Show I ST ARTIAN I Perhaps one reason w why h y the Athenaeum portraits of George and Martha Washington are unfinished Is because Stuart Stuart Stuart Stu Stu- art concentrated his attention on faces and never cared to spend much time tune on backgrounds for his paintings I copy the works of God he once declared and leave clothes to tailors and mana mantua man man- tua makers Dr S. S Spooner the gossipy author of Curiosities of Art a book published about the middle of the last century says that Stuart used to express his contempt for fine finishing of the extremities or rich and elegant accessories which he used to say was work for girls Perhaps he meant more specifically ape his daughter Jane who helped him make copies of his original paintings and who probably ably put the finishing to touches ches on the Lansdowne portrait in which according to one authority ty the arm and hand were painted from a wax model of Stuarts Stuart's own hand and his boardinghouse board board- house ing-house keeper a man named Smith posed for the body and legs Further evidence of Stuarts Stuart's inability in- in ability to toe do more than the face of if a portrait is s the remark of one me of his students fellow-students in London Lonion Lon Lon- don ion that as to the figure he could not get below the fifth filth buton button button but- but ton on of the coat t e Among the many painters who made portraits of Washington were the Peales Charles Peales-Charles Charles Willson Will Will- son ion Peale his brother James and nd his two sons Rembrandt and Raphael Peale One day while Washington was sitting for all allour four our of them Stuart appeared on n the scene but left immediate ImmedIate- ly As he came out of the studio he e met Martha Washington and remarked to her that her husband husband hus- hus band was being peeled all aU around This pun has been at ate attributed attributed to Washington But ItIs it itIs itis is more likely that Stuart was was the man for he deliberately cultivated cultivated cul- cul a reputation as a wit and It it sounds more like him than it does George Washington Washington's eyes were gray but in making the Vaughan portrait Stuart painted them blue because as he said he could not get set a gray color that would be permanent and he felt justiA justi- justi a i k y yA A Copy of the Portrait Portrait Portrait Por Por- trait of Martha Washington fled fied in the substitution because he was painting an immortal character When it was suggested suggest suggest- ed to him that he had made the eyes too blue he answered They will be Just right in a hundred years S o a After Stuart had painted Washington Washington Wash Wast ington the first time he told his friend Isaac Weld who wrote Travels TraveIs in America that there were features in hi n the Presidents President's face totally d different from those he had observed in any other man The sockets rockets for the eyes for instance were larger than what I ev ever r met with before and the upper part of the nose broader broad er or he said All AU his features were indicative of the strongest and ard most ungovernable passions and had bad he been born in the for forests forests for foT- ests it I is my opinion that he would have been the fiercest man among the savage tribes ibes gibes Stuarts Stuart's opinion o of oR Washing Washing- tons ton's strong and most ungovernable ungovernable ungovernable able passions thus expressed had an interesting aftermath Here is the story as told by his I daughter Jane While talking one day with General Lee my father happened happened hap hap- to remark that Washington Washing Washing- ton had a tremendous temper but held it under wonderful con con- General Lee breakfasted with the President and Mrs Washington a few days after after- wards ward I 1 saw your portrait the other day said the general but Stuart Stuart Stu Stu- art says you have a tremendous Upon my word said seid Mrs Washington coloring Mr Stuart Stuart Stuart Stu Stu- art takes a great deal upon him Mm self to make such a remark But stay my dear lady said General Lee he added that the President had it under wonderful wonderful wonderful won won- control With something like a G smile General Washington remarked He is right It |