Evening star., 1939-09-03
n. Y. Exhibit
Enrichedby
D. G. Art
Corcoran Gallery
Represented by
Seven Works
By Leila MechHn.


which the Metropolitan Museum of
Art has set forth this summer in
compliment and as auxiliary to the
New York Worlds Fair, engenders
a desire to look back over ones
shoulder. In Washington this in
clination is stimulated by the fact
that seven of the paintings in
this notable collection were lent
by the Corcoran Gallery of Art and
that here, at our very door, are
other works which vividly recall the
past. These "reminiscences take two
directions-the life lived here in
America, and more particularly in
our National Capital since 1900, and
the artists who have been part
of that life and have contributed
generously to it.
The paintings lent by the Cor
coran Gallery are: Portrait of
Chief Justice Edward Shippen," by
Gilbert Stuart; "Old House of Rep
resentatives," by Samuel F. B.
Morse; Portrait of John c. CAL
houn," by William j. Hubbard;
Leisure and Labor" by Frank
Blackwell Mayer; Nearing the
Issue at the Cockpit" by Horace
Bonham; "Longshoremens Noon,"
by j. G.. Brown, and Josephine
and Mercie." by Edmund c. Tarbell.
The first two take us back to very
early days, but remind, as does
the third, that Washington was
established as Federal city. The
paintings by Blackwell and Brown
focus attention on class distinctions
and labor conditions: the Bonham
recalls the close relation, in the
latter half of the 18th century, of
painting and illustration, while the
canvas by Tarbell seems to bring
the record up to date.
These loans by no means exhausted
the Corcoran's possible contributions
along these lines. It's collection of
early American portraits, which
give introduction to important per-
sonages in public life when the City
of Washington was very young, is
notable, indeed, and among its genre
paintings are several of outstand-
ing repute-such as The Long
Story" by William Sidney Mount;
The Emigrant's Letter" by Howard
Helmick, and "A Pastoral Visit" by
Richard N Brooke. Several of these
painters were residents of Wash
ington; others came here and
painted for periods of varying
length.
Stuart Kept Busy.
Gilbert Stuart lived in Washing
ton during the greater part Of 1903
and 1904, during which time he
was so much the rage that. accord
Ing to a contemporary writer, he
was almost worked to death and
every one was afraid he might leave
without fulfilling all his commits
sions.
In the spring of 1904, Mrs. Madi-
son wrote her sister, Mrs. Cults
that Stuart had finished almost all
his orders and said that he meant
to go to Boston. But that is what
he has been saying for these two
years." she added. expressing the
hope that, as he had bought a square
on which to build temple of art.
he would return. However, he did
not do so. The portrait of Shipper
was undoubtedly painted during the
first year of Stuart's residence here.
He is said to have had the power
to interest and amuse his sitters.
so that they forgot themselves and
thus appeared simple and natural"
But we know he had even greater
powers than these.
Following in his trail were such
luminaries as ST. Memin, the sill
houetist, August Edouart; Charles
B. King, pupil of West and friend
of Sully; Harding and others stop
ping, in some instances, en- route
from Boston to Charleston, the two
leading art centers of the country
at the time. In later days, among
the visiting artists of celebrity
painting here from time to time,
were John Singer Sargent and Ce-
ella BeauX For such visitors, the
Corcoran now reserves a guest stu
dio.
Charles B. King lived here for 40
years, and painted portraits, not
only of political celebrities, but of
many Indians. These works, Incl
dentally, he contributed to our first
national art collection. His home
was on the south side of F street
NV, one door east of Twelfth
street, only about two blocks from
the residence of Thornton, archi-
tect Of the Capitol and The Oc-
tagon House" who, according to
directory of the period, resided on
F street, between Thirteenth and
Fourteenth. There is a tendency
today to consider art late discovery
and its patronage new beneficence,
but. on good authority. it is said
that sitters pleaded with Stuart to
paint them, and when King died,
he left "a handsome competence"
bequeathing. not only pictures, but
endowment to the Redwood Library
Of Newport, r. I.
Art Was Revered.
In those days, art was not char
ity's child, but a thing revered.
When the Adamses went to the
Presidents House (not yet called
''White"), they hung paintings on
their walls as we'll as according
to tradition) clothes to dry in the
East Room. Indeed, it is a question
If art were not held higher in those
days than now. Certainly, Jeffer-
son. the great Democrat, considered
1t an essential part of culture as
we'll as badge of aristocracy.
How meager, however, were the
opportunities of either seeing great
works of art or obtaining teaching
in the days before the Civil War!
In 1842 a National Institute, one
of the objects of which was to culti-
vate appreciation of art, was in