"I copy the works of God." & ...the back of a historic painting, high resolution photographs

Clearly the off-set clips, used to secure the stretcher to the frame, are not original... nor are the other pieces of hardware. I'm not sure when the original hardware was discarded, but most likely a few years ago when the portrait was taken in for repairs to the ornamentation on the front of the (original) frame, slightly damaged when my mom propped it up against the wall during an interior paint job and it fell on its face! This early canvas would be linen, as cotton canvases came into use in the early 20th century. Linen canvas is a higher quality material than cotton, is sturdy and strong and particularly suitable for the use of oil paint. It would be of European origin. Gilbert Stuart also used mahogany panels, but was "frequently annoyed to find that a picture he had taken great pains to paint was ruined by the splitting of the panel." (George Mason p 59).
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digital, high resolution photography using a Nikon D90 camera

George Mason quoting Jane Stuart; "In his draperies he was exceedingly careless, but he amused himself at times by painting lace, showing with a few bold touches of his pencil how easy it is to produce an effect when one understands what he is about. But if any one of his intimate friends took him to task for carelessness in rubbing in the accessories in a portrait, he at once replied: 'I copy the works of God, and leave clothes to tailors and mantua-makers.' "

more from Jane Stuart; "In his work there is no appearance of labor, but everything that he did showed force and energy--so long as he kept to the head. When that was completed his enthusiasm seems to have abated. With some notable exceptions, the other parts of his pictures were painted but indifferently; but if he particularly fancied the subject, or the sitter was one in whom he took more than his usual interest, he worked with the greatest care to the end."

a great musical artist changes direction

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The tears welled up... i scrambled up into the attic... brought down albums that have been stashed for years...

...they are more precious now.

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from "How Jackson Did It" W. St. Journal July 1 by Jim Fusilli

"Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" the album opener [Off the Wall] composed by Jackson, is set up by the syncopated percussion that Jackson, his sister Janet and brother Randy played on a casaba, cowbell and glass bottle and had recorded for the demo version. Suddenly, Jackson screams and the orchestra explodes: Sweeping strings; punchy horns; bass, drums and handclaps form the foundation under Jackson's vocal. Single notes plucked on electric quitar fold into the Jacksons' percussion, creating a signature sound for the singer."

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Think of Mr. Jackson onstage, moonwalking, silver glove glittering, spotlight reflecting off his sunglasses, stardust twinkling amid the curls of his hair. Think of his incomparable intensity as he sang and danced. Listen, even if only in your mind, to the music he made with his brothers or as an enormously successful solo artist. Don't let anything conflict with your memory of his great gifts--and the joy he brought to us for most of his life and ours as well.

from "An Appreication" W. St. Journal June 26 by Jim Fusilli

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"...he began to awaken it into life..." ~ How many sittings did Stuart normally require to complete a portrait?

Jane Stuart, daughter of Gilbert, as quoted by George Mason:

"As Stuart was quick to read the character of a sitter, so had he a clear insight into the color of his complexion, and never was he known to fail in this particular...He commenced a portrait by drawing the head and features, and then he sketched in the general tone of the complexion; for this he seldom required more than four or five sittings, and frequently it was done in three sittings. The picture was never touched except when the sitter was in the chair. At the second sitting he introduced transparent flesh-tints, at the third he began to awaken it into life and give it expression, and then the individuality of the sitter came out. This was always done quickly."

Jane was a talented artist herself, it could be presumed she assisted her father in finishing more than a few paintings. Having assistants finish the paintings was not at all unusual. Below is an example of one which is known to have been finished by Jane.

from Lawrence Park:
Oliver H. Perry was a son of Christoper Raymond Perry of South Kensington, RI, by his wife Sarah Wallace Alexander. He became a midshipman in 1799; lieutenant in 1807, after serving in the Tripolitan War; and master-commander in 1812. In 1813 he was ordered to Lake Ontario, and while in command of the squadron on Lake Erie, he attacked the British fleet and gained a complete victory. For this service he was promoted to captain and received a medal and the thanks of Congress. In 1815 he commanded the 'Java' in Commodore Decatur's sqadron in the Mediterranean. In 1819 he sailed for the West Indies, where he died of yellow fever.

In 1818 the Rhode Island legislature commissioned Gilbert Stuart to paint a full-length portrait of naval officer. Perry sat for this portrait just before leaving for the West Indies. The full length portrait was never finished (who knows what minor altercation/irritation prevented its completion), Gilbert only completed the face, the rest was finished by 16-year-old Jane after his death.

Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry (1758-1819) by Gilbert Stuart 1818 and completed by Jane Stuart;

Toledo Museum of Art

What is a COAT OF ARMS? an introduction... & the Cory coat of arms

This is a digression from the life and times of GS, but an interesting one. Now we delve back into the Middle Ages in Europe, to a time when knights were recognized by the colorful insignia on their armor, and even later to when they wore their Coat of Arms with pride at tournaments; by 1400 A.D., the bearing of a coat of arms had become a prerequisite to participation in a tournament—those colorful and exciting times where men proved their valor and believed in the code of chivalry. Knights promised to defend the weak, be courteous to all women, be loyal to their king, and serve God at all times..... they were the upper class and a coat of arms also became a mark of noble status.

these would have the knight's emblem or family seal on them

A leather-covered drawing and description (both below) were passed down to me, which I put into a drawer and only pulled out to investigate a couple of weeks ago, when I began to write about Dr. Ben Cory in this blog, explaining how his son married Carrie Martin who brought the Portrait to Ca.
Hey, turns out there is a "coronet" in my family's coat of arms, pretty cool stuff! Now this is why I have always been fascinated by all things noble or royal... could it be genetic?!!!

The drawing & description were handed down to me, but when/where these originated, I don’t know. But the description was typewritten, the paper is yellowed with age.

In the last few posts, Dr. Ben Cory was introduced, his ancestry was briefly mentioned; ie the branch of the Cory family stemming from John Cory of Southold born in 1611 in England... In the last post, I showed the Cory coat of arms. I didn't know what it meant! Thanks to the internet, I quickly learned the rudiments, which I will share here. The motto (in Latin) means "hold with a firm hand." I suppose that meant... ...don't show any weakness when swinging the sword!

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NOTE; the griffin is sitting in a CORONET!

The (typewritten) Description

ARMS (SHIELD)

“Sable” (black) on a chevron between three griffins’ heads (erased, d’or) [heads are not cleanly cut but jagged, yellow], three estoiles or stars “gu” (red)

The shield, wreath, motto scroll, motto and name are in “sable”. The chevron and griffin heads are “d’or”, the three estoiles are “gu.”

CREST
Out of a ducal coronet—a griffin’s head between two wings, and each wing charged with three estoiles in pale “gules” (pale red.)

In the crest the griffin’s head and wings are a heavy yellow, the ducal coronet (on which the griffin’s head rests) shows a little darker, the outlines show a little heavier. The shading on the wings should distinctly show or mark feathers in wings.

MOTTO
"Forti Tene Manu"

...everything, color, lines, depictions, are all symbolic...

COLORS
Gules (Red) –warrior, military strength, magnanimity
Or (Gold) -generosity and elevation of the mind

Sable (Black) - constancy, sometimes grief
CHEVRON
Represents the roof of a house - signifies protection, faithful service
(In the early days of heraldry, very simple bold rectilinear shapes were painted on shields. These could be easily recognized at a long distance and could be easily remembered. They therefore served the main purpose of heraldry—identification.)
GRIFFIN- (head, wings, and talons of an eagle with the body of a lion); Valour and death-defying bravery; vigilance

STAR (estoiles) – divine quality; noble person; superiority

CROWN (Coronet) - ducal coronet, bearer’s rank

VOL (wings) - Swiftness, protection, celebrity

As its use in jousting became obsolete, coats of arms remained popular for visually identifying a person in other ways — impressed in sealing wax on documents, carved on family tombs, or flown as a banner on country homes.

When I first started checking into my ancestry, just learning about the doctor was challenging! The family did not talk much about “family”, and thus I do not have a multitude of colorful stories to relate---how sad! How I would have loved to hear about how my ancestors....saved damsels in distress!

photo courtesy of the Cory Family Society

News Alert re: Gilbert Stuart! & Shaver Lake California, June 2009

News Alert re: Gibby

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Two books are being written... and hopefully will be published soon... on our favorite artist. Dorinda Evans has just finished the first draft of her book on Gilbert Stuart, and another is being written by Jane Kamensky, Professor of History, Brandeis University. "Kamensky will begin a new project on the life and times of the artist Gilbert Stuart, a New England-born provincial who became the early republic’s most renowned celebrity portraitist. Connecting Stuart to the visual cultures of the seven Atlantic cities in which he studied and worked, the book will explore the relationships among art, nation, and commerce in the early nineteenth century. "

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Shaver Lake California, June 2009

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Lily is second from the right, her cousin Katie is behind her.
the 'kids'; bottom row Helen in the middle is friend of Lily, back row Juliane second from left is friend of Patrick, and Justin second from right is friend of Katie

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"I wish he would visit to me and give me his history in the matter of courtships...so that I may adopt a different plan of attack..." and ...whiskers.

