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The Metropolitan Museum of Art
is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve, and extend access to
The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin
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FRO NTISPIECE: A corner

of
the Museum's
Gallery of
American
Paintings
as it was in
1899.
The
majority of
the
paintings
are
easily recognized. Among
those mentioned in this
article are
(from left
to
right): Benjamin
West's
Hagar
and
Ishmael,
Thomas
Sully's
Por-
trait
of
the Artist, C. L . Elliott's Portrait
of
Mathew
Brady,
John
Trumbull's Alexander
Hamilton, Charles Willson Peale's
George Washington,
and,
at the
far right,
a
part of
Emmanuel L eutze's
Washington Crossing
the Delaware
ON THE COVER: Visitors in the
Gallery of
American
Paintings,
about i9o8 or
g909,
in
front of
Emmanuel L eutze's
Washington Crossing
the Delaware
T h e F i r s t
T h i r t y
Y e a r s
ALBERT T EN EY CK GARDNER
As s oci a t e Cur a t or
of
Ame r i ca n
Pa i nt i ngs
a nd
Sculpt ur e
T h e e xh i bi t i on T h r e e Ce nt ur ze s
of
Ame r i ca n
Pa i nt i ng,
wh i ch
ope ns
on
Apr i l 9
a nd wi ll
r un
t h r ough
Oct obe r
17, pr ovi de s
a n
a ppr opr i a t e
occa s i on for a r e vi e w of s ome of t h e
for got t e n a s pe ct s
of t h e
Me t r opoli t a n
Mus e um's colle ct i on. One of t h e mos t
i nt e r e s t i ng
ph a s e s
of t h i s
de ve lopme nt
i s t h e
gr owt h
of t h e colle ct i on i n t h e t h r e e de ca de s be for e
I900,
wh e n t h e Mus e um
de pe nde d
a lmos t
e nt i r e ly
on t h e
ge ne r os i t y
of donor s of wor ks
of
a r t ,
for la ck of s uffi ci e nt funds t o
buy pi ct ur e s . Ma ny i mpor t a nt
Ame r i ca n
pa i nt i ngs
we r e
a cqui r e d
i n t h i s
pe r i od,
h owe ve r ,
a nd t h e s e for me d t h e nucle us a bout wh i ch t h e
pr e s e nt
colle ct i on,
a cqui r e d
for t h e mos t
pa r t
i n t h e t we nt i e t h
ce nt ur y,
wa s
ga t h e r e d.
At t h e t i me of t h e founda t i on of t h e Mus e um
ma ny
of t h e mos t
pr omi ne nt
a r t i s t s of
Ne w Y or k we r e a ct i ve
pa r t i ci pa nt s
i n
for wa r di ng
t h e
pr oje ct .
Wh e n t h e
Me t r opoli t a n
wa s ch a r t e r e d i n
1870
s ome of t h e s e me n we r e li s t e d
a mong
t h e
founde r s ,
not a bly
t h e
Cont e nt s
AMERICAN PAINT ING
T h e F i r s t
T h i r t y
Y e a r s
ALBERT T EN EY CK
GARDNER
"Loa n
Colle ct i on,"
1965
ST UART P. F EED
Numbe r s i n T i me :
T wo Ame r i ca n
Pa i nt i ngs
HENRY GELDZAHLER
265
275:
285
i . T h e
Wa ge s of Wa r , 1849,
by
He nr y
Pe t e r s
Gr a y (1819-i 877).
Oi l on
ca nva s , 481
x
761
i nch e s .
Gi ft of
Se ve r a l
Ge nt le me n,
73.5
265
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The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin
www.jstor.org

la nds ca pe pa i nt e r Joh n
F .
Ke ns e t t ,
t h e
por t r a i t pa i nt e r s
Da ni e l
Hunt i ngt on
a nd Ea s t -
ma n
Joh ns on,
t h e
s culpt or
Joh n
Q.
A.
Wa r d,
a nd Sa mue l P.
Ave r y,
wh o,
a lt h ough
t r a i ne d a s a n
e ngr a ve r ,
wa s t h e n one of t h e mos t
pr omi ne nt
a r t de a le r s i n t h e
ci t y.
T h e
pr e s e nce
of t h e s e
pr ofe s s i ona ls na t ur a lly
or i e nt e d t h e i ns t i t ut i on t o t h e
a cqui s i t i on
a nd
di s pla y
of t h e wor k of Ame r i ca n
a r t i s t s ,
a nd of
s t udy
ma t e r i a ls for t h e i ns t r uct i on a nd
i ns pi r a t i on
of Ame r i ca n a r t s t ude nt s .
T h us ,
a lt h ough
one of t h e fi r s t a ct i ons of t h e
T r us t e e s wa s t h e
pur ch a s e
of a colle ct i on of old ma s t e r s
(mos t ly
F le mi s h a nd
Dut ch ),
i t wa s i n
r e s pons e
t o t h e
longs t a ndi ng ple a
of Ame r i ca n a r t i s t s for
Eur ope a n pa i nt i ngs
t o
s t udy.
Be for e t h i s colle ct i on wa s
ope ne d
t o t h e
publi c
i t wa s s h own t o t h e a r t i s t s of
Ne w Y or k a t a
s pe ci a l r e ce pt i on
a nd
pr e vi e w.
T HE MET ROPOLIT AN MUSEUM OF ART
Bulle t i n
VOLUME
XXIII,
NUMBER 8 APRIL
1965
Publi s h e d
mont h ly
fr om Oct obe r t o
June
a nd
qua r t e r ly
fr om
July
t o
Se pt e mbe r . Copyr i gh t ? I965
by
T h e
Me t r opoli t a n
Mus e um of
Ar t ,
F i ft h Ave nue a nd 82nd
St r e e t ,
Ne w
Y or k,
N. Y . I0028. Se cond
cla s s
pos t a ge pa i d
a t Ne w
Y or k,
N. Y .
Subs cr i pt i ons $5.00
a
ye a r . Si ngle copi e s fi ft y
ce nt s . Se nt fr e e t o
Mus e um Me mbe r s . F our we e ks ' not i ce
r e qui r e d
for
ch a nge
of a ddr e s s . Ba ck i s s ue s a va i la ble on mi cr o-
fi lm fr om
Uni ve r s i t y
Mi cr ofi lms ,
313
N. F i r s t
St r e e t ,
Ann
Ar bor ,
Mi ch i ga n.
Edi t or :
Gr a y
Wi lli a ms , Jr .;
As s i s t a nt Edi t or s : Anne Pr e us s a nd Ka t h a r i ne H. B.
St odde r t ;
As s i s t a nt : Suza nne R.
Boor s ch ;
De s i gne r :
Pe t e r
Olde nbur g.
266
2.
Polyh ymni a :
Mr s . F r a nci s C.
Ba r low, 1869,
by Jos e ph
F a gna ni (i 819-i 873).
Oi l on
ca nva s ,
43Y
x
332
i nch e s .
Gi ft of
a n As s oci a t i on
of Ge nt le me n,
74.45
3.
Ale xa nde r
Ha mi lt on,
a bout
I804,
by
Joh n
T r umbull
(1756-i 843).
Oi l on
ca nva s ,
30o
x
248
i nch e s .
Gi ft of
He nr y
J.
Ma r qua nd,
81.11
4.
Ale xa nde r
Ande r s on,
1815, by
Joh n
We s le y
Ja r vi s
(1780-i 840).
Oi l on
ca nva s ,
34
x
27
i nch e s .
Gi ft of
Robe r t
Hoe , Jr ., 81.16
5. Ge or ge Wa s h i ngt on,
1803,
by
Gi lbe r t St ua r t
(1755-1828).
Oi l on
ca nva s ,
298
x
248
i nch e s .
Gi ft of
H.
O.
Ha ve me ye r ,
88.18
6. Sce ne
fr om
Or la ndo
F ur i os o,
a bout
I793,
by Be nja mi n
We s t
(1738-1820).
Oi l on
ca nva s ,
36
x 28 i nch e s .
De pos i t e d by
Mr s . Ar t h ur
Se gui n,
z881. Pur ch a s e ,
Ma r i a De Wi t t
Je s up
F und,
95.22.1
7 (le ft ).
T h e Ch e s s
Pla ye r s ,
i 876,
by
T h oma s
Ea ki ns
(1844- 916).
Oi l on
wood,
i 4 x
16%
i nch e s .
Gi ft of
t h e
Ar t i s t , 81.14
8
(be low).
T h e
Spa ni s h Qua r t e t t e , 1884,
by
Wi lli a m Da nna t
(I853-I929).
Oi l on
ca nva s ,
943
x
9i 4
i nch e s .
Gi ft of
Mr s . Wi lli a m H.
Da nna t , 87.26
OPPOSIT E:
9.
T h e Ame r i ca n
Sch ool, i 765,
by
Ma t t h e w
Pr a t t
(i 734- 8o5).
Oi l on
ca nva s , 36
x
5O4
i nch e s .
Gi ft of
Sa mue l P.
Ave r y, 97.29.3
T h e domi na t i on of
Eur ope a n
t r a di t i ons a nd
Eur ope a n
t a s t e i s
s t r ongly
e vi de nt i n t h e fi r s t
pa i nt i ng by
a n Ame r i ca n a r t i s t t o come t o t h e
Mus e um,
T h e
Wa ge s
of Wa r
(F i gur e i ) by
He nr y
Pe t e r s
Gr a y, pr e s e nt e d
i n
1873.
It i s a
cur i ous
pi ct ur e , by
a Ne w Y or k
pa i nt e r
now
mor e or le s s
for got t e n,
ye t
i t r e cor ds a
s i g-
ni fi ca nt mome nt i n t h e
h i s t or y
of Ame r i ca n
pa i nt i ng.
It wa s
pa i nt e d
i n
I849,
a ft e r t h e
a r t i s t h a d be e n i n
It a ly,
a nd i n i t one fi nds
e ch oe s of h i s
s t udy
of
Gi or gi one
a nd T i t i a n.
In
buyi ng
t h e
pi ct ur e
a nd
pr e s e nt i ng
i t t o t h e
Mus e um t h e donor s we r e
h onor i ng
t h e a r t i s t
not s o much for h i s a r t a s for h i s
e xt r a or di na r y
s ucce s s i n
ma na gi ng
a
fund-r a i s i ng ca mpa i gn
i n
1865
t h a t r e s ult e d i n
put t i ng
t h e Na t i ona l
Aca de my
of
De s i gn
on a s ound fi na nci a l ba s i s .
T h us t h e
pi ct ur e
h a s a
pe culi a r
loca l h i s t or i ca l
s i gni fi ca nce
t o a dd t o i t s a wkwa r d ch a r ms a s
a r e li c of a n
a ge
of a r t i s t i c i nnoce nce .
Pe r h a ps
t h i s
s t r a nge
ca nva s s h ould be cons i de r e d a n
a ca de mi c
"pr i mi t i ve ,"
s i nce i t h a s a
da nge r -
ous ly
clos e
r e la t i ons h i p
t o t h e
a lle gor i ca l pa n-
e ls t h a t us e d t o a dor n
s t e a mboa t s ,
fi r e
e ngi ne s ,
a nd ci r cus
wa gons .
In t h e
87os
t h e Mus e um's
pr ogr e s s
i n ma k-
i ng
a
pe r ma ne nt
colle ct i on of
pa i nt i ngs
wa s
gr e a t ly h a mpe r e d by
t h e fi na nci a l
pa ni c
of
1873
a nd t h e
followi ng
fi ve or s i x
ye a r s
of
de pr e s s i on. F i ft y-t h r e e
Ame r i ca n
pa i nt i ngs
we r e
a cqui r e d by gi ft ,
but of t h e s e
t h i r t y-
e i gh t
we r e unfi ni s h e d
la nds ca pe
s t udi e s
by
Joh n
F . Ke ns e t t . Wh e n t h e cont e nt s of Ke n-
s e t t 's s t udi o we r e
put up
a t a uct i on a ft e r h i s
de a t h t h e s e
pi ct ur e s
we r e cons i de r e d uns ui t -
a ble for s a le be ca us e of t h e i r unfi ni s h e d
s t a t e ,
a nd we r e
pr e s e nt e d
t o t h e Mus e um i n
I874.
At fi r s t
t h e y
we r e e xh i bi t e d a s a
gr oup
ca lle d
T h e La s t Summe r 's
Wor k,
but a s be t t e r e xa m-
ple s
of Ke ns e t t 's wor k we r e
a cqui r e d
t h e s e
pi ct ur e s
we r e r e t i r e d t o t h e r e s e r ve colle ct i on.
Ni ne of t h e
ot h e r s , mor e ove r ,
for me d a
gr oup
of
por t r a i t s
of
cont e mpor a r y
be lle s
by Jos e ph
F a gna ni ,
wh i ch wa s
pr e s e nt e d by
"a n a s s oci a -
t i on of
ge nt le me n"
i n t h e s a me
ye a r
a s t h e
Ke ns e t t
gi ft .
T h i s
qua i nt
s ui t e of
pi ct ur e s
wa s
known a s Ame r i ca n
Be a ut y
Pe r s oni fi e d a s t h e
Ni ne Mus e s . "I
t h i nk,"
s a i d one of t h e mi s s e s
(F i gur e 2)
la t e r ,
"t h e y
a ll look li ke la di e s on
pr une
boxe s ." At
a ny
r a t e ,
t h e y
joi ne d
t h e
unfi ni s h e d Ke ns e t t s i n t h e r e s e r ve
e a r ly
i n t h e
t we nt i e t h
ce nt ur y.
T h e Mus e um's fi r s t
di r e ct or ,
Ge ne r a l
Lui gi
Pa lma di
Ce s nola ,
s ugge s t e d
i n
I879
t h a t t h e
269
i o. In t h e
Woods ,
i 855, by
As h e r B.
Dur a nd
(I796-i 886).
Oi l on
ca nva s ,
60o x
48Y
i nch e s .
Gi ft
i n
me mor y of
ona t h a n
St ur ge s
by
h i s
ch i ldr e n,
95. i 3.
