Evening star., 1940-06-09

view in the National Museum.
The one in the Clark collection
was purchased by Senator Clark
from V. G.. Fischer when the latter
had his dealers establishment here
in the old Corcoran Building, where
the Washington Hotel now stands.
At the time of purchase, this canvas
was simply entitled Portrait of a
Woman and showed at less than
half length a lady in blue gown
and lace frilled cap, seated, with
a bracelet in her left hand and
her right hand dropped by her side
and lost in shadow. When the
Clark collection came to the Cor
coran Gallery of Art, this, with
other paintings was cleaned by an
expert, the official restorer of the
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and
to the great surprise of both cleaner
and gallery officials, small, chubby
child emerged from the shadoWed
corner of the canvas, standing at
the lady's side and held by an en-
circling arm Who painted the child
out, and why, has never been dis
covered. but to all appearance it
was Hogarth himself who put her
there. Evidence calculated to con-
firm this conviction is given, oddly
enough, by The Singing Party
inasmuch as the boy in the one and
the child in the other are very
similar and rendered in much the
same manner.
The portrait in the Ralph Gross
Johnson collection also is of lady
in blue gown, very straight-laced
wearing a white lacey cap in ac-
cordance with the fashion of the
day. 1t, too. is nameless and un-
signed, but completely in the man.
ner OF Hogarth. A restrained work
but rather convincing Very differ
!, ent in spirit, however, from the ami
mated portraits Of musicians in "The
Singing Party" but not without
personality and charm.
Names Are Unknown.
1t was not until after his marriage
that Hogarth began painting por-
traits-in part, probably. to help
boil the pot, but not little, we may
surmise, from his interest in people
and personalities. Whoever these
ladies may have been, he must have
enjoyed painting them and GER
tainly he did it we'll. The fact that
they have not been identified should
not stand against them. 1t is ex-
ceedingly difficult to authenticate
such works of art without pedigrees
or documentary evidence concerning
their history and ownership. They
come to US, in this instance, as
Hogarths and may be regarded as
such until proved to the contrary
Some day, the names of the sitters
may be learned.
The National Gallery of London
is especially rich in paintings by
Hogarth, even after having relin-
quished to the Tate. Millbank, the
Marriage a la Mode" series of six
for it has the Shrimp Girl" which
is particularly broad and modern
in treatment, portrait of himself
with dog. one of his sister, Ann Ho-
garth, and one of the actor Quin
! as we'll as his satirical Calais Gate,
purposed to avenge his arrest while
| painting in the streets of this city
and the group of heads of his serv-
ants, the last so similar in spirit
| and manner to THE Singing Party
In the National Portrait Gallery
London, is another portrait of him.
self-in this instance at his easel
and one of Lord Lovat. His double
portrait of David Garrick and Wife
is in Windsor Castle, while other:
are scattered in private home!
throughout England. Quite a mum.
ber have been lost by fires which
have destroyed castles and manors
In Saint Bartholomew Hospital il
London are two mural paintings by
Hogarth, one of The Good Samari
tam and the other of "The Poo
of Bethesda" both on the stairs anc
in good condition. Great care ha
been taken to provide for the safety
of the works of art in national col
lections in London during the war
but what of those in private resi-
dences if the worst comes to pass
A horrible thought. but one no
easily banished at this time.
Hogarth was fortunate in the TIM
in which he lived. Life seemed yer,
full and promising during the frs
three-quarters of the 18th century
in fact, to its end, in spite of tn
war with France and the revolution
in America, everything was in tn
ascendent and hope ran high. TIL
arts, as We have seen, fourishet
with vigor. Death came to Hogartl
at his home in Lincoln Inns Field
on October 26, 1764. He is burie,
in Chiswick churchyard, and at hi
grave is monument raised by hi
friends on which there is an epitapl
written by Garrick. Everyone nov
regards him as the founder of tn
nationalistic British school. Hi
works, of which there are compare
lively few in this country, are uni
versally regarded as covetable pos
sessions.