The Cory Coat of Arms

In the previous post, we learned about Dr. Ben Cory, who traversed the plains over the summer of 1847. Here is a letter from the good doctor as a young man in his early twenties, dreaming about courtship and marriage, before he had even made up his mind to make such an adventure. To refresh the memory, his son Lewis Lincoln Cory born in San Jose California in 1861, married Carrie Martin of New Jersey; her parents, then elder sister Emma (no children), were in possession of the Gilbert Stuart portrait of Samuel Meeker.
The letter begins with Ben describing to his cousin Fanny the death of his mother (my ggg-grandmother Elizabeth (Stayge) Cory). I do not know the cause of her death, but whatever it was, it was extremely painful.

Nov 30, 1846

You have ample cause to cross me from your list of relatives and friends. I have shamefully abused your generous friendship in not having written to you for so long a time. Many things have absorbed my attention during the last few months so exclusively that I have neglected many an absent friend. But by neglecting to write to you, I only have been the loser—it is my own loss and not yours. Be assured that it was from no want of respect for you that I have passed you by so long. I ask your pardon, I have the present consciousness that you grant it. You have by this time received the notice of my mother’s death. She departed from her sufferrings on the 18th of last month. Although I could not refrain from the shedding of bitter tears, I still feel an abiding grief. Yet was I glad when she ceased to live. Her pain was so excessive that I would have been her greatest enemy had I wished her to stay. I have seen all kinds of diseases-have witnessed all manner of surgical operations performed—have walked through the gloomy wards of several Hospitals—young as I am. I have seen men, women, and children writhing under the sting of pain, hundreds of times, and yet never in all my life have I seen a poor mortal afflicted with such mountain agonies as was my mother. And she was resigned to her unhappy lot no person could be more so. She was a Christian—no person could possibly be a better. I have heard her scream with agony and shout with joy almost in the same breath. While her coutnenace was all distored with pain, she would say ‘The lord’s will be done’-‘not my will but thine’.-‘when wilt thou take me to thyself’ ‘Lord Jesus I wait thine own time’ ‘come quickly if consistent with thy will’ ‘oh how can I bear this pain. I am falling to peaces, I am a nuisance to myself, but Jesus thou will not forsake me.’ She had her senses so long as she could speak. She became speechless Sunday morning about 7 o’clock and died at seven at night—her eyes were fixed all day, I did not notice anything. The last word she said was, ‘Thank the Lord thank Jesus’- I heard her speak—as she spoke she rubbed her almost palsied hands togther and looked upward with an anxious, peculiar look. My mother, your Aunt Eliza is gone—gone to Heaven—where she hovers around the throne of God—the purest among the angelic host—

I am quite lonesome. Jackson is in Brown Co with Adeline—nobody here but Father, Manning + an old illiterate housekeeper. If it was not that I am mostly busy in my profession, I could not content myself here any longer. There are seven doctors here, but I am confident that I do more practice than any of them, not excepting my Father—the ‘foolish’ people seem to have confidence in me. We will book about 3000 dollars this year but on account of the poor pay, changeable nature of the climate, small fees and a few other things, it is my intention to remove to Mississippi or Louisiana next spring. Father’s health is rather poor every winter, and it would be well for him to reside in the South during the winter—which is an additional motive for me to remove, so that I can have a home for him. Nothing could give me greater pleasure than to visit Lima before I leave this part of the country—but I fear it is among the impossibilities. I fear I shall never be permitted to see you again. I may die in the South the first year—at all events is any intention of locating permanently and you know that a man in my business must be fettered to one spot. Alas! The future is mostly portentious to me: I frequently look into its misty vista with forboding. Occasionally however hope cheers me and I straitway build airy castles!