Mus e um s h ould colle ct
pi ct ur e s by e a r ly
Ame r -
i ca n
pa i nt e r s ,
a
s ugge s t i on cons ci e nt i ous ly pur -
s ue d
dur i ng
h i s
long
di r e ct or a t e
(I879-I904).
In t h e
e i gh t i e s , t we nt y-ni ne
Ame r i ca n
pi c-
t ur e s we r e a dde d t o t h e
colle ct i on,
a nd i n
ge ne r a l
t h e i r
qua li t y
a nd i nt e r e s t s h ow a de -
ci de d
i mpr ove me nt
ove r t h e
pi ct ur e s
r e ce i ve d
i n t h e
pr e vi ous
de ca de . In I88I a s e r i ous be -
gi nni ng
t o t h e colle ct i on of
e a r ly
Ame r i ca n
pi ct ur e s
wa s ma de wh e n
He nr y Ma r qua nd
pr e s e nt e d
a
por t r a i t
of Ale xa nde r Ha mi lt on
(F i gur e 3) by
Joh n T r umbull,
a nd t h e T r us t e e s
s ubs cr i be d t o a fund for t h e
pur ch a s e
of a
por -
t r a i t of Da vi d Se a r s
by
Gi lbe r t St ua r t . In t h e
s a me
ye a r
Robe r t Hoe
ga ve
t h e
por t r a i t
of
Ale xa nde r Ande r s on
(F i gur e 4) by
Joh n We s -
le y
Ja r vi s ,
a be a ut i ful a nd
li ve ly
s ke t ch t h a t i s
pe r h a ps
a s
good
a de mons t r a t i on of Ja r vi s 's
t e ch ni ca l s ki ll a s ca n be found. Wh e n t h e
pi c-
t ur e wa s r e ce i ve d i n 1881 s ome la t e r h a nd h a d
"fi ni s h e d" i t
by fi lli ng
i n t h e
ba ckgr ound
a nd
s moot h i ng
ove r t h e
da s h i ng
s t r oke s i n t h e
fa ce ,
r e duci ng
i t t o a
commonpla ce ,
r un-of-
t h e -mi ll
e ffi gy,
but t h e r e ce nt r e mova l of t h e
la t e r
r e pa i nt
a nd
h e a vy
br own va r ni s h h a ve
fr e e d
Ja r vi s 's
wor k a nd r e ve a l t h e a t t r a ct i ve
fe a t ur e s of t h e
s ubje ct .
Ande r s on wa s known
i n t h e la t e r
ye a r s
of t h e ni ne t e e nt h
ce nt ur y
a s
"t h e fa t h e r of Ame r i ca n
wood-e ngr a vi ng,"
for
h e wor ke d a s a n
e ngr a ve r
i n Ne w Y or k fr om
boyh ood,
i n
1787,
unt i l
i 868,
wh e n h e wa s
ni ne t y-t h r e e ye a r s
old.
Among
t h e ot h e r
e a r ly pi ct ur e s
r e ce i ve d i n
t h e i 88os wa s a Gi lbe r t St ua r t
por t r a i t
of
Ge or ge Wa s h i ngt on (F i gur e 5),
known a s t h e
"Ca r r oll
Wa s h i ngt on"
t o di ffe r e nt i a t e i t fr om
St ua r t 's
ma ny
ot h e r
r e pli ca s
of h i s fa mous
At h e na e um
por t r a i t .
T h i s wa s t h e fi r s t of
ma ny i mpor t a nt gi ft s
r e ce i ve d fr om H.
O.
Ha ve me ye r . (Hi s
fa mous colle ct i on of
pa i nt -
i ngs
a nd ot h e r wor ks of a r t wa s
gi ve n
t o t h e
Mus e um i n
I929
a s t h e
be que s t
of Mr s . Ha ve -
me ye r .)
Anot h e r
i nt e r e s t i ng e a r ly
Ame r i ca n
pi ct ur e
r e ce i ve d i n t h e
e i gh t i e s
wa s t h e Ja me s
Pe a le
por t r a i t
of
Wa s h i ngt on
a t
Y or kt own,
fr om t h e colle ct i on of Wi lli a m
He nr y
Hunt -
i ngt on.
T h e colle ct i on of
pa i nt i ngs by Be nja mi n
We s t h a s a
long
a nd cur i ous
h i s t or y.
A
gr oup
of ni ne
pa i nt i ngs by (or
a t t r i but e d
t o)
h i m
wa s le nt t o t h e Mus e um i n i 88i
by
Mr s .
Ar t h ur
Se gui n
a nd r e ma i ne d a s a loa n fr om
h e r h e i r s unt i l
I923,
wh e n
t h e y
we r e
pur ch a s e d
for a mode s t s um t o s e t t le t h e e s t a t e of h e r
da ugh t e r -i n-la w.
Mr . a nd Mr s .
Se gui n
h a d
bot h be e n not e d
ope r a s i nge r s ,
wh o ca me fr om
London t o s e t t le i n t h i s
count r y
a bout
1838.
T h e y
a r e s a i d t o h a ve r e ce i ve d t h e i r colle ct i on
of We s t s i n
Engla nd
a s colla t e r a l for a loa n.
At le a s t t h r e e of t h e
pi ct ur e s , i ncludi ng
a
s pi r -
i t e d s ce ne fr om Or la ndo F ur i os o
(F i gur e 6),
a r e known t o h a ve be e n
pa i nt e d by
We s t t o
h a ng
i n h i s own
ga lle r y
a nd s t udi o i n Ne wma n
St r e e t , London,
a nd t o h a ve be e n s old a t a uc-
t i on
by
h i s s ons i n
1829.
A numbe r of
i nt e r e s t i ng
mode r n
pi ct ur e s
we r e a ls o a dde d t o t h e colle ct i on i n t h e
e i gh t i e s .
Pe r h a ps
t h e mos t
i mpor t a nt
of t h e m we r e T h e
II.
Ge or ge Wa s h i ngt on,
1780,
by
Ch a r le s Wi lls on
Pe a le
(I741-I827).
Oi l
on
ca nva s ,
95
x 613
i nch e s .
Gi ft of
Colli s P.
Hunt i ngt on, 97.33
12.
He nr y
G.
Ma r qua nd, 1897, by Joh n
Si nge r
Sa r ge nt (i 85 6-1925).
Oi l on
ca nva s ,
52
x
41 4 i nch e s .
Gi ft of
t h e
T r us t e e s ,
97.43
Ch e s s
Pla ye r s (F i gur e 7) by
T h oma s
Ea ki ns ,
pr e s e nt e d by
t h e
a r t i s t ,
a nd t h e
gr oup
of
pa i nt i ngs by Ge or ge
F ulle r a nd
Ge or ge
Inne s s
pr e s e nt e d by Ge or ge
I.
Se ne y
i n
1887.
How-
e ve r ,
t h e
pa i nt i ng
t h a t a r ous e d t h e
gr e a t e s t
i nt e r e s t t h e n wa s T h e
Spa ni s h Qua r t e t t e (F i g-
ur e
8) by
Wi lli a m
Da nna t ,
a
h uge
t our de
for ce t h a t e s t a bli s h e d t h e
r e put a t i on
of t h e
pa i nt e r
wh e n i t wa s e xh i bi t e d a t t h e Pa r i s
Sa lon i n
1884.
At le a s t one F r e nch
cr i t i c,
Albe r t
Wolf,
cla i me d t h a t i t wa s t h e be s t
pi e ce
of
pa i nt i ng
i n t h e Sa lon. In t h e Pa r i s
Expo-
s i t i on of
1889
t h i s
pi ct ur e occupi e d
t h e
pla ce
of h onor i n t h e Ame r i ca n s e ct i on.
T oda y
i t
s t a nds a s a monume nt t o t h e F r e nch a ca de mi c
i nflue nce t h a t h a d s uch a
pr ofound
e ffe ct on
Ame r i ca n
pa i nt i ng
of t h e t i me .
In t h e i 89os s e ve r a l
ve r y i mpor t a nt e a r ly
Ame r i ca n
pi ct ur e s
we r e
gi ve n.
T h e
la r ge
r e t -
r os pe ct i ve
e xh i bi t i on of Ame r i ca n
pa i nt i ngs
i n t h e wi nt e r of
I895-I896 h e lpe d la y
t h e
gr oundwor k
for t h e
a cqui s i t i on
of s e ve r a l
pi c-
t ur e s r e ce i ve d
ma ny ye a r s
la t e r . F or
e xa mple ,
t wo
De r i ng fa mi ly por t r a i t s by Jos e ph
Bla ck-
bur n t h a t we r e bor r owe d for t h e e xh i bi t i on
we r e
pr e s e nt e d
t o t h e Mus e um
t we nt y ye a r s
la t e r . A numbe r of ot h e r
pi ct ur e s
i n t h e e xh i bi -
t i on we r e a ls o
gi ve n
t o t h e
Mus e um,
t h e mos t
not a ble of t h e s e
be i ng
t h e now fa mous con-
ve r s a t i on
gr oup
T h e Ame r i ca n Sch ool
(F i gur e
9) by
Ma t t h e w Pr a t t . It i s a n
i mpor t a nt
docu-
me nt i n Ame r i ca n a r t
h i s t or y, s h owi ng
Be n-
ja mi n
We s t i n h i s London s t udi o s ur r ounde d
by
s ome of h i s Ame r i ca n
pupi ls .
T h e
pi ct ur e
wa s
pa i nt e d
i n
I765,
a nd i t s h i s t or i c
s i gni fi -
ca nce s ome wh a t ove r s h a dows i t s a r t i s t i c s h or t -
comi ngs .
It wa s
bough t by
Sa mue l
Ave r y
fr om t h e a r t i s t 's
da ugh t e r s
a nd
gi ve n
t o t h e
Mus e um i n
1897.
In t h e s a me
ye a r
Colli s P.
Hunt i ngt on pr e s e nt e d
t h e Ch a r le s Wi lls on
Pe a le
full-le ngt h por t r a i t
of
Ge or ge
Wa s h -
i ngt on (F i gur e
i
i ).
T h i s i s a
r e pli ca
of t h e
por t r a i t pa i nt e d
i n
I779,
wi t h mi nor
ch a nge s
i n cos t ume a nd
ba ckgr ound.
T wo
la nds ca pe s
we r e r e ce i ve d i n
1895
fr om
t h e colle ct i on of
Jona t h a n
St ur ge s ,
wh o h a d
be e n one of t h e mos t li be r a l
pa t r ons
of Ame r -
i ca n
pa i nt e r s
i n t h e
I840s :
T h oma s Cole 's
Vi e w on t h e
Ca t s ki ll-Ea r ly
Aut umn,
a nd
As h e r B. Dur a nd's In t h e Woods
(F i gur e i o).
Vi e w on t h e Ca t s ki ll wa s
pa i nt e d
i n
1837
a nd
i s cons i de r e d one of Cole 's be s t wor ks . Du-
r a nd's r oma nt i c vi s i on of t h e Ame r i ca n wi lde r -
ne s s ,
pa i nt e d
i n
i 855,
won s i mi la r
pr a i s e
fr om
t h e t i me i t wa s fi r s t s h own a t t h e Na t i ona l
Aca de my
of
De s i gn.
Anot h e r
pi ct ur e
of not e
i n t h e
h i s t or y
of Ame r i ca n
pa i nt i ng
i s t h e
h umor ous
ge nr e
s ce ne
Ra ffli ng
for t h e Goos e
(F i gur e 14) by
Wi lli a m
Si dne y
Mount . Some
cr i t i cs
compla i ne d
t h a t Mount s h ould
a pply
h i s t a le nt s t o
s ubje ct s
of a mor e
ge nt e e l
ch a r -
a ct e r . Hi s
pr e occupa t i on
wi t h r ur a l
ba r nya r d
s ce ne s wa s not i n
ke e pi ng
wi t h t h e i r r oma nt i c
272
13.
Por t r a i t
of
t h e Ar t i s t , 1821, by T h zoma s Sully
(1783-I872).
Oi l on
ca nva s ,
x718
x
14
i nch e s .
Gi ft of
Mr s . Ros a C.
St a nfi e ld, 94.23.3
i de a l of a n a r t i s t
"s e e ki ng
T h e Be a ut i ful."
F or t una t e ly,
Mount
pa i d
t h e s e r e fi ne d
ge nt le -
me n li t t le h e e d.
Among
t h e
e a r ly por t r a i t s
a c-
qui r e d
i n t h e
8gos
we r e Ch a r le s Elli ot t 's
por -
t r a i t of t h e fa mous Ci vi l Wa r
ph ot ogr a ph e r
Ma t h e w
Br a dy,
a
s e lf-por t r a i t by
T h oma s
Sully (F i gur e 13),
a nd
He nr y
Inma n's
por t r a i t
of Pr e s i de nt Ma r t i n Va n Bur e n.
In t h e i 89os ove r
t h i r t y cont e mpor a r y
Ame r i ca n
pi ct ur e s
we r e a dde d t o t h e colle c-
t i on,
a mong
t h e m s ome t h a t h a ve r e ma i ne d
cont i nuous ly popula r .
One of t h e m i s
Ge or ge
Inne s s 's Pe a ce a nd
Ple nt y, gi ve n
i n
1894 by
Ge or ge
A. He a r n. T wo a ddi t i ona l
pa i nt i ngs
by
Inne s s we r e a ls o
a cqui r e d,
T h e Pi ne Gr ove
of t h e Vi lla Ba r be r i ni a nd a
la nds ca pe
of t h e
De la wa r e
Va lle y.
Anot h e r
popula r la nds ca pe
wa s Home r Ma r t i n's
Ha r p
of t h e Wi nds .
Among
t h e
por t r a i t s a cqui r e d
i n t h i s de ca de
we r e
Sa r ge nt 's ma s t e r ly r e nde r i ng
of
He nr y
Ma r qua nd,
t h e n
pr e s i de nt
of t h e Mus e um
(F i gur e I2);
Ea s t ma n Joh ns on's
la r ge
double
por t r a i t (F i gur e i 5)
ca lle d T h e
F undi ng
Bi ll 4. Ra fli ngfor t h e Goos e ,
1837, by Wi lli a m
Si dne y
Mount
(i 807-i 868).
