitan Museum of Art and
the American Mission to Negotiate
Peace, all agreed to cooperate, and
some of those whose portraits were
desired were approached with favor
able reaction
In order that the enterprise should
be fully representative of the Ameri-
can people as a whole, arrangements
were made whereby some of the por-
traits should be given by art patrons
OF different cities and eventually so
inscribed. Also, that representative
of cities so cooperating should be an
Committee. Then came the difficult
and somewhat hazardous work of Sc
lecting, first, those whose portraits
were desired and second, the artists
by whom they were to be painted. In
both respects choice was made with
great apparent wisdom and discretion
The assignments were as follows:
To Cecilia Beaux of New York, por-
traits of Admiral Sir David Beatty,
Premier Georges Clemenceau and
Cardinal Joseph Desire Joseph Mer-
cier; to Joseph De Camp of Boston.
portraits of Premier Sir Robert Laird
Borden and Gen. Sir Arthur William
Currie; to Charles Hopkinson of Bos-
ton, Premier Joan ]. C. Bratiano
Premier Nikola Pashich and Prince
Kimmochi Saionji; to John c. johann
sen of New York, Field Marshal Sir
Douglas Haig, Marshal Joseph Joffre,
Gen. Amanda Diaz and Premier
Vittorio Emanuele Orlando; to Ed
mund c. Tarbell Of Boston, Marshal
Ferdinand Foch, Gen. George Leman
and President Woodrow Wilson; to
Douglas Volk of New York, H. M.
Albert I, King of the Belgians; Pre-
mier David Lloyd George and Gen.
J. J. Pershing; to Irving Wiles of New
York, Admiral Sims, U. S. N.
I ATER, Jean McLane (Mrs. John
G. Johanse) was commissioned
to paint Elizabeth, Queen of The Bel
gians, and Edmund c. Tarbell was
assigned the portrait of Herbert C.
Hoover. Joseph De Camp was to have
painted THE Signing of the Peace
Treaty." but, after arriving in Paris
and watching proceedings for a short
time, gave it up. The task was taken
over at the urgency of the committee
by Mr.. Johansen.
All Of these paintings were COM
here In the month of May and later
sent on a circuit Of art museums of
the country, beginning with the
Metropolitan Museum of Art in New
York, under the auspices Of the Amer
lean Federation of Arts. From time
to time they have, during the past Is
years since their return and delivery
to the National Gallery of Art, been
shown in various parts Of the National
Museum. Natural History Building,
at Tenth street and Constitution ave-
nue. NV. At present the majority
are hung on the wall of the corridor
surrounding the rotunda, ill-lighted
and ill-shown, but better than not
shown at all. When, however, one
recalls the character of the under
taking, the spirit and emotion with
which 1t was put through, to say
nothing of the sacrifice entailed in
labor and time on the part of the
painters and their sitters. II seems a