You will call me a gloomy old batchelor, I expect, on account of the last few lines of last evening. Just as you please—you must have your own way. But I slept well last night and awoke in a more jolly mood. Here I am in the office, seated in the big admin chair, a good fire in the stove, an excellent segar in the ‘sinister’ angle of my mouth, gorgeous clouds of sweet scented smoke curling above my head—the personification of contentment himself. I am not an old bachelor now am I? You must permit me to talk to you through the smoke, for you know it makes me biting mad to take my slippers from me. Who is that doctor to whom you have given your sympathies? What kind of a bargain did you make with him? Did you make an equal exchange of hearts? If you did, you got cheated I bet. Or did you give only half of your heart for all of his? In that case it may be an equitable trade. Or did you only get half of his for all of yours? In this instance I would put him down as a rascally cheat, and he ought to live in the penitentiary. Come now, tell me all about it. If it was possible for the two hearts to be knotted together this winter. I would be there to help tie if at all hazzards. Oh! you might as well quit that unnecessary blushing and pouting and stammering for I believe all the fair lady told me in the paper you sent me—and you need not deny you said she is a lady that never falsifies. I would have believed that however in the present case even if you had told me that she was a ****? of falsehoods. Blushing yet? Why Fanny the blood mounting as it did to your cheeks, is a telltale. The doctor to whom the paper referred is a fortunate chap—just gone after his diploma and expects to get married as soon as he comes back (next April, is it?) I am one of the minority class of doctors (unfortunately) two years a doctor not even engaged yet. I wish some fine lady would look upon me with compassion—I am getting old too—24 last month—two dozen years old! a quarter of a century old! I [am] really afraid that nobody but a wizzard will have me, if I get much older before entering into our agreement! Cousin James is not married I suppose. I wish he would visit to me and give me his history in the matter of courtships so that I may adopt a different plan of attack. Come James, trim up your whiskers, shake your hairy locks and enter the lists with renewed vigor and it is possible you may succeed in getting a charming wife after all, and end your days in joyous felicity.

Last spring I enjoyed myself very much. Grandfather looks and is quite feeble. Grandmother is quite robust. I read a letter a week ago from Uncle Joseph. They are all in usual health. Grandmother wove 20yds of cloth, which proves that she is still robust. Aunt Abby looks very much like Fanny Cory of Lima, especially when she laughs. Father expects to visit Jersey next spring—I think he will go. We are all of us well. Father’s health is better than it usually is this season of the year—he however coughs some. He says that some of you must write to him immediately. Manning received your letter short time since says he will answer it soon. I thank you for the paper you sent me and the remarks in it—do so again. I also feel grateful for the lines which the anonymous lady penned me, and will take the liberty of acknowledging them in a separate note. But you & herself also are “right mean” in withholding her name! I never rec’d that pretty thing which you said you had sent me, looked for it anxiously—some pilfering bull has stolen it I suppose—what was it about? don’t be frightened at this sheet. It has rained hard all day. Really. I had almost forgotten to tell (an important item) you that I have in process of cultivation a huge, enormous pair of-of-of-of-of -of whiskers—oh! its a fact! It might require a telescope of 1000 magnifying powers to notice the distance from one shoot to another but what of that—Tell uncle Samuel to send on some of the whisker salve he used to use if he has not used it all up! Give my love to all my relatives and reserve a few for yourself—

your cousin Ben Cory

Why, how did the Gilbert Stuart portrait of Samuel Meeker come to California; the uncommon circumstances!

Westward Ho!!

In the previous post we learned about my grandfather Pops, born to Carrie and Lewis Cory. Carrie was born to the Martin family of the Westfields, NJ and it was through Carrie that the portrait made its way west; she married Lewis Lincoln Cory, born in 1861 in San Jose, Ca to Sarah (Braly) Cory and Dr. Benjamin Cory, pictured above.

The story of Dr. Benjamin Cory

(1822-1896)

Dr. Ben Cory is known as the first horse and buggy doctor in San Jose, California. This branch of the Cory family stems from John Cory of Southold born in 1611 in England, eventually John Cory II, John Cory III, Joseph etc settled in New Jersey. Dr. Ben’s father Dr. James Manning Cory went “west” to Ohio, where he established his medical practice and raised a family of 7 children (not all reaching adulthood). Son Ben was born in Oxford OH in 1822. After receiving his medical credentials from the Medical College of Ohio, Ben dreamed of leaving. In a letter to his cousin Fanny, Nov 30. 1846, he wrote: “There are seven doctors here, but I am confident that I do more practice than any of them, not excepting my Father—the ‘foolish’ people seem to have confidence in me. We will book about 3000 dollars this year but on account of the poor pay, changeable nature of the climate, small fees and a few other things, it is my intention to remove to Mississippi or Louisiana next spring. Father’s health [Dr. James Manning Cory] is rather poor every winter, and it would be well for him to reside in the South during the winter—which is an aditional motive for me to remove, so that I can have a home for him.” Ben was only a young 23 years old when he received his M.D. in Cincinnati and only 25 when he set foot in California for the first time. Tales of the warmth and beauty, and not least opportunity, to be had in California clearly provided enough motivation for the young adventurer to set out for the west vs the south. He chose not to set up practice in San Francisco, as there were already too many doctors (two). This bold and adventurous spirit traversed the Plains by foot, with two companions, alongside a wagon loaded with food, ammunition, books and medicines, pulled by four oxen in the spring of 1847, before gold was even discovered. He opened up his practice in the dirt of the Plaza, in a tent in what was then only a Mexican pueblo. He eventually married, had eight living children, and made his permanent home in San Jose, residing in the house he built in 1864 at 435 South Second Street until the end of his days.