Oi l on
(be ca us e
t h e t wo
s ubje ct s
we r e
di s cus s i ng
wood,
17
x
23s i nch e s . Gi ft of Joh n D. Cr i mmi ns ,
97.36
t h i s h ot
poli t i ca l
i s s ue wh e n
Joh ns on
pa i nt e d
t h e m);
a nd
Joh n Ale xa nde r 's i de a li ze d
por -
t r a i t of Wa lt Wh i t ma n.
Not t o be
for got t e n
i s Emma nue l Le ut ze 's
colos s a l
Wa s h i ngt on Cr os s i ng
t h e
De la wa r e ,
wh i ch i s now
de pos i t e d
on loa n a t t h e Wa s h -
273
i ngt on's Cr os s i ng
St a t e Pa r k i n
Pe nns ylva ni a .
T h i s
pi ct ur e ,
i n
s pi t e
of i t s h i s t or i ca l i na ccu-
r a cy
a nd t h e a t r i ca l Ge r ma ni c
s t yle ,
h a s be -
come ,
by r e pe a t e d publi ca t i on
i n
s ch oolbooks ,
one of t h e mos t
wi de ly
known
pa i nt i ngs
i n
Ame r i ca . It i s one of t h e
pe r ma ne nt
monu-
me nt s i n t h e folklor e of
h i s t or y, r e ga r dle s s
of
i t s
pos i t i on
a s a wor k of a r t .
Sh or t ly
a ft e r t h e t ur n of t h e
ce nt ur y, pur -
ch a s e funds be ca me a va i la ble a nd a ne w
ge ne r -
a t i on of
t r us t e e s , a dmi ni s t r a t or s ,
a nd cur a t or s
t ook
ove r ,
br i ngi ng
t o a clos e t h e fi r s t
ph a s e
of t h e
h i s t or y
of t h e Mus e um.
F or t una t e ly,
t h e we ll-e s t a bli s h e d cus t om of
gi vi ng pi ct ur e s
t o t h e Mus e um h a s cont i nue d t o t h e
pr e s e nt ,
a nd t h e
gi ft s
h a ve be e n
s upple me nt e d
wi t h
pi ct ur e s
t h e Mus e um wa s a ble t o
pur ch a s e ,
s o
t h a t t h e colle ct i on of Ame r i ca n
pa i nt i ngs
now
numbe r s ove r
I250
a nd for ms a
pa nor a ma
fr om coloni a l t i me s t o t h e
pr e s e nt .
It i llus -
t r a t e s
e ve r y ph a s e
of Ame r i ca n
pa i nt i ng
a nd
r e fle ct s
e ve r y
a r t i s t i c i nflue nce t h a t a ffe ct e d
Ame r i ca n
pa i nt e r s
ove r t h e la s t t h r e e h un-
dr e d
ye a r s .
It a ls o r e fle ct s t h e
ch a nge s
i n
t a s t e
a mong pa t r ons
a nd
colle ct or s ,
a nd
gi ve s
s ound e vi de nce of t h e Ame r i ca n t r a di t i on of
ge ne r os i t y
a nd conce r n wi t h t h e we lfa r e of
a r t i s t s a nd t h e a r t s .
I5.
T h e
F undi ng
Bi ll, I88i ,
by
Ea s t ma n Joh ns on
(1824-1906).
Oi l on
ca nva s ,
60o x
78S
i nch e s .
Gi ft
of
Robe r t
Gor don, 98.14
" L o a n Co llectio n ,"
1 9 6 5
S T U A R T P. F E L D Assista n tCura to r
o f
America n
Pa in tin gs
a n d
Sculpture
his mo n th The
Metro po lita n
Museum o f Art will
put
o n exhibitio n
425
America n
pa in tin gs da tin g
fro m
I6 70
to
I9 6 3-the
mo st
co mprehen sivesho win g
o f America n
pictures
seen in New Yo rk in
ma n y yea rs. Amo n g
theea rliestexhibitio n s held
by
the
Metro po lita n
were" L o a n
Co llectio n s,"
pictures
bo rro wed fro m
priva te
co llecto rs in
o rder to ma kea va ila bleto the
publicpa in tin gs by ma n y
o f the
lea din g
ma sters a t a
time when the Museum's o wn co llectio n wa s
very
limited. Fo r the Museum's la st
co mprehen siveretro spective
sho w o f America n
pa in tin g,
the
L ife
in America exhibitio n
o f
I9 39 ,
mo retha n
eighty per
cen to f the
pictures
werebo rro wed fro m
priva te
co llecto rs
a n d fro m
museums,
histo rica l
so cieties,
a n d o ther in stitutio n s. The
presen t
sho w,
by
co n tra st,
is dra wn a lmo st
en tirely
fro m the Museum's
perma n en t
co llectio n o f mo re
tha n
1 25 0
America n
pa in tin gs by n ea rly 6 25
a rtists. We
ha ve, ho wever,
a lso fo llo wed
tra ditio n ,
a n d ha veo n ce
a ga in
turn ed to
twen ty-o n epriva te
co llecto rs a n d two
a rtists,
who ha ve
gen ero usly
len t
twen ty-n in epictures.
Thus wea rea bleto sho w thewo rk o f
twelvea rtists n o t in cluded in o ur co llectio n -the un iden tified " Frea ke
limn er," Jo hn
Green wo o d,
Reuben
Mo ulthro p,
Willia m
Jen n ys,
Jo shua Jo hn sto n ,
Geo rge
Ca tlin ,
Fitz
Hugh
L a n e, Jo hn
F.
Fra n cis,
Ma n
Ra y, Ja sper Jo hn s,
Ro bert
Ra uschen berg,
a n d
Ma rk Ro thko -a s wella s to
represen t
mo re
a dequa tely
the
pro ductio n
o f eleven o thers.
Sin cethe
Metro po lita n
o wn s n o America n
pa in tin gs
o f theseven teen th
cen tury,
we
a re
pa rticula rly gra teful
to ha vebeen a bleto bo rro w the three
po rtra its
o f theGibbs
children ,which,
in ciden ta lly,
a reseen here
to gether
fo r thefirsttimesin cethememo -
ra bleexhibitio n o f seven teen th
cen tury pa in tin g
in New
En gla n d
held a ttheWo rcester
ArtMuseum in
I9 34.
TheMuseum a lso o wn s n o
fa mily gro ups
o f the
pre-Revo lutio n a ry
perio d,
a
ga p n icely
filled
by Jo hn
Green wo o d's
un ique
co n versa tio n
piece.
Thetwo
pictures by Ra lph
Ea rla re
n o tewo rthy
a dditio n s sin ce
they
a rethe
o n ly
kn o wn
pa ir
o f
full-len gth
life-size
po rtra its by
him. Thefew
primitivepa in tin gs
a rea welco me
supple-
men t to o ur o wn
co llectio n ,
which ha s been
grea tly impro ved durin g
the
pa st
few
yea rs
thro ugh
the
gen ero sity
o f
Edga r
Willia m a n d Bern ice
Chrysler
Ga rbisch. The
pa in tin gs
by Ja mes Pea le, Jo hn
F.
Peto ,
a n d
Jo hn
F. Fra n cis ha vebo lstered theMuseum's o wn
275
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sma llco llectio n o f still

lifes,
which ha s
o n ly recen tly
been
stren gthen ed by
thea dditio n
o f
ma jo r
wo rks
by
Willia m Micha elHa rn etta n d Severin Ro esen . The
pa in tin gs by
Tho ma s
Sully
a n d
Ja sper
F.
Cro psey
a re
especia lly in terestin g
a dditio n s,
fo r in bo th
ca ses theMuseum ha s o wn ed fo r
ma n y yea rs
theo ilsketches o n which
they
wereba sed.
The
cha rmin g gro up po rtra itby
Sa muelF. B. Mo rseis a n un usua la n d
a musin g
co m-
plemen t
to thethreefin e
pictures by
him in the
perma n en t
co llectio n .
So meo f thelo a n s a refa milia r
thro ugh repro ductio n s
in bo o ks a n d
ma ga zin e
a rticles,
butmo sto f them ha ven o tbeen
widely
exhibited in
ma n y yea rs. Altho ugh Cro psey's
The
Va lley
o f
Wyo min g
wa s in cluded in a
Cro psey retro spective
a ttheBruceMuseum
in Green wich in
I9 6 4,
it wa s la stseen in New Yo rk a t thea n n ua lexhibitio n o f the
Na tio n a l
Aca demy
o f
Design just
a hun dred
yea rs a go .
Fo r
seven ty-seven
o f thein ter-
ven in g yea rs
it
hun g,virtua lly
un n o ticed,
in a wa reho usein
Erie,
Pen n sylva n ia .
It is
po ssible
tha t
Sully's full-len gth
o f
Queen
Victo ria ha s n ever befo rebeen exhibited in
New
Yo rk;
it
is,
a t
a n y
ra te,
bro ughtto gether
with thesketch fro m lifefo r thefirst
timesin ceit left
Sully's
studio mo retha n
1 25 yea rs a go .
The
po rtra its by Ra lph
Ea rl
descen ded to two bra n ches o f theBo a rdma n
fa mily
a bo ut
I9 09
o r
1 9 1 o ,
a n d a rehere
reun ited fo r thefirsttimesin cethen . Itseems
pa rticula rly a ppro pria te
tha tthis sho uld
o ccur a t a mo men twhen theMuseum is
pla cin g
o n exhibitio n its
n ewly a cquired
mo n umen ta l
gro up po rtra itby
Ea rl,
Mrs. No a h Smith a n d Her Children
(seepa ge300).
Simila rly,
thewo rks
by Jo hn Green wo o d,Ja mes Pea le,
Willia m
Jen n ys,
a n d Ma ther
Bro wn ha ve
pro ba bly
n ever been seen in New
Yo rk,
a n d mo sto f theo thers ha ve
ma de
o n ly
brief
a ppea ra n ces.
Wea refo rtun a teto ha vebeen a bleto
brin g
this distin -
guished gro up
o f
pictures to gether
fo r this exhibitio n a n d a re
deeply
in debted to their
o wn ers fo r their
co o pera tio n
a n d
un dersta n din g
in
ma kin g
them a va ila blefo r so
lo n g
a
perio d
o f time.
OPPOSITE:
At
left:
ROBERT GIBBS
(I6 6 5 -1 702), I6 70.
Oil o n
ca n va s,
40
x 30 in ches.
L en t
by
Thero n
J.
Da mo n .
Pho to gra ph:
Museum
o f
Fin e
Arts,
Bo sto n
HENRY GIBBS
(
6 6 8-I723), I6 70.
Oil o n
ca n va s,402
x
33
in ches. L en t
by
Mrs. Da vid M. Giltin a n .
Pho to gra ph:
Museum
o f
Fin e
Arts,
Bo sto n
MARGARET GIBBS
(i6 6 3-?), I6 70.
Oil o n
ca n va s,
402
x
33
in ches. L en t
by
Mrs. Da vid M. Giltin a n
276
These
po rtra its
o f the children o f Ro bert
Gibbs,
a Bo s-
to n
mercha n t,
a re
a mo n g
the
a ppro xima tely
two do zen
America n
pa in tin gs
tha t ca n be
a ssign ed co n fiden tly
to a rtists a ctive in New
En gla n d
in the seven teen th
cen tury.
The
iden tity
o f the
pa in ter
ha s n o t been esta b-
lished,
but the
pictures
ha ve been a ttributed to the
so -ca lled " Frea kelimn er" o n theba sis o f their
simila rity
to the
po rtra its
o f Jo hn Frea ke a n d Mrs. Frea ke a n d
Ba by Ma ry,
bo th in theco llectio n o f theWo rcester Art
Museum. Thea rtistwa s
very po ssibly
a
ja ck-o f-a ll-tra des,
a skilled a rtisa n who
o n ly o cca sio n a lly
ro sea bo ve the
level o f ho use
pa in ter, gla zier,
a n d
sign pa in ter
to the
exa lted
po sitio n
o f
po rtra it pa in ter. Altho ugh
it wo uld
seem
likely
tha t his immedia tea rtisticso urcewa s
En g-
lish,
the
style
o f the
pictures
is simila r to tha t seen in
pro vin cia l
Netherla n dish
po rtra its
o f the
precedin g gen -
era tio n . The
pictures
sho w the a rtist's limited skill in
dra ughtsma n ship
a n d in the delin ea tio n o f
sculptura l
fo rms,
but in the
custo ma ry
fa shio n o f the
primitive
pa in ter
he
ign o red
his limita tio n s a n d
pro ceeded
to crea te
pictures
in which he
displa yed
a rema rka blesen se o f
design
a n d a fin e
feelin g
fo r co lo r. Sma ll co n sidera tio n s
such a s the
respectivea ges
a n d sizes o f the
subjects
did
n o t co n cern him.
277
THE GREENWOOD-L EE
FAMIL Y,
a bo ut
1 747,
by Jo hn Green wo o d
(I727-1 79 2).
Oil o n
ca n va s,
5 6
x 6 8 in ches. L en t
a n o n ymo usly. Pho to gra ph:
Museum
o f
Fin e
Arts,
Bo sto n
Green wo o d wa s bo rn in
Bo sto n ,
wherea t fif-
teen hewa s
a ppren ticed
to Tho ma s
Jo hn sto n ,
who
o pera ted
a
sho p specia lizin g
in hera ldic
devices,
ja pa n n ed
deco ra tio n ,
a n d o ther
types
o f o rn a men ta l
pa in tin g.
Abo ut
1 745
he es-
ta blished himself a s a n
in depen den t po rtra it
pa in ter.
After
wo rkin g
with little
co mpetitio n
in Bo sto n un til
1 75 2,
fo r so meun kn o wn rea -
so n he
depa rted
fo r
Surin a m,
British
Guin ea ,
wherehe is kn o wn to ha ve
pa in ted 1 1 5 po r-
tra its
durin g
the n ext ha lf do zen
yea rs.
