Evening star., 1941-09-21

20 PORTRAITS by Gilbert Stuart ane
his contemporaries which were once
included in the Thomas c. Clarke
collection, acquired by Andrew w
Mellon and now lent by the A. W
Mellon Educational and Charitaoie
Trust. One gallery contains ex'
clusively paintings by Stuart. while
works by Sully, Jouett, Waldo ano
Krimmel are to be found in another
There are, it will be remembered
galleries on the main floor In tne
regular sequence, set aside for Amer
ican paintings, where are to be seer
the large group by Savage OF the
Washington family at Mount Ver-
non. paintings by Copley, west
Trumbull, Chester Harding, Mathef
Brown and others, besides Stuart
nortraits of Washington (the Lans-
doyne or Vaughan type) OF Mrs
Richard Yates, her brother-ln-IaW'
Lawrence Reid Yates: Joseph Cool
idee, John Randolph in his youthful
wears and also of Sir Joshua Key
nolds, painted in London In lio4'
and of Horace Binney, the last a
loan from DR.. Horace Blnney.
Starting with these, one hnds
oneself well introduced to the loan
collection set forth on the floor
below, but easy of access. 1t will be
well to consider the Stuart group
first. not only because of the paint
er,s outstanding reputation, but be-
cause of priority in years.
A little off the highway which
passes through North Kingston,
r, T.. stands an old snuff mill, in
the living quarters of which, on De-
cember 8, 1855, Gilbert Stuart, son
of the millwright, was born. HIS
father was a Scotsman; his mother,
Elizabeth Anthony, traced her de-
scent from an early English settler
who came to America in 1884.
The snuff milling business be-
coming Improbable, the Stuart
family moved to Newport, where
there was considerable Scottish
colony. Gilbert developed talent for
both art and music very early, and
made helpful and devoted friends
When only Is he was painting por-
traits of some of the prominent men
OF Newport, work which, for their
merit, are considered well worth
preservation. 1t was in Newport
that he came under the tutel-
age Of a visiting Scottish artist
Cosmo Alexander, who took the
lad back to Scotland when he
returned in 1772. They made the
trip via Charleston, S. c., where
doubtless both had acquaintance, il
being customary in those days fol
the families of rich Southern plant
ers to summer in Newport, making
the Journey to and fro by sailing
vessels.
In Financial Straits.
After a glimpse of Edinburgh anc
probably London, Stuart on the
death Of his friend and patron ir
1773 came back to this country
where he remained until IT'S, when
he sailed for England on the last
ship that escaped detention by the
British in Boston Harbor. He took
with him a letter to Benjamin West
friend of all young American artists
but for some reason did not present
it for year or more, by which time
he was in financial straits.
West, as was his generous wont
not only received him kindly. but
took him into his home and en-
ployed him as an assistant in his
studio. Soon after joining West, he
had a painting exhibited in the
Royal Academy, and there seems
never to have been a question con-
cerning his proficiency and gift. He
stayed with West for several years,
not setting up his own studio indie
pendently until 1888, and the re-
markable thing is that in his work
no trace is to be found of the inf1u-
ence of his master and benefactor
or, indeed, of those of the great
its height; always, his own individ-
uality dominated
While In London. Stuart married
Charlotte Goats, daughter of DR..
Coates of Berkshire, an accom-
plished singer who had, it is said,
a beautiful speaking voice. Their
London home was sumptuous, and
among those entertained therein
were the leaders in professional and
social life. For some years, sitters
were plentiful, averaging, it is re-
corded. six a day; but Stuart was
not thrifty, and money slipped
through his fingers as soon as it was
In his hand. On the invitation OF
the Duke of Rutland, he went to
Dublin to execute an order, and
there spent the last five years of his
sojourn in the British Isles. There
he executed some fine canvases
but through his recklessness these
were not happy years, and it is
said that when, in 1892 or '93, he
returned to this country, it was tc
escape payment of debts for which
he had been imprisoned. He also
had great ambition to paint
George Washington. but he hac
been back more than a year before
he took opportunity to solicit the
privilege.
Meanwhile, a letter of introduc.
ton from Mrs. William Hartigan oi
Dublin to her relatives. the PollockS
and Yateses Of New York, opened
to him the gate of opportunity
Not only did he paint portraits ol
various members of these families
but through them he obtained com.
missions-such as those from Johr
Jay. Stephen Van Rensselaer,, Johr
Jacob Astor and others.
Rapid Workman.
In 1894, he went to Philadelphia
to paint President Washington, who
had consented to give him sittings
The first portrait he did was what
Is known as the Vaughan type
which shows the right side of the
face and is very formal, still pre-.
ferred by some but not satisfactory
to the artist. Then followed the
"Athenaeum" portrait, which ha.
been regarded as typically ideal. I
shows the left side of the face ane
vas never completely finished, nor
for that matter, was that of Mrs
Washington, which paired with it
Both of these now hang in tht