The image of the ‘shack’ (top above) is the earliest known photo of Dr. Ben Cory’s office in San Jose. The second image is of the Santa Clara County Hospital. Ben and his brother Andrew Jackson Cory (who arrived in Ca 10 years later and became the county’s chief medical officer in 1871) led the campaign to build this new county medical facility, both of these men recognizing the urgent need for services to the poor and indigent and the importance of charity health care in society.


Dr. Ben Cory age 70, in this family photo from 1892, and his wife Sarah Braly; to the right under the black arrows are my gt grandfather Lewis L. Cory and wife Carrie (how the portrait comes to Ca). The red dots show Lewis’ brother and sisters (children of the Doctor and his wife Sarah.) Sarah’s mother Susan (Hyde) Braly is the matron in the center of the photo. The Braly family also came across the plains in the same year 1847, and settled in Santa Clara county.



The photo is of downtown San Jose in the year 1906. Although the Doctor is by now deceased, one can see that cars are just beginning to arrive on the scene, there is no rhyme, reason or logic in the driving on the street. The main point here is that one must picture how, for decades, the good Doctor made his rounds, over hill and dale, in the beginning by horseback, and later in the luxury of a horse and buggy! (click on the photo to have a great view!)

My gt grandfather Lewis, father of Pops [see post before this one] and son of Dr. Ben, looked for opportunity in the up and coming area of Fresno. Before settling there, back east at Columbia Law School, he met his wife Carrie Martin. The circumstances of this meeting are not known to me, but I suspect these two families remained in close contact through the years (the Cory family being well-established in the Westfields). Carrie’s father Thomas, was a bookbinder in Rahway, New Jersey. Lewis and Carrie were married on 17 Oct 1882, in Rahway.

The good Doctor Ben, singer of hymns and providing services in exchange for eggs, chickens or gold dust, or for free, died in 1896.

Next: the whole letter from Nov 30 1846 from Ben to cousin Fanny;
Who is that doctor to whom you have given your sympathies? What kind of a bargain did you make with him? Did you make an equal exchange of hearts?

and a letter to his brother Andrew Jackson, from the gold mines.

a striking resemblance, more than a mere coincidence?

Benjamin Hyde Cory (1896-1983) b. Fresno Ca, d. Menlo Park Ca

son of Carrie (Martin) & Lewis L. Cory

my grandfather, gg-grandson of Phebe Meeker, twin sister of the sitter Samuel Meeker

Note: the amazing resemblance in the shape of the chin, and particularly the mouth; the fullness of the lips, the dimple in the bottom lip, and slight lift in the upperlip under the left nostril.
What is also remarkable, is Stuart's ability to nail an almost photographic image...

Ben (1896-1983), 'Pops', was born in Fresno Ca to a family who attempted to establish east coast gentility in the heat of this inland farm town of Central California, which at one time had hopes to rival San Francisco in both size and culture. Pops was sent back east for his education at Groton, Princeton, and Harvard Law, and on vacations rather than making the difficult and lengthy trip back to Ca he would stay with the Jersey 'aunties', one of which (Emma), possessed the Meeker portrait (passed down from parents Thomas and Mary, see family tree below--NOTE, the Samuel Meeker in the portrait is the twin brother of Phebe Meeker, and not the father who is also a Samuel Meeker). Without children, the portrait passed from Emma to sister Carrie, my great grandmother. This is when (year unknown) the portrait was successfully transplanted from Princeton New Jersey to the sunny soils of California.
Carrie and Lewis (the first lawyer in Fresno, he argued in front of the US Supreme Court on Ca water issues) lived a life of