Sub-
sequen tly
he studied mezzo tin t
en gra vin g
in
Amsterda m;
he
spen t
the la st
thirty yea rs
o f
his lifein
L o n do n ,
en jo yin g grea t
success a s a
dea ler in
pa in tin gs
a n d a rt
o bjects.
This
gro up po rtra it
is the mo st a mbitio us
wo rk
by
Green wo o d tha t ha s co medo wn to
us. He sho ws himself with
pa lette
in ha n d in
the
rightba ckgro un d,
a n d his fia n ceea n d first
co usin Eliza beth L eein the
rightfo regro un d.
Theo thers
a re,
fro m leftto
right,
his
yo un gest
sister,Ha n n a h,
his
mo ther,
his sister
Ma ry
o r
his sister
Eliza beth,
a n d his co usin Ma rtha
L ee. Fo r the
co mpo sitio n
o f the
picture,
which
wa s
certa in ly un usua lly
ela bo ra tefo r a n Amer-
ica n a rtisto f tha t
perio d,
Green wo o d
pro b-
a bly
referred to
Jo hn
Smibert's well-kn o wn
co n versa tio n
piece,Bisho p Geo rgeBerkeley
a n d His
Fa mily (Ya leUn iversity
Art Ga l-
lery),
which stillrema in ed in Smibert's studio
a lo n g
with so meo f Smibert's o ther
pictures
a n d his co llectio n o f o ld ma sters. His a t-
tempt
to be
elega n t
a n d fa shio n a blewa s tem-
pered by
his
n a ivete;
theresultwa s a
spirited
picture
in which the
figures
da n cewith vita li-
ty
a n d
displa y
a wo n derful sen seo f
well-bein g.
THOMAS JEFFERSON, I786 ,
by
Ma ther
Bro wn
(1 76 iz-83I).
Oilo n
ca n va s,
35 %
x 281 8
in ches. L en t
by
Cha rles Fra n cis Ada ms.
Pho to gra ph:
G. M.
Cushin g
Bro wn wa s bo rn in
Bo sto n ,
a descen da n t o f
the divin es Ma ther
Byles,
Co tto n
Ma ther,
In crea se
Ma ther,
a n d
Jo hn
Co tto n . At sixteen
he wa s a ctive a s a n itin era n t
pa in ter,
a n d
by
n in eteen he ha d a ccumula ted
en o ugh mo n ey
to
go
a bro a d. After
studyin g
with
Ben ja min
West in L o n do n , in
1 784
heesta blished him-
self a s a
po rtra itpa in ter
in fa shio n a bleCa ven -
dish
Squa re.
At firsthereceived few co mmis-
sio n s,
but a n
En glishma n writin g
to a frien d
in Bo sto n tells us tha t
by
the
a ge
o f
twen ty-
fiveBro wn wa s
en jo yin g
" the
highest
sta teo f
success." Bro wn
pa in ted
a
po rtra it
o f
Jefferso n
between Ma rch I a n d
April
26 ,
I786 ,
when
the America n sta tesma n ,
then Un ited Sta tes
Plen ipo ten tia ry
to the Co urt o f Versa illes,
wa s
visitin g
L o n do n . Tha t
po rtra it,
which re-
ma in ed in Bro wn 's studio un til
1 788
while
Bro wn wa s
co mpletin g
a
co mpa n io n po rtra it
o f
Jo hn Ada ms,
wa s then sen t to
Jefferso n
in
Pa ris. Befo re Jefferso n
received the
po rtra it,
his frien d the
pa in ter Jo hn
Trumbull wro te
him his
o pin io n :
" Mr. Ada ms is
like-yo urs
I do n o t thin k so wello f." The
po rtra itpa in ted
fo r
Jefferso n
n o
lo n ger
survives,
but while
Bro wn ha d it in his studio hema dea
replica
o f
it fo r
Jo hn
Ada ms. A
receipt
to
Ada ms,
da ted
Ma y
I2,
I786 ,
fo r the
pa ymen t
o f six
guin ea s
is a tta ched to the ba ck o f this
picture.
Al-
tho ugh
the
po rtra it
is less wellkn o wn tha n the
liken esses o f
Jefferso n by
Trumbull, Stua rt,
Ho udo n ,
a n d Rembra n dt
Pea le,
it is distin -
guished
a s theea rliestkn o wn
po rtra it
o f Jeffer-
so n a n d a s o n eo f Bro wn 's mo st
da shin g
wo rks.
BENJAMIN
L AMING AND His
WIFE, 1 788,
by
Cha rles Willso n Pea le
(I741 -1 827).
Oil o n
ca n va s,41 2
x 6 0 in ches. L en t
by
Mo rris
Scha piro . Pho to gra ph: Ta ylo r
a n d Dull
Pea le wa s a n
extremely
versa tile
ma n ,
who
wo rked a s
in ven to r,
museum
pro prieto r,
sci-
en tist, writer, n a tura list,
a n d
pa in ter,
a ll with
equa lfa cility.
Hewa s o n eo f thebesta n d mo st
pro lific
a rtists in America
durin g
thela stthree
deca des o f the
eighteen th cen tury,
a n d heca n
be credited with
ha vin g fa ithfully
reco rded
thefa ces o f mo sto f the
pro min en t
in dividua ls
livin g
in theMiddleSta tes a t the time. Ben -
ja min L a min g
wa s bo rn in the West
In dies,
but settled in
Ba ltimo re,
wherehe beca mea
pro spero us
busin essma n . He ma rried Elea n o r
Ridgely
in
1 784.
This
pa in tin g
o f the
L a min gs
is
pro ba bly
Pea le's mo stsuccessfuldo uble
po r-
tra it.
Acco rdin g
to Pea le's
dia ry,
he" sketched
o ut the
design "
o n
September
1 8,
1 788.
Fro m
then un til Octo ber
5 ,
hema de
da ily
visits to
the
L a min g's co un try
sea tto wo rk o n the
pic-
ture. His
dia ry
chro n icles his
pro gress;
a t o n e
po in t
he
co mpla in ed,
" Mr.
L a min g
sa tfo r his
fa ce2
[n d] sittin g
a n d
yet
mea n t fo r a fin ish-
in g."
Welea rn tha to n a
sin gleda y
he
pa in ted
the
pa rro t
a n d the flo wers in Mrs.
L a min g's
ha n ds a n d wo rked o n the
ba ckgro un d,
" a
view o f
pa rt
o f Ba ltimo re to wn ." When the
L a min gs
co uld n o t
sit,
Pea le
spen t
a n a fter-
n o o n
ca tchin g bullfro gs
a n d a n
even in g
dress-
in g
two
wo o dpeckers
fo r his museum.
280
JOB PERIT,
1 79 0, by
Reuben
Mo ulthro p (1 76 3-'81 4).
Oil o n
ca n va s,
36 1
x 29 %
in ches.
L en t
by Edga r
Willia m a n d Bern ice
Chrysler
Ga rbisch
SAL L Y SANFORD
PERIT, 1 79 0,
by
Reuben
Mo ulthro p.
Oil o n ca n va s,
36 1
x
29 4
in ches.
L en t
by Edga r
Willia m a n d Bern ice
Chrysler
Ga rbisch
Mo ulthro p spen t
mo st o f his lifein thevicin -
ity
o f New
Ha ven ,
Co n n ecticut.
Altho ugh
he
is kn o wn
to da y
a s a
po rtra itpa in ter,
co n tem-
po ra ry
n o tices sho w tha t hea lso did
po rtra its
in wa x a n d o wn ed a wa xwo rks museum a n d
a
tra velin g
wa xwo rks
exhibitio n ,
which wa s
sho wn in
ma n y
to wn s in
Co n n ecticut,
a s well
a s in New Yo rk a n d Bo sto n . As a
pa in ter
Mo ulthro p a ppea rs
to ha ve been
la rgely
self-
ta ught:
he wa s
pro ba bly
in fluen ced
by
the
wo rk o f
Win thro p
Cha n dler, Jo hn Dura n d,
a n d o thers a ctivein thea rea . These
po rtra its,
which a re
a mo n g
the
very
few
sign ed
a n d
da ted wo rks
by Mo ulthro p
tha t ha ve been
reco rded,
fa lln ea r the
begin n in g
o f his
ca reer,
but
a lrea dy
sho w a
distin ctly perso n a lstyle.
Perit
(I75 I-I79 4)
wa s
livin g
in New Ha ven
a t the time the
po rtra its
were
pa in ted.
The
ela bo ra tehea ddress wo rn
by
Mrs. Perit
(I76 0-
I829 )
is a n un usua ldeta il. The min ia tureshe
wea rs sho ws her
da ughter
Eliza beth Sa n fo rd
Perit a t the
a ge
o f five.
MRS. EL IJAH BOARDMAN AND HER SON WIL L IAM WHITING
BOARDMAN,
a bo ut
1 79 7-1 79 8, by Ra lph
Ea rl
(i75 ji-8o i).
Oil o n
ca n va s,85
x
5 6
in ches. L en t
by Hen ry
B. Mo sle
EL IJAH
BOARDMAN,
I789 , by Ra lph
Ea rl. Oil o n
ca n va s,
83
x
5 1
in ches. L en t
by
Mrs. Co rn elius Bo a rdma n
Tyler. Pho to gra ph:
Frick Art
Referen ceL ibra ry
Ea rl firstset himself
up
a s a
po rtra it pa in ter
in New
Ha ven , Co n n ecticut,
in
1 775 .
Three
yea rs
la ter he wen t to
En gla n d, a ppa ren tly
with the in ten tio n o f
impro vin g
his a rt. Al-
tho ugh
hereceived in structio n fro m
Ben ja min
West a n d
po ssibly
fro m so me o f the o ther
lea din g pa in ters
o f the
da y,
his
style
seems to
ha ve been little
a ffected,
a n d the
pa in tin gs
hedid a fter his return fro m
En gla n d
in
1 785
reta in ed thedirect
primitivequa lity
fo un d in
his ea rliest wo rks. Mo st o f the
po rtra its
fo r
which he is kn o wn da tefro m the la st fifteen
yea rs
o f his life.
Amo n g
the best o f them a re tho se o f
the Bo a rdma n
fa mily
o f New
Milfo rd,
Co n -
n ecticut.
Elija h
Bo a rdma n
(1 76 0-I823)
wa s
a
pro spero us
mercha n t who se busin ess in ter-
ests exten ded a s fa r a s the Co n n ecticut la n ds
in
Ohio ,
wherehefo un ded theto wn o f Bo a rd-
ma n . Hewa s elected to theCo n n ecticut sta te
legisla ture
six
times,
first a s
represen ta tive,
then a s sen a to r. He served in the Un ited
Sta tes sen a tefro m 1 821 un til his dea th. Bo a rd-
ma n ma rried
Ma ry
An n a
Whitin g (I76 7-
1 848)
o f Grea t
Ba rrin gto n ,
Ma ssa chusetts,
in
I79 2.
The child sho wn wa s their eldest
so n ,
Willia m
(I79 4-1 87I),
who a lso served in bo th
ho uses o f the sta te
legisla ture
a s well a s in
Co n gress.
The
po rtra it
o f
Elija h
Bo a rdma n is
da ted
I789 ,
a s a reEa rl's
po rtra it
o f Bo a rd-
ma n 's bro ther Da n iel in theNa tio n a l
Ga llery
a n d severa lo ther
fa mily po rtra its.
Theo n eo f
Mrs. Bo a rdma n is n o t
da ted,
but the
a ppa ren t
a ge
o f the child
suggests
tha t it wa s
pa in ted
sho rtly
befo re 800. In his
custo ma ry
ma n n er,
Ea rl
pla ced
the
figures
in the
a mple
surro un d-
in gs
o f o ffice o r
pa rlo r.
Bo a rdma n sta n ds
n ext to his
desk,
o n the shelves o f which a re
seen such bo o ks a s Ma rtin 's
Gra mma r,
Dic-
tio n a ry o f
Arts a n d
Scien ces,
L o n do n
Ma ga zin e,
a vo lumeo f
Sha kespea re,
a n d a n o ther o f Mil-
to n . Bo lts o f
ya rdgo o ds
a re visible
thro ugh
thedo o r a ttheleft. The
la n dsca peba ckgro un d
in Mrs. Bo a rdma n 's
po rtra itpro ba bly repre-
sen ts a view o f the
co un trysidesurro un din g
their ho use in New Milfo rd. The co lo rful
" in gra in "
o r
pa in ted ca rpet
is
n ea rly
iden tica l
to tha t fo un d in severa lo f Ea rl's o ther
po r-
tra its,
in cludin g
the Museum's mo n umen ta l
gro up,
Mrs. No a h Smith a n d Her
Children ,
o f
1 79 8.
RUBENS
PEAL E,
WITH A GERANIUM
PL ANT,
I80o ,
by
Rembra n dtPea le
(1 778-i86 0).
Oil o n
ca n va s,
28 X
24
in ches. L en t
by
Pa ulin eE. Wo o lwo rth.
Pho to gra ph:
Bren wa sser.
(On
exhibitio n
Jun e
i
thro ugh September so )
Rembra n dtPea lewa s theseco n d so n o f Cha rles Willso n
Pea le,
fro m who m hen o t
o n ly
lea rn ed to
pa in t
but a lso
a cquired
a ta stefo r scien tific
pro jects
a n d museum ma n -
a gemen t.
He
spen t
a co n sidera blea mo un to f time
helpin g
his fa ther exca va tesevera lma sto do n skeleto n s in Ulster
Co un ty,
New
Yo rk,
a n d a lso executed a n umber o f
po r-
tra its fo r his fa ther's
po rtra itga llery
a n d n a tura l
histo ry
museum,
but heis bestremembered
to da y
fo r his
" po rt-
ho le"
po rtra it
o f
Geo rgeWa shin gto n ,
o f which he
pa in ted
n ea rly eighty replica s.
In co n tra st to the
stereo typed,
idea lized
represen ta tio n
o f
Wa shin gto n ,
this sen sitive
liken ess o f his bro ther Ruben s
(1 784-1 86 5 )
is
spirited
a n d
refreshin g.
