Evening star., 1941-09-28


by Angelica Kaufman which he saw
that determined him to paint por-
traits in oils. His first painting les
sons were from a sign painter. To
learn, by example, how good paint
er worked, he bought OF Trumbull
! a portrait of the painters wife. for
which he paid S100. Then he went
to Boston to consult Stuart, who Is
said to have received him kindly and
allowed him to stand behind him as
he painted. However, when Sully
showed Stuart portrait he himself
had done, the latter advised him to
follow his own inclinations and as
sured him of success. In 1909, Sully
was able to carry out his dream OF
going to England, having earned
enough to provide for his family
while away. With him he took, for
his own expenses only s400 and had
he not been befriended by c. B. King
in London, and by also West, to
whom King took him, he would not
have Jared very well. King, it will
be remembered, settled in Washing
ton on his return to this country
/ and maintained a studio here for
many years. Sully, on his return
settled in. Phila delphia- for the re-
mainder of his life, with the excep-
ton of professional visits to other
cities. and one more brief trip tc
England, in 1887, to paint full
length portrait of Queen Victoria
The original Of this portrait was
painted for the ST. George Society
of Philadelphia, but the artist pre-
sented a replica to the st. Andrews
Society of Charleston, and second
replica is in the Wallace Collection
London.
He is said to have been very
rapid and industrious painter, and
to his credit stand a total OF
over 1000 portraits in oils, besides
miniatures, and no less than 500 SUBJ
ject pictures-a prodigiouS output
but he lived nearly 80 years. dying in
Philadelphia in 1872. Doubtless.
however, quite a number of his
paintings were largely done by STU
dent aSsiStantS-which may account
for the unevenness in quality al
ready noted. We Americans have
every reason to be proud Of him.
Fewer Obstacles.
Samuel L. Waldo, by whom there
are two characteristic canvases in
this exhibition-one of a lady of
Revolutionary descent, Rebecca San
ford Barlow; the other Of r. G. Liv-
ingston de Peyster, a graduate of
Kings College (now Columbia Uni
versity) and a prominent merchant
of New York-was about of an age
with Sully, being born in the same
year, but in Connecticut, and fol-
lowed somewhat the same path, but
with fewer obstacles intervening.
He studied first with a painter
named Stewart in Hartford, then
set up as a portrait painter himself
in Charleston, S. c., from there
making his way to England, where
he entered the Royal Academy and
studied with West and Copley, at
the same time making helpful con-
facts with other outstanding artists
and friends of other American art
students. After three years of such
high feasting, he returned to the
United States and settled in New
York, where, in 1915, he made, with
his pupil, William Jewett-also a
Connecticut boy-one of the most
remarkable partnerships known to
art. Jewett was an apt pupil and
painted so precisely in his masters
manner that it was possible for them
to work on the same canvas. For
Is years, all the output from their
studio was signed with the firm
name Waldo and Jewett" 1t is
very difficult to tell, when the sigma
ture is not longer visible. which were
solely the w@k of Waldo and which
of the two together. But, after all,
it does not matter. The two por-
traits now on view in the National
Gallery are heavily painted and
much more in the style of West
than of Stuart. The Barlow por-
trait is dark except for the face and
encircling lace cap, but in detail it
is rendered with great perfection.
The same may be said Of the de
Peyster portrait, which is equally
we'll, If not even better, done. The
observer finds the likeness convinc.
ing, but the Interpretation Is less
spirited than in the interpretations
by Stuart and Sully.
The Jewett who worked with
Waldo should not be confused with
Matthew Jouett, by whom we see
here a portrait of Augustus Fielding
Hawkins. bank president of Lex
ington. KY, where the painter made
his home. This Jouett also studied
under Stuart and inbibed some Of
his style, but not his great genius.
However, some of Jouett's works are
so like Stuart's that they have been
confused. He is recorded to have
painted $50 portraits. but the num-
ber is probably greater. At enc
time he visited Natchez. Louisville
and New Orleans in quest Of orders.
but, finding in the last city several
colleagues already intrenched, re-.
fro oed HE stAr,x IN I Axfn1tnY UherA