Evening star., 1939-10-15
Capital SideIights
BY VIII P. Kennedy

When the Virginia Military Institute,
at Lexington, celebrates it's centennial
on November II, with the dedication of
new building, it will have as special
attraction an unusually large historic
OIL painting loaned indefinitely to the
institution by act of Congress. This is
an equestrian portrait of Gen. Winfield
Scott astride his famous charger, which
had been ordered by the Virginia Legis-
lature for v. M. 1. at price of $4,000,
but the war between the States came
along, preventing payment, and the
painting was returned to the artist, Ed
ward Troye. The painting is Z feet
wide and 9 feet high. 1t is now being
restored under the direction of Charles
E. Fairman, curator of art works in the
Capitol by two well-known Alexandria
artists, Mr.. and Mrs. L. Sigsbee Gilham.
This portrait was painted at West Point,
where special studio was set up for
the artist, who had become noted as a
great animal painter throughout the
South, and particularly of pedigreed
horses. 1t is said that he made portrait
paintings of every famous race horse in
his day. The painting was subsequently
purchased from the artists widow, Mrs.
Cornelia A. Troye, for $1,000. 1t orig
inally hung over marble stairway to
the House gallery, but was replaced many
years ago by one of Lincoln signing the
Emancipation Proclamation in the pres
ence OF his cabinet. 1t is so large that
Mr.. Fairman says it was never ade-
quately hung, but later was placed on
the walls of room on the Senate side
which was used by the Congressional
Lunch Club. 1t was exhibited at the
National Museum and Corcoran Art
Gallery. There are two such portrait
paintings of Gen. Scott, both by the
same artist, and so closely resembling
each other that they have been con-
fused-and both were lodged in the
Capitol at the same time.
Edward Troye was a Swiss by birth.
His father was an eminent painter whose
best work is preserved in the Louvre.
His brother Charles was a noted his
torical painter, one of his sisters was
the first woman admitted to the Paris
Conservatory of Music and the other was
a celebrated sculptor. He himself at the
age of IA made sketches of Windsor Cas-
tie which attracted marked attention.
The Capitol also has another, even
larger, historical painting for which it
has no wall space and which Curator
Fairman would like to see restored and
loaned to the Naval Academy at An.
napolis. This is "The First Fight of
1ronclads Monitor and the Mer-
rimac-by William Formby HalsalI, an
Englishman, who followed the sea for
seven years, later serving in the United
States Navy during the Civil War. He
is noted for his marine paintings, one
of which-"Our Glory, the Battleship
Oregon"-is in the National Gallery. In
painting the Monitor and Merrimac mic.
ture the artist consulted with and had
approval Of officers who fought on each
craft.
The famous gymnasium and baths Of
Europe with the exception of their spe-
cial mud packs, have nothing to keep
man more physically fit than House
members have provided for themselves
IN their House Office Building gymna-
SUM, In the opinion of Peter Henderson,
PHYSICAL director, who has Just returned
from an extensive tour of Old World
health resorts. Mr.. Henderson, accom-
panied by his wife, went abroad on the
same boat with the Rev. DR.. James Shera
Montgomery, chaplain Of the House. He
returned on the threatened Iroquois.
He visited Rome, Venice, St. Anthonys
Shrine in Paduar and Milan. He found
Italy very progressive, with special in
terest in health, sanitation and slum
clearance. He visited the famous Weiss
baden baths in Germany. used by the
former Kaiser Wilhelm, thence to Coblenz,
on the border Of Luxembourg, and
crossed at the town OF Thier. where there
has since been such bitter fighting.