The
gera n ium pla n t
o n theta blewa s thefirst
o f the
species
to be
bro ught
to theUn ited
Sta tes,
pro b-
a bly
fo r
displa y
in thePea leMuseum. Justsevera lmo n ths
befo re this
picture
wa s
pa in ted,
Pea le ha d
bo ldly
a n -
n o un ced tha t he wa s
dro ppin g
his surn a mea n d wo uld
hen cefo rth bekn o wn
simply
a s
Rembra n dt,
beca usefew
peo ple
bo thered to
distin guish
between the wo rk o f his
fa ther,
his
bro ther,
his
un cle,
a n d
himself,
thus
crea tin g
" a co n fusio n
disa dva n ta geo us
to the distin ct merit o f
ea ch o f us a s a n a rtist." This
picture,
ho wever,
is ca re-
fully
in scribed Rem Pea le.
BRIGADIER GENERAL AMASA
AL L EN,
a bo ut
1 802,
by
Willia m
Jen n ys
(a ctive
a bo ut
1 79 5 - 81 0).
Oil
o n
ca n va s,
334
x 26 4 in ches. L en t
a n o n ymo usly
DEBORAH
AL L EN,
a bo ut
1 802,
by
Willia m
Jen n ys.
Oil o n
ca n va s,334
x 26 4 in ches. L en t
a n o n y-
mo usly. Pho to gra phs: Min n ea po lis
In stitute
o f
Arts
Altho ugh
mo re tha n a hun dred
po rtra its
ha ve been
a ttributed to
Jen n ys,
wekn o w
n o thin g
a bo ut his life
except
wha t ca n belea rn ed fro m the
pictures
them-
selves. He
ma y
ha ve been the bro ther o r so n o f the
itin era n t
po rtra it pa in ter
Richa rd
Jen n ys,
fo r there
is a
stylistic un ity
between Richa rd's wo rk a n d the
ea rly pa in tin gs by
Willia m. Willia m himself tra veled
widely
in sea rch o f co mmissio n s. After a bo ut i8o o
o n eca n tra cehis
pa th
n o rthwa rd
a lo n g
theCo n n ecti-
cut
Va lley,
in to cen tra l
Ma ssa chusetts,
a n d then in to
Vermo n t a n d New
Ha mpshire.
Abo ut this time he
develo ped
a
highly perso n a lstyle,
in which hesho wed
a n
extra o rdin a ry ca pa city
to reco rd the cha ra cter o f
his
ha rdy
New
En gla n d subjects.
This
pa ir
o f
po r-
tra its wa s
pro ba bly pa in ted
in New
Ha mpshire
in
1 802,
the
yea r
Allen wa s elected to the sta te sen a te.
Allen wa s a lso a
pro spero us
mercha n t a n d the
pub-
lisher o f a
po litica l jo urn a l.
His co lo rful
un ifo rm,
co mplete
with sca rletsa sh a n d silver
go rget,
wa s the
o n e he ha d wo rn
yea rs
befo re a s a
gen era l
in the
Co n tin en ta l
Army.
284
EDWARD AND SARAH
RUTTER,
a bo ut
1 805 , by
Jo shua Jo hn sto n (o r Jo hn so n ) (a ctive
a bo ut
1 789 -1 824).
Oil o n
ca n va s,
36
x
32
in ches. L en t
by Edga r
Willia m a n d Bern ice
Chrysler
Ga rbisch
Jo hn sto n
a ppea rs
to ha vebeen thefirst
Negro
po rtra it pa in ter
a ctive in the Un ited Sta tes.
He is listed in the Ba ltimo re
city
directo ries
between
1 79 6
a n d
1 824,
a n d a few
pa in tin gs
by
him ha ve been
pla ced
a s
ea rly
a s
1 789 .
No thin g
is kn o wn a bo ut his
tra in in g,
but a
study
o f his
pictures suggests
tha the
ma y
ha ve
received so mein structio n fro m Cha rles Pea le
Po lk,
a
n ephew
o f Cha rles Willso n Pea le. His
dra ughtsma n ship
wa s so mewha tmo rerefin ed
tha n
Po lk's, ho wever,
a n d his
figures
less
wo o den . Jo hn sto n
seems to ha ve
specia lized
in
pa in tin g fa mily gro ups;
mo re tha n ha lf o f
his kn o wn
po rtra its
in cludechildren . On e o f
themo st
cha rmin g
o f them is this
po rtra it
o f
thechildren o f
Ca pta in
Jo shua
Rutter o f Ba l-
timo re. L ike a ll o f
Jo hn sto n 's pa in tin gs,
it is
un sign ed,
but the wicker ba sket filled with
stra wberries a n d the bun ches o f
stra wberry
lea ves a n d berries held
by
the children recur
thro ugho ut
his wo rk a n d
virtua lly
co n stitute
a
sign a ture.
285
STIL L L IFE: WATERMEL ONS AND
GRAPES,
1 829 ,
by Ja mes
Pea le
(1 749 -1 831 ).
Oil o n
ca n va s,
z1 9 x 26 4 in ches. L en t
a n o n ymo usly
Ja mes
Pea le wa s the
yo un gest
bro ther o f Cha rles
Willso n
Pea le,
fro m who m hereceived in structio n in
wa terco lo r a n d o il
pa in tin g.
Much o f his ca reer wa s
lin ked
clo sely
to tha t o f his
bro ther,
who m hea ssisted
in
pa in tin g
a n d a lso in a
va riety
o f a ctivities in co n -
jun ctio n
with his museum. After
wo rkin g to gether
fo r a n umber o f
yea rs,
the two bro thers a dvertised in
I786
tha t
they
were
dividin g
the
pa in tin g
busin ess
between
them,
with Ja mes
beco min g
a
specia list
in
min ia tures. He co n tin ued to
pa in t
so me
la rger po r-
tra its, ho wever,
a s well a s
la n dsca pes
a n d histo rica l
co mpo sitio n s.
Abo ut
1 81 8 fa ilin g eyesight
fo rced him
to
give up
min ia ture
pa in tin g,
but he so o n sta rted
pa in tin g
still lifes a n d
pro duced
a n
extra o rdin a ry
gro up
o f them in his la st
yea rs.
This
impecca bly
a r-
ra n ged co mpo sitio n
o f
yello w
a n d red
wa termelo n s,
gra pes,
a n d a
pea rl-ha n dled
kn ifeis in scribed o n the
ba ck,
" Pa in ted
by Ja mes Pea le/
in the
79 th yea r
o f
his
a ge. 1 829 ."
MRS. RICHARD C. MORSE AND HER
CHIL DREN,
a bo ut
1 835 , by
Sa muelF. B. Mo rse
(I79 I-I872).
Oil o n
ca n va s,
30
x
25
in ches. L en t
by
Mrs.
J. Wright
Rumbo ugh
Mo rse's brillia n t
respo n se
to a co mmissio n fro m the
City
o f New Yo rk fo r a
full-len gth po rtra it
o f
L a fa y-
ettefo r
City
Ha ll a n d thea ctivero lehe
pla yed
a s o n e
o f the fo un ders a n d first
presiden t
o f the Na tio n a l
Aca demy
o f
Design
esta blished him in themid-I82o s
a s o n e o f the
lea din g figures
in the New Yo rk a rt
wo rld. When Mo rsefirstexhibited this
picture
a t the
Na tio n a l
Aca demy
in
1 835 ,
it wa s ca lled The Go ld
Fish,
A
Fa mily Gro up.
The
subjects
a re Mo rse's
sister-in -la w a n d her children Eliza beth An n a n d
Cha rlo tte. A critic fo r the New
Yo rk
Mirro r ca lled
specia l
a tten tio n to it a s " the best
pa in tin g
we ha ve
ever seen fro m the
wo rthy presiden t,"
a n d described
it a s a
" ma sterly specimen
o f ta stein
co mpo sitio n ."
The in terio r
represen ted
is
typica l
o f the cla ssica l
reviva l
style
o f theNew Yo rk a rchitect Alexa n der
J.
Da vis. A
co uple
o f
yea rs
la ter,
Mo rse
ga veup pa in tin g
in o rder to devo te himself mo re
fully
to his
experi-
men ts with
electricity,
which led
even tua lly
to the
in ven tio n o f the
telegra ph.
286
THE PEACEABL E
KINGDOM,
a bo ut
1 834,
by
Edwa rd Hicks
(1 780-1 849 ).
Oil o n
ca n va s,
30
x
35 8
in ches. L en t
by Edga r
Willia m a n d Bern ice
Chrysler
Ga rbisch
Hicks wa s bo rn in
Newto wn ,
Pen n sylva n ia ,
a n d
spen t
mo st o f his lifein tha t
vicin ity.
At
thirteen hewa s
a ppren ticed
to a co a chma ker
a n d
by twen ty-o n e
he wa s a
pa rtn er
in a
co a chma kin g
a n d
pa in tin g
busin ess. Besides
pa in tin g
ta vern
sign s,
o il
clo th,
clo ck
fa ces,
milk
buckets, furn iture,
street
sign s,
a n d fire-
bo a rds,
hecrea ted a rema rka ble
gro up
o f
pic-
tures tha t ha ve wo n him a
reputa tio n
a s the
fo remo st
primitivepa in ter
in America
durin g
thefirstha lf o f then in eteen th
cen tury.
Hicks
is bestkn o wn fo r his Pea cea ble
Kin gdo ms,
the
themeo f which hederived fro m theeleven th
cha pter
o f the
pro phecy
o f
Isa ia h;
in thela st
thirty yea rs
o f his lifehedid a bo ut
fifty
ver-
sio n s o f the
subject.
He
rega rded
Pen n 's
trea ty
with theIn dia n s a s a fulfillmen to f the
pro ph-
ecy
a n d in tro duced in to the
ba ckgro un d
o f
so meo f the
pa in tin gs, in cludin g
this
exa mple,
a
represen ta tio n
o f the
scen e,
ta ken fro m a n
en gra vin g
a fter
Ben ja min
West's well-kn o wn
pa in tin g
o f the
subject.
So meo f theo ther de-
ta ils he bo rro wed fro m Biblica l illustra tio n s
a n d
po pula r en gra vin gs.
Hicks
pa in ted
this
picture
a s a
gift
fo r
Jo seph
Fo ulke o f Three
Tun s,
Mo n tgo mery Co un ty, Pen n sylva n ia ,
a n d
presen ted
it to him in
i834.
Fo ulke wa s
his co n sta n t
tra velin g co mpa n io n
when ,
a s
min isters in the
Religio us So ciety
o f
Frien ds,
they
visited
Qua ker meetin g
ho uses in Pen n -
sylva n ia ,
New
Jersey,
New
Yo rk,
a n d New
En gla n d.
287
1 1 1
-i,- Ji'
-i
J :5 , Gi,j" :" '
-ggtft
iggjigixi" " ?
.
,ippp
t?
a
i1 i?
i fl
" ci
i:I
9 S
.1 , 4E_I
i;l,q"
i f
rB
% :i, ii
g a 'i
s: li4
Se,,
" 'f:k
iiim"
QUEEN VICTORIA, 1 838,
by
Tho ma s
Sully
(1 783-i872).
Oil o n
ca n va s,
9 4
x
5 8
in ches.
L en t
by
Arthur A.
Ho ughto n ,Jr.
Durin g
a ca reer o f
seven ty yea rs, Sully
re-
co rded mo retha n 26 00
pictures
in his a cco un t
bo o k,
o r
Register.
On eo f themo st
impo rta n t
wa s this
po rtra it
o f Her
Ma jesty Queen
Vic-
to ria ,
which he
pa in ted
fo r the
So ciety
o f the
So n s o f St.
Geo rge,
a cha rita ble
o rga n iza tio n
esta blished a t
Phila delphia
fo r thea dvicea n d
a ssista n ceo f
En glishmen
in distress.
L ea rn in g
sho rtly
a fter Victo ria 's a ccessio n to thethro n e
tha t
Sully
wa s a bo ut to
depa rt
fo r
En gla n d,
the
So ciety
reso lved " to memo ria lize her
Ma jesty
to sit fo r her
picture
to Mr.
Sully,
fo r the
gra tifica tio n
a n d useo f the
So ciety."
Durin g sittin gs
in the
sprin g
o f
1 838, Sully
pa in ted
severa l
studies,
in cludin g
a " sketch o f
the
Queen
o n a kit-ka t
ca n va s,"
which wa s
bequea thed
to the Museum
by
o n e o f his
gra n dso n s
in
I9 I4. Acco rdin g
to
Sully's Regis-
ter,
the
full-len gth po rtra it
fo r the
So ciety
wa s
begun
o n
September 30, I838,
a n d fin -
ished
Ja n ua ry
1 4,
1 839 . Sully pa in ted
a seco n d
full-len gth
fo r
himself,
but la ter
ga ve
it to the
St. An drew's
So ciety
in
Cha rlesto n ,
So uth
Ca ro lin a .
(It
wa s
destro yed by
firein
1 86 5 .)
Ho pin g
to rea lizea substa n tia l sum
by
the
displa y
o f its
picture,
the St.
Geo rgeSo ciety
so ught by lega l
mea n s to o bta in
Sully's
o il
sketch to
preven t
him fro m
ma kin g
further
replica s
o r
exhibitin g a n y
o f them fo r his o wn
ben efit. After
a ttemptin g
to
n ego tia te
with
Sully,
the
So ciety ga ve
thema tter to " three
lega l gen tlemen ,"
who a wa rded to
Sully
a s
" a utho r a n d exclusiveo wn er o f thein ven tio n
a n d
design "
the
right
to reta in a n d
duplica te
the
o rigin a l po rtra it
o f the
Queen .
When the
So ciety fin a lly
un veiled its
po rtra it
to the
pub-
lic,
it issued a
pa mphlet,
da ted
Jun e1 3, 1 839 ,
expla in in g
the
lega l
a ctio n
in vo lved,
a n d
giv-
in g
a
len gthy
rebutta l o f theo fficia l
o pin io n .
BOSTON
HARBOR, SUNSET,
a bo ut
1 85 o -
I86 0,
by
Fitz
Hugh
L a n e
(1 804-I86 5 ).
Oil
o n ca n va s,24
X
39 4
in ches. L en t
by
Mr. a n d
Mrs. Bro n so n Trevo r.
Pho to gra ph:
Bren wa sser
L a n ereceived his
tra in in g
a s a n
a ppren tice
in
the
sho p
o f the Bo sto n
litho gra pher
Willia m
Pen dleto n . Fro m a bo ut
1 835
to
1 849
he ha d
his o wn
litho gra phic
firm,
but in the la tter
yea r
he return ed to his ho me in
Glo ucester,
Ma ssa chusetts,
wherehe
spen t
theresto f his
lifea s a ma rin e
pa in ter. Altho ugh o bliged
to
wa lk with crutches
thro ugho ut
his
life,
L a n e
is kn o wn to ha vema desevera l
trips a lo n g
the
co a st o f
Ma in e,
a n d his deta iled
pa in tin gs
o f
theha rbo rs o f New
Yo rk, Ba ltimo re,Ha va n a ,
a n d Sa n
Jua n ,
Puerto
Rico ,
in dica te tha t he
pro ba bly
tra veled even fa rther a field. His re-
ma rka ble
a bility
to ren der effects o f
light
a n d
a tmo sphere
is demo n stra ted in this view o f
Bo sto n
ha rbo r,
which da tes fro m his besta n d
mo st
pro ductiveperio d.
L a n e's wo rk wa s
n eg-
lected fo r
ma n y yea rs,
but he is n o w
reco g-
n ized a s o n eo f the
lea din g
ma rin e
pa in ters
o f
his
gen era tio n .
289
MU-HU-SHE-KAW,
THE WHITE
CL OUD,
CHIEF OF THE
IOWAS,
I845 , by Geo rge
Ca tlin
(I79 6 -i872).
Oil o n
ca n va s,
277
x 228 in ches. L en t
a n o n ymo usly
After
wo rkin g
a s a
po rtra it
a n d min ia ture
pa in ter
fo r a bo ut ten
yea rs,
Ca tlin determin ed
to devo te his life to
reco rdin g
fo r
po sterity
the
a ppea ra n ce
a n d custo ms o f theAmerica n
In dia n .
Durin g
his in itia l
trip
to St. L o uis in
1 830,
he
pa in ted
triba l
delega tes
who ca meto
to wn ,
visited
en ca mpmen ts
in the
vicin ity,
a n d
bega n
his co llectio n o f In dia n co stumes a n d
a rtifa cts. In
1 832
he a scen ded the Misso uri
River,
visitin g
In dia n settlemen ts a n d
livin g
with certa in tribes fo r
da ys
a ta time. He
develo ped
a sho rtha n d
techn ique
in o rder to
pa in t
ra pidly
a n d ma dea
grea tma n y
sketches
sho win g
In dia n lifein a ll its
va riety
a n d co lo r. After
exhibitin g
his
pictures
in
Pittsburgh,
Cin cin n a ti, L o uisville,
New
Orlea n s,
a n d
Buffa lo ,
29 0
SEE-N6 N-TY-A,
IOWA MEDICINE
MAN,
I845 ,
by Geo rge Ca tlin . Oil o n ca n va s,
288 x
23
in ches. L en t
a n o n ymo usly
Ca tlin
bro ught
his In dia n
Ga llery
to New Yo rk in
I837.
After a n un successful
a ttempt
to
sell his six hun dred
pa in tin gs
to the Un ited Sta tes
go vern men t,
Ca tlin to o k the
pictures
a n d severa l tho usa n d In dia n a rticles to
L o n do n ,
where his exhibitio n a t
Egyptia n
Ha ll
beca mea tremen do us success. So meo f its
lea din g
a ttra ctio n s wereta blea ux viva n ts
sta ged
by gro ups
o f
visitin g
In dia n s,
a mo n g
them fo urteen Io wa s who a rrived in
1 845 .
Thesetwo
po rtra its
o f members o f this
gro up
weredo n ein L o n do n a t the time. With their
da zzlin g
co lo rs a n d vivid
cha ra cteriza tio n s,
they
sta n d a tthesummito f Ca tlin 's en o rmo us
pro ductio n .
29 I
THUNDERSTORM-NARRAGANSETT
BAY, I86 8,
by
Ma rtin
Jo hn so n
Hea de
(I81 9 -I9 04).
Oil o n ca n va s,
328
x
5 4s
in ches.
L en t
by
Ern est
Ro sen feld
A
DESSERT, i86 0,
by
Jo hn
F. Fra n cis
(i8o 8- 886 ).
Oil o n ca n va s,
25
X
30
in ches. L en t
by
Ja mes
H. Rica u
Hea de wa s bo rn in Bucks
Co un ty, Pen n syl-
va n ia ,
a n d wo rked a t va rio us
perio ds
in Tren -
to n ,
Phila delphia ,
St.
L o uis,
Chica go ,
New
Yo rk,
a n d St.
Augustin e.
As
Hen ry
Tucker-
ma n
o bserved,
" thelo ve o f tra vel wa s
stro n g
within
him,"
a n d besides
ma kin g
severa l
trips
to
Euro pe,
hewen t to So uth America o n the
reco mmen da tio n o f his frien d the
pa in ter
Frederic E. Church. An exhibitio n o f his
pictures
in Rio de
Ja n eiro
so
impressed
the
Empero r
Do n Pedro II tha t Hea dewa s ma de
a
Kn ight
o f the Order o f the
Ro se,
a n ho n o r
reserved fo r tho se
ha vin g
ren dered un usua l
serviceto the
co un try.
Mo st o f Hea de's wo rks
a resma llviews o f themea do ws o f New
Jersey
a n d
Newburypo rt,
Ma ssa chusetts,
a rra n ge-
men ts o f o rchids a n d
hummin gbirds,
a n d still
lifes.
Occa sio n a lly,
he
a ttempted
a
la rger,
mo re
dra ma tic
pa in tin g,
such a s this
o n e,
which he
exhibited a t the Na tio n a l
Aca demy
in i86 8.
Altho ugh
a t tha t timea criticsa id it sho wed
" a
pa in ful
a mo un to f la bo r with a
co rrespo n d-
in g
feelin g
o f ha rdn ess in co lo r a n d executio n "
a n d
regretted
tha t " so ha rd a n d
chillin g
a
pa in tin g...
sho uld ha vebeen a llo wed to lea ve
his
studio ,"
the
picture
is n o w co n sidered
Hea de's
ma sterpiece.
When it wa s sho wn in
1 9 43
a t the Museum o f Mo dern Art's exhi-
bitio n Ro ma n tic
Pa in tin g
in
America ,
it wa s
widely
a dmired a n d
quickly
a ro used a re-
n ewed in terest in his wo rk.
Fra n cis wa s bo rn in
Phila delphia
a n d
spen t
mo st o f his life in
Pen n sylva n ia .
He
pa in ted
po rtra its,
a n ima l
pictures,
a n d,
a s he himself
reco rded,
" fa n cy Sign s-Ba n n ers-a n d
Sca rfes
fo r ... Differen t
So cieties,"
but it is his still
lifes tha t a reo f mo st in terest
to da y.
He
a p-
pea rs
to ha ve
specia lized
in in fo rma l
ta ble-to p
a rra n gemen ts
o f fruits a n d
n uts,
cheesea n d
biscuits,
win e
bo ttles,
pitchers, co mpo tes,
a n d
gla sses.
L ikehis
co n tempo ra ry
Severin
Ro esen ,
heused thesa me
pro ps repea tedly,
so metimes
pla cin g
them
a ga in st
a bla n k
wa ll, so metimes,
a s
here,
ha ppily in tro ducin g
a
la n dsca pe
ba ck-
gro un d.
A
replica
o f this
picture,
da ted
I879 ,
is in the Shelburn e
Museum,
Vermo n t.
THE VAL L EY OF
WYOMING, I86 5 ,
by
Ja sper
F.
Cro psey (i823-1 9 00).
Oil o n ca n va s,
48
x
84
in ches. L en t
by
Mrs. Jo hn C.
Newin gto n
Cro psey
wa s o n eo f the
lea din g pa in ters
o f the
Hudso n River Scho o l. Fo r mo re tha n a ha lf
cen tury
he
specia lized
in
pa in tin g
a utumn a l
la n dsca pes. Altho ugh
he ma in ta in ed a studio
fo r
ma n y yea rs
in New Yo rk
City,
he ma de
frequen t sketchin g trips
to New
En gla n d,
Pen n sylva n ia ,
a n d New
Jersey,
a n d a lso wen t
a bro a d severa l times. This
picture,
o n eo f his
la rgest
a n d fin est
wo rks,
wa s ba sed o n a
sketch,
n o w in theMuseum's
co llectio n ,
tha t
Cro psey
ha d ma dein the
Wyo min g Va lley
o f
Pen n syl-
va n ia in
1 86 4.
The
o rigin a l
o wn er o f the
la rge
pa in tin g
wa s Milto n
Co urtright,
who is va ri-
o usly
listed a s
" ca pita list"
a n d
" gen tlema n "
in the
ea rly
directo ries o f
Erie,
Pen n sylva n ia .
Co urtright
wa s bo rn a n d ra ised o n theCo urt-
right
Fa rm in
Pla in s,
Pen n sylva n ia ,
in the
hea rto f the
Wyo min g Va lley,
between Scra n -
to n a n d Wilkes-Ba rre. It wa s fo r his ho mein
Erie tha t he co mmissio n ed
Cro psey
to
pa in t
this
pa n o ra mic
view,
in which a ll themin ute
deta ils o f to wn a n d
co un tryside
were fa ith-
fully
reco rded. The
picture
reta in s its
o rigin a l
fra me,
which bea rs a
pla que
with a do zen lin es
fro m a
po em by
Tho ma s
Ca mpbell pro cla im-
in g
the bea uties o f the
Wyo min g:
On
Susqueha n a 's side,
fa ir
Wyo min g!
Altho ugh
the wild-flo wer o n
thy
ruin 'd wa ll
An d ro o fless
ho mes,
a sa d remembra n ce
brin g
Of wha t
thy gen tle peo ple
did
befa ll;
Yet tho u wert o n ce the lo veliest la n d o f a ll
Tha t seetheAtla n ticwa vetheir mo rn resto re
* * * * * * * ben ea th
thy
skies.
The
ha ppy shepherd
swa in s ha d
n a ught
to do
But feed their flo cks o n
green
declivities,
Or skim
percha n cethy
la kewith
light
ca n o e.
*** * * * * * * * * *
So sweet a
spo t
o f
ea rth,
yo u might, (I ween )
Ha ve
guess'd
so me
co n grega tio n
o f the
elves,
To
spo rt by
summer
mo o n s,
ha d
sha ped
it
fo r themselves.
PATCH SEL F-PORTRAIT WITH SMAL L
PICTURES,
1 89 0 o r la ter,
by
Jo hn F. Peto
(i85 4-1 9 07).
Oil o n ca n va s, 26 4 x
244
in ches.
L en t
by
Mr. a n d Mrs. Do n a ld S. Stra lem.
Pho to gra ph:
Bren wa sser
Altho ugh
Peto studied
briefly
a t the
Pen n syl-
va n ia
Aca demy
o f theFin e Arts in Phila del-
phia ,
hewa s
la rgely self-ta ught.
The
grea test
in fluen ce o n his ca reer wa s exerted
by
the
still-life
pa in tin gs
o f Willia m Micha el
Ha rn ett,
with who m he beca me
a cqua in ted
so metime
between
1 876
a n d
1 880,
when Ha rn ett de-
pa rted
fo r
Euro pe.
In co n tra st to
Ha rn ett,
who
en jo yed
a n o ta ble success in the
I88o s,
Peto wa s un a ble to ea rn a
livin g
fro m his
pa in tin gs,
a n d a s
ea rly
a s
1 889
he ma defre-
quen t trips
to Isla n d
Heights,
New
Jersey,
to
a ugmen t
his in co me
by pla yin g
the co rn eta t
religio us
reviva l
meetin gs spo n so red by
the
Isla n d
Heights Ca mp Meetin g
Asso cia tio n .
He settled
perma n en tly
a t Isla n d
Heights
in
I89 I
a n d retrea ted fro m the o utside
wo rld,
frustra ted
by
a la ck o f
reco gn itio n ,
a n d mo st
o f his wo rk rema in ed in his studio . As a
result,
hea n d his still lifes ha d
pa ssed
in to
o bscurity
even befo rehis
dea th,
a n d
ma n y
o f his
pic-
tures
(in cludin g
theMuseum's The Old Cre-
mo n a )
were so ld a s the wo rk o f Ha rn ett.
Altho ugh
Peto
depicted ma n y
o bjects
simila r
to tho seused
by
Ha rn ett-the
mug
a n d
pipe
a t thelo wer left o f this
picture,
fo r
exa mple-
he
pa in ted
in a
so ft,
impressio n isticstylequite
differen t fro m Ha rn ett's
tight,
illusio n istic
ma n n er. This
picture
is a
strikin g exa mple
o f
his
wo rk,
fo r it
is,
in
effect,
a
tro mpe
l'o eil o f
tro mpe
l'o eil. It is a whimisica lva ria tio n o f his
fa milia r " o ffice
bo a rds,"
o r ra ck
pictures.
Sur-
ro un din g
the
self-po rtra it
a resevera lo f Peto 's
o wn
pictures
a s well a s two views he
co pied
fro m
pa in tin gs by
Frederick Brisco e in his
po ssessio n .
NOTE: In a dditio n to the
pictures
discussed
a bo ve,
fo ur twen tieth
cen tury pa in tin gs
were
bo rro wed fo r the sho w-Ma n
Ra y's
Da n ce,
o f
1 9 1 5 ,
len t
by
Mr. a n d Mrs. Willia m N.
Co p-
ley, Ja sper Jo hn s's
White
Fla g
a n d Ro bert
Ra uschen berg's
Rebus,
bo th o f
I9 5 5
a n d len t
by
the
a rtists,
a n d Ma rk Ro thko 's Number
2,
o f
I9 6 2,
len t
by
Mrs. AlbertD. L a sker. These
pa in tin gs
a reillustra ted a n d discussed in
Hen ry
Geldza hler's America n
Pa in tin g
in the Twen -
tieth
Cen tury,published
this mo n th
by
the
Museum. Pictures o n
lo n g-term
lo a n fro m
Adela ideMilto n de
Gro o t,
Geo rgia
O'Keeffe,
L ucille S.
Pfeffer,
Mr. a n d Mrs. Sa muel
Schwa rtz,
a n d Mrs. Edwa rd P. Sha rretts will
a lso be o n view. A
gro up
o f
po rtra its
o f
America n a rtists fro m the co llectio n s o f the
Cen tury
Club,
theCha mber o f Co mmerceo f
the Sta te o f New
Yo rk,
a n d theNa tio n a l
Aca demy
o f
Design
will besho wn in the en -
tra n ce
ga llery
to the exhibitio n .
Numbers i n T i me:
T w o Ameri can
Pai n ti n gs
HENRY GELDZAHLER
Asso ci ate Curato r
o f
Ameri can
Pai n ti n gs
an d
Sculpture
A w o rk o f art must
alw ays, o bvi o usly,
be made at a
speci fi c
mo men t i n
ti me;
yet
to
descri be that
mo men t,
to i so late
i t,
i s to cut
the arti st's career o ff fro m much o f i ts
co n text,
to
separate
i t fro m i ts
i mpli cati o n s
an d fro m
the w o rk that i t w i ll do i n the w o rld. T o see a
pai n ti n g o n ly
i n terms o f
i tself,
as a
un i que
co n creti o n o f the
sen si bi li ty
o f i ts
mo men t,
i s an
en ri chi n g experi en ce, yet
n o
pi cture
can
be
pai n ted
as i f
n o thi n g
else had ever
hap-
pen ed.
Other
pai n ti n gs
an d i deas li e behi n d i t:
pai n ti n gs by
the same
man ,
pai n ti n gs
he has
seen
by
hi s
co n tempo rari es,
the en ti re
hi sto ry
o f
pai n ti n g up
to thi s
mo men t,
hi s li fe
experi -
en ces. T he w o rk o f art i s the summati o n o f all
that the
pai n ter
then kn o w s. After i ts execu-
ti o n the si tuati o n
chan ges.
Other
w o rks,
pai n t-
i n gs
un dreamed o f at i ts
i n cepti o n ,
i n terven e,
an d w e fi n d n o t
o n ly
that the
o ri gi n al pai n ti n g
i s co n n ected to the
past
but that i t en ters i n to
an acti ve
di alo gue
w i th the
pai n ti n gs
that fo l-
lo w . At ti mes i t
may
be di m an d o ut o f
favo r,
at o ther ti mes
sharply
i n fo cus an d
appo si te.
T he
relati o n shi p
o f a w o rk o f art to
ti me, then ,
i s
co mplex
an d ever
chan gi n g.
Un less i t i s
w ho lly fo rgo tten ,
i t w i ll co n ti n ue to act an d
be reacted to .
In
1928
the Ameri can arti st Charles Demuth
pai n ted
o n e o f hi s mo st
i mpo rtan t
o i ls,
I Saw
the
Fi gure 5
i n Go ld. So me
years
befo re thi s
the Ameri can
po et
Wi lli am Carlo s Wi lli ams
had w ri tten "T he Great
Fi gure,"
the bri ef
po em
that w as to be the
i n spi rati o n
fo r the
pai n ti n g.
Years later
Jasper
Jo hn s,
a
yo un g
Ameri can
arti st,
pai n ted
hi s Black
Fi gure 5,
a w o rk that refers back to the
Demuth,
but
w i th the
chan ged premi ses
o f
co n tempo rary
pai n ti n g.
T hus w e fi n d I Saw the
Fi gure 5
i n
Go ld a w o rk w i th a
past
an d w i th a future. It
i s also a
pai n ti n g
w ho se
o ri gi n s
an d
i mpli ca-
ti o n s are clearer an d mo re i so lable than i s
gen erally
the case.
Wi lli am Carlo s
Wi lli ams,
w ho w as a
majo r
po et
o f the Ameri can
i di o m,
fi rst kn ew De-
muth i n
I905
w hen bo th w ere studen ts i n
Phi ladelphi a,
Wi lli ams at the medi cal scho o l
o f the
Un i versi ty
o f
Pen n sylvan i a,
Demuth
at the
Pen n sylvan i a Academy
o f the Fi n e Arts.
"I met Charles Demuth o ver a di sh o f
prun es
at Mrs. Chai n 's
bo ardi n g
ho use o n Lo cust
Street,"
the
po et-physi ci an
w ro te i n hi s auto -
bi o graphy,
"an d fo rmed a
li felo n g fri en dshi p
o n the
spo t
w i th dear Charli e ...." It i s
typi -
cal o f bo th Wi lli ams's
w ri ti n g
an d Demuth's
art to
pi n
do w n an
experi en ce by
referen ce to
everyday aspects.
It i s
thro ugh
the
speci fi c,
the
ho mely,
i n thei r w o rk that the un i versal
i s reached. "In the
spri n g amo n g
the back
streets,"
Wi lli ams co n ti n ues, "w hen
supper
w o uld be o ver an d w e felt di si n cli n ed to re-
turn to o ur
ro o ms,
Charli e Demuth used to
take
lo n g
w alks w i th me i n West Phi ladel-
phi a (w here
Gran dma
Wellco me,
my
father's
mo ther,
had
just
co me to
li ve).
T here w as a
295
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hi gh
bri ck w all
alo n g
the so uth si de o f Lo cust
Street,
just
w est o f
T hi rty-si xth,
i n si de o f
w hi ch there must have been an o ld
garden ,
lo n g n eglected.
T he
tho ught
o f i t fasci n ated
me. Charli e
laughed
w hen I
spo ke
o f i t. 'No t
man y
co uld
en jo y
such a
thi n g
as
that,'
he
sai d,
'by merely lo o ki n g
at the o utsi de o f a
w all.'" T hese men w ere
o bvi o usly
i n
sym-
pathy.
In later
years,
Wi lli ams tells
us,
the
pi ctures
he
alw ays
w en t to see w ere tho se
by
Demuth,
Charles
Sheeler,
an d Marsden Hart-
ley.
T he
po et
had a
go o d eye.
I Saw the
Fi gure
5
i n Go ld w as called
by
Wi lli ams a
"li terary"
pi cture. Fro m o n e o f
hi s
letters,
w ri tten i n
I928,
w e kn o w that he
saw i t w hi le Demuth w as sti ll
w o rki n g
o n i t:
"Dear Deem: the un fi n i shed
po ster
i s the mo st
di sti n gui shed
Ameri can
pai n ti n g
that I have
seen i n
years.
I
en jo y
i t fo r fi ve o r si x di sti n ct
reaso n s, co lo r,
co mpo si ti o n , clari ty, tho ught,
emo ti o n al
fo rce,
i n gen ui ty-an d
i ts
co mplete-
n ess.
Well,
i t's
very sati sfyi n g
to me an d I
co n gratulate yo u."
It w as Demuth w ho n amed the
pai n ti n g,
an d i t i s so meti mes
tho ught
that he cho se fo r
hi s ti tle the fi rst w o rds o f the
po em.
In
fact,
the
po em begi n s
w i th the men ti o n o f rai n an d
li ghts, setti n g
the mo o d fo r the cen tral
i mage:
T HE GREAT FIGURE
Amo n g
the rai n
an d
li ghts
I saw the
fi gure 5
i n
go ld
o n a red
fi retruck
mo vi n g
ten se
un heeded
to
go n g clan gs
si ren ho w ls
an d w heels
rumbli n g
thro ugh
the dark
ci ty.
T he
pai n ti n g
has futuri st an d cubi st features:
the
pri smati c
breakdo w n o f
space
an d
li ght,
w hi ch i n
part
refers to the rai n an d
li ghts,
an d
the use o f w o rds an d n umbers to
help
establi sh
the
tw o -di men si o n ali ty
o f the
pi cture plan e,
as i n the
largest 5,
the w o rd
BILL,
an d at the
bo tto m o f the
pai n ti n g
the i n i ti als C.D. an d
W.C.W.,
referri n g
to the arti st an d the
po et.
Ho w ever,
the letters an d n umbers are used
n o t
o n ly
to establi sh the surface
plan e
but also
to
suggest
the
o ppo si te: deep space.
We see
thi s,
o bvi o usly,
i n the
di mi n i shi n g
an d there-
fo re
recedi n g 5's
an d i n the w o rd
CARLOS,
the
latter cut o ff
by
an elemen t that li es behi n d
the
plan es
o f the
5's.
T he
pai n ti n g
i s
pulled
back fro m
bei n g
a
co mplete
abstracti o n
o n ly
by
the use o f the w o rds an d letters an d
by
the
presen ce
o f the street
lamp
an d di sto rted
bui ldi n gs.
T he
an gulari ty
o f the
pri smati c
backgro un d
i s
played
o ff
agai n st
the
recurri n g
ci rcles: tho se o f the fo ur
li ghts
i n the
to p
half,
the curve o f the
street-lamp
stan dard,
the
bulbs at the lo w er
ti ps
o f the
5's,
an d the
qui te
arbi trary
curve at the lo w er left an d
upper
ri ght
o f the
pai n ti n g.
We feel n o t
o n ly
the
tremen do us
acti vi ty
w i thi n the
pi cture
but
also i ts fi n al calm an d co n tro l.
Despi te
the
di recti o n al li n es bo rro w ed fro m the futuri sts
an d the
i n tellectually o rgan i zed space
that
co mes fro m
cubi sm,
the cumulati ve effect o f
i mmedi acy,
sen se o f
scale,
an d
clari ty
i s Amer-
i can . Of hi s
relati o n shi p
to the w o rk o f a
fello w Ameri can
pai n ter
Demuth o n ce o b-
served, "Jo hn
Mari n an d I drew o ur
i n spi ra-
ti o n fro m the same
so urce,
Fren ch mo dern i sm.
He
bro ught
hi s
up
i n buckets an d
spi lt
much
alo n g
the
w ay.
I
di pped
mi n e o ut w i th a tea-
spo o n
but I n ever
spi lled
a
dro p."
We have traced Demuth's
pai n ti n g
back to
the
po em
that
i n spi red
i t,
an d seen ho w the
pi cture
reflects an aw aren ess o f the art o f i ts
ti me. We
may
n o w mo ve fo rw ard to
I960
an d
to a
pai n ti n g by
o n e o f the mo st
i mpo rtan t
I Saw the
Fi gure 5
i n
Go ld,
1928, by
Charles Demuth
(1883-z935).
Oi l o n
co mpo si ti o n
bo ard,
36
x
29%
i n ches. T he
Alfred
Stei gli tz
Co llecti o n , 49.59.I
296
297
arti sts
w o rki n g to day.
In the i n teri m there
develo ped
a
great
mo vemen t i n Ameri can
art,
the fi rst Ameri can scho o l to attai n w o rldw i de
si gn i fi can ce
an d i n fluen ce. Mo st o ften called
the abstract
expressi o n i st
scho o l,
i t w as de-
vo ted to
to tally
abstract
pai n ti n g,
w i th an
un preceden ted o pen n ess
an d freedo m o f ex-
pressi o n .
After the achi evemen ts o f Jackso n
Po llo ck,
Wi llem de
Ko o n i n g,
an d Fran z
Kli n e,
i t lo o ked fo r a w hi le i n the mi d-fi fti es
as i f mo dern
pai n ti n g
co uld n o t retreat fro m
to tal abstracti o n w i tho ut a lo ss o f
en ergy
an d
i mpact.
T he
much-lo n ged-fo r
return to the
fi gure
seemed
i mpo ssi ble
i n
an y
tradi ti o n al
w ay,
si n ce w hatever
fi gurati ve pai n ti n g
w as
to be do n e w o uld have to be
co mparable
i n
vi tali ty, passi o n ,
an d
o ri gi n ali ty
to the best
o f the abstract w o rk.
Jasper Jo hn s,
a
tw en ty-tw o -year-o ld
So uth
Caro li n i an ,
came i n to thi s arti sti c si tuati o n i n
New Yo rk
fo llo w i n g
hi s servi ce i n the
Army.
He fo un d hi mself co n fro n ted w i th
pai n ti n gs
o f tremen do us
en ergy
an d
i n tegri ty, pai n ti n gs
he admi red but di d n o t w an t to i mi tate. He
so lved hi s
pro blem by cho o si n g subjects
that
are
suffi ci en tly
fami li ar to fo cus o ur atten ti o n
o n an
i mage
but n o t so
emo ti o n ally stro n g
as
to take o ur atten ti o n fro m the
w ay
i n w hi ch
the
pai n t
i s
appli ed-fo r
i n
man y
cases,
i n the
abstract
expressi o n i st pai n ti n g Jo hn s admi red,
i t w as the
brushi n g, dri ppi n g,
o r o ther w o rk-
i n g
o f the
pai n t,
i n effect the
han dw ri ti n g
o f
the
arti st,
that w as the actual
subject.
De-
pi cti n g
subjects
that w e read
n aturally
as
tw o -di men si o n al-an Ameri can
flag,
a
map
o f the Un i ted
States,
a
target,
a n umber o r
seri es o f
n umbers-Jo hn s questi o n s
the
pro b-
lem o f
space
an d
depth by pai n ti n g
the
repre-
sen tati o n o f the thi rd di men si o n o n a tw o -
di men si o n al surface. In
every aspect
o f hi s
w o rk he
presen ts
us w i th
parado xes.
He uses
co n fli cti n g
devi ces,
den yi n g
the tw o -di men -
si o n ali ty
o f the
subject-i mage by
the
w ay
i n
w hi ch he
lays
do w n the
pai n t, altern ati n g
dark an d
li ght.
T he arti st's fasci n ati o n w i th
the to tal
surface,
as i n abstract
expressi o n i sm,
en ables us bo th to see hi s Black
Fi gure 5
an d
to lo se i t i n o ur exami n ati o n o f an d
deli ght
i n
hi s
o verlayi n g
an d
o verlappi n g
o f the co lo rs
an d brushstro kes. T he stro kes an d
dri ps
that
run fro m the n umber ten d to flatten the
pi c-
ture,
yet
the o ver-all ri chn ess o f the surface
suggests depth,
an d w e are
fi n ally
fo rced to
read the w o rk as flat an d
deep
at the same
ti me.
"Gen erally,
I am
o ppo sed
to
pai n ti n g
w hi ch i s co n cern ed w i th
co n cepti o n s
o f si m-
pli ci ty," Jo hn s
has w ri tten .
"Everythi n g
lo o ks
busy
to me."
Jo hn s
had been
do i n g
hi s
pai n ti n gs
o f n um-
bers fo r three
years
w hen ,
i n
I960,
he w as
co mmi ssi o n ed
by
Mr. an d Mrs. Ro bert C.
Scull o f New Yo rk to
pai n t
a
large si n gle
n umber.
Aski n g
w hi ch n umber w o uld be
pre-
ferred,
he w as to ld fi ve.
Altho ugh
o ur Demuth
pai n ti n g
w as n o t
men ti o n ed,
bo th the
patro n
an d the arti st have
subsequen tly
sai d that i t
lay
behi n d the deci si o n .
Jo hn s
has sai d that
he w as
very
much aw are o f thi s Demuth w hen
he
began
the
pai n ti n g.
T he
Demuth,
w i th i ts hard
edges,
the clar-
i ty
o f i ts
i mages,
i s a
pi cture
fro m the
peri o d
w hen Ameri can art w as do mi n ated
by
cubi sm
an d futuri sm. T he
Jo hn s,
w i th i ts
great
free-
do m o f
gesture
an d i ts i n terest i n the
po ssi -
bi li ti es o f
pai n t
i tself,
belo n gs
to the
peri o d
w hen much Ameri can art i s
bei n g pulled
back
fro m the
purely
abstract to w ard the fami li ar.
Related i n theme but di fferen t i n
appro ach,
metho d,
an d
ulti mately
i n
feeli n g,
bo th are
superb pi ctures.
As
such,
each bears
lo o ki n g
at alo n e. It i s
o n ly
the art hi sto ri an w ho must
po i n t
hi s
fi n ger
an d make the co n n ecti o n .
NOT E: "T he Great
Fi gure"
i s
repri n ted
thro ugh
the
co urtesy
o f the
publi sher,
New
Di recti o n s,
fro m T he Co llected Earli er Po ems
o f
Wi lli am Carlo s
Wi lli ams,
co pyri ght 1938,
1951 by
the autho r.
T he
Black Fi gure 5,
1960,
by Jasper
Jo hn s
(b. 1930).
En causti c o n
can vas,
72
x
54
i n ches. Co llecti o n
o f
Mr. an d Mrs. Ro bert C.
Scull,
New Yo rk.
Pho to graph: Rudo lph
Burckhardt
298
.I aa
i ar
i r
rrsa
hi i 8
"' I
I
i .
3 ?1
;": E
i : --: -- : : : : :
6! I r
i ? a i 'i
i agra
Ili lE I li t r: araaaP? i r
I
.1;: : : : : : : :
"83
ulT I9
i i I
1
I-'
1101
rfi e
ss,
I
I%
L ?
i ,
SLi
i i C:
jll
-- slBO ''
IB ---
i a: r I
Is
181
?d
a
ff i i i i
i t i ;
Note:
Mrs. Noah Smith and Her Children,
I798,
by
Ralph
Earl
(i75i-i8oi).
Oil on
canvas, 64
x
85%
inches.
Gift of Edgar
William and Bernice
Chrysler
Garbisch,
64.309.1
The first volume of the
catalogue
of Amer-
ican
paintings
in the Museum's
collection,
which will be
published
this
month,
is
hap-
pily already
somewhat out of date because
of the
continuing generosity
of members and
friends of the Museum. One of the most im-
portant
American
paintings
we have
acquired
in recent
years
is
Ralph
Earl's monumental
group portrait,
Mrs. Noah Smith and Her
Children,
presented by Edgar
William and
Bernice
Chrysler
Garbisch at the end of
I964.
It is the most ambitious
composition by
Earl
that has come to
light,
and it ranks
among
his
best
works,
along
with his double
portrait
of
Mr. and Mrs. Oliver Ellsworth
(Wadsworth
Atheneum,
Hartford)
and several of his full-
length portraits
of members of the Boardman
family (see pages 282-283).
This
group
and a
companion portrait
of Noah Smith
(Art
Insti-
tute of
Chicago)
were
painted
in
Bennington,
Vermont,
in
I798.
Mrs. Smith was the former
Chloe Burrall of
Canaan,
Connecticut. The
five
children,
from left to
right,
are
Henry
(called Harry),
Daniel, Noah, Jr., Eliza,
and
Celia. After
graduating
from Yale in
1778,
Noah Smith was active in
political
affairs in
Vermont,
serving
as the state's
attorney,
a
member of the Governor's
Council,
judge
of
the
Supreme
Court,
and United States col-
lector of internal revenue. His son
Harry
died
at
twenty-seven.
Daniel and
Noah, Jr.,
grad-
uated from
Middlebury College:
Daniel went
to Andover
Theological Seminary,
was or-
dained a
minister,
and became a
missionary
in
Natchez,
Mississippi,
and
Louisville,
Ken-
tucky;
Noah, Jr.,
became a teacher at Natchez.
Eliza and Celia married men from
Vergennes,
Vermont,
and
spent
most of their lives there.
The
portrait
descended from Eliza to a
daugh-
ter and then to a
cousin,
remaining
hidden in
the
family parlors
until it was sold in
1958.
Before then it was known
only through
an
anonymous
late nineteenth
century copy
in-
cluded in the exhibition From
Colony
to Nation
at the Art Institute of
Chicago
in
I949.
Now,
after
completing
a tour of nineteen museums
across the
country
as
part
of the exhibition
o I
Masterpieces of
American Primitive
Painting
from
the Collection
of Edgar
William and Ber-
nice
Chrysler
Garbisch, which
opened
at the
Metropolitan
in November
I96I,
the
picture
has
gratefully
come to rest here as a
part
of
the
permanent
collection of American
paint-
ings.
S.P.F.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve, and extend access to
The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin
www.jstor.org

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New
York
Abraham D. Beame
Comptroller of
the
City of
New York
Newbold Morris Commissioner
of
the
Department of
Parks
Edgar
I. Williams President
of
the National
Academy
Elective
Malcolm P. Aldrich
Henry
C. Alexander
Mrs. Vincent Astor
Sherman Baldwin
Cleo Frank
Craig
Daniel P. Davison
J. Richardson Dilworth
C.
Douglas
Dillon
James J.
Rorimer Director
Mrs. James W.
Fosburgh
John
W. Gardner
Walter S. Gifford
Roswell L.
Gilpatric
James
M. Hester
Devereux C.
Josephs
Henry
R. Luce
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight
D. Eisenhower
Dudley
T.
Easby,
Jr. Secretary
Henry
S.
Morgan
Mrs. Charles S.
Payson
Richard S. Perkins
Roland L. Redmond
Mrs.
Ogden
Reid
Francis
Day Rogers
Elihu
Root, Jr.
Honorary
Richard C. Patterson, Jr.
STAFF
J.
Kenneth
Loughry
Treasurer
James J.
Rorimer
Irwin
Untermyer
Arthur K. Watson
Mrs. Sheldon Whitehouse
Arnold
Whitridge
Charles B.
Wrightsman
Nelson A. Rockefeller
Joseph
V. Noble
Operating
Administrator
Cecily
B. Kerr Executive Assistant to the Director
Harry
S. Parker III Administrative Assistant
Arthur Klein
Supervisor of
Plans and Construction
Adelaide A. Cahill
Assistantfor
Archives
Mildred S. McGill Assistant
for
Loans
General Administration
Warren C. Powers Assistant Treasurer-Controller
Maurice K. Viertel Auditor
Robert A. Pierson
Chief
Accountant
James
O. Grimes
City
Liaison
Jessie
L. Morrow
Supervisor of
Personnel
Robert
Chapman
Building Superintendent
Walter Cadette
Captain of
Attendants
Theodore Ward Purchasing Agent
William F. Pons
Manager, Photograph
Studio
Eloise Bruce Restaurant
Manager
Betsy
Mason
Manager of Office
Service
Richard R. Morsches Assistant to the
Operating
Administrator
Curatorial
Departments
AMERICAN PAINTINGS AND SCULPTURE: Robert
Beverly
Hale, Curator. Albert
TenEyck
Gardner and
Henry
Geldzahler, Associate Curators. Stuart P. Feld,
Assistant Curator
AMERICAN WING:
James Biddle, Curator.
Mary
C. Glaze and
Berry
B.
Tracy,
Assistant Curators
ANCIENT NEAR EASTERN ART:
Vaughn
E. Crawford, Associate Research Curator
in
Charge.
Prudence Oliver
Harper
and Oscar White Muscarella, Assistant
Curators
ARMS AND ARMOR:
Randolph
Bullock, Curator. Helmut Nickel, Associate
Curator. Norma Wolf,
Assistant Curator.
Harvey
Murton, Armorer
THE COSTUME INSTITUTE: Polaire Weissman,
Executive Director. Stella Blum,
Mavis Dalton, and
Angelina
M. Firelli, Assistant Curators
DRAWINGS:
Jacob Bean, Curator. Merritt Safford, Associate Conservator
of
Drawings
and Prints
EGYPTIAN ART:
Henry
G. Fischer,
Curator. Nora E. Scott,
Associate Cu-
rator. Eric
Young,
Assistant Curator
EUROPEAN PAINTINGS: Theodore Rousseau, Curator. Claus Virch, Associate
Curator.
Margaretta
M.
Salinger,
Associate Research Curator. Elizabeth E.
Gardner,
Assistant Curator. Hubert F. von
Sonnenburg,
Conservator
of
Paintings.
Gerhard Wedekind, Associate Conservator
AUDITORIUM EVENTS: William
Kolodney,
Consultant
BOOKSHOP AND REPRODUCTIONS: Bradford D. Kelleher, Sales
Manager.
Margaret
S.
Kelly,
General
Supervisor,
Art and Book
Shop.
Daniel S.
Berger,
Assistant to the Sales
Manager
CONSERVATION: Kate C. Lefferts, Assistant Conservator
DEVELOPMENT AND MEMBERSHIP: David A. Knickel, Manager, Development.
Jean A. Ashfield, Assistant
Manager. Dorothy Weinberger, Manager,
Mem-
bership.
Suzanne Gauthier, Assistant
Manager
EDUCATION: Thomas M. Folds,
Dean. Louise Condit, Assistant Dean in
Charge of
the
Junior
Museum. Blanche R. Brown, Beatrice Farwell, Roberta
Paine,
and
Angela
B. Watson, Senior Lecturers
FAR EASTERN ART: Aschwin
Lippe,
Research Curator.
Fong
Chow and Jean
Mailey,
Associate Curators
GREEK AND ROMAN ART: Dietrich von Bothmer,
Curator. Brian F. Cook
and Andrew Oliver, Jr.,
Assistant Curators
ISLAMIC ART: Ernst J. Grube, Associate Curator in
Charge
MEDIEVAL ART AND THE CLOISTERS:
Margaret
B. Freeman, Curator
of
The
Cloisters. William H.
Forsyth,
Associate Curator
of
Medieval Art. Thomas
P. F.
Hoving,
Associate Curator
of
The Cloisters. Vera K. Ostoia, Associate
Research Curator. Carmen G6mez-Moreno, Assistant Curator
MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS: Emanuel Winternitz, Curator. Gerald F.
Warburg,
Associate in Music
PRINTS: A.
Hyatt Mayor,
Curator.
Janet
S.
Byrne,
Associate Curator. Caroline
Karpinski
and John J.
McKendry,
Assistant Curators
WESTERN EUROPEAN ARTS: John Goldsmith
Phillips,
Curator. Carl Christian
Dauterman, Associate Curator, Ceramics, Glass,
and
Metalwork. James Parker,
Associate Curator, Furniture and
Woodwork.
Edith A.
Standen,
Associate
Curator, Textiles. Yvonne Hackenbroch, Associate Research Curator, Gold-
smiths'
Work. Olga Raggio,
Associate Research Curator, Renaissance Art. Jessie
McNab Dennis, Assistant Curator
LIBRARY:
James Humphry III, Chief Librarian.
Margaret
P. Nolan, Chief,
Photograph
and Slide
Library.
Elizabeth R. Usher, Chief,
Art
Reference Library
PUBLIC RELATIONS: Eleanor D. Falcon, Manager. Joan Stack, Manager,
Information
Service
PUBLICATIONS:
Gray
Williams, Jr.,
Editor. Jean Leonard and Leon Wilson,
Associate Editors. Anne Preuss and Katharine H. B. Stoddert, Assistant Editors
REGISTRAR AND CATALOGUE: William D. Wilkinson, Registrar. Marcia C.
Harty, Supervisor of
the
Catalogue
and Assistant
Registrar
Information
THE MAIN BUILDING:
Open weekdays
10-5;
Sundays
and
holidays
1-5. Tele- THE CLOISTERS:
Open weekdays, except Mondays, 10-5; Sundays
and holi-
phone: TRafalgar
9-5500. The Restaurant is
open weekdays
11:30-2:30;
Sun-
days
1-5
(May-September, Sundays 1-6). Telephone:
WAdsworth 3-3700.
days
12-3; closed
holidays.
Coffee hours:
Saturdays
3-4:30; Sundays
3:30-4:30. MEMBERSHIP: Information will be mailed on
request.
Income from endowment is the Museum's
major
source of revenue. Gifts and
bequests
are tax deductible within the
limits allowed
by
law. For further information call the Office of
Development
and
Membership.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve, and extend access to
The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin
www.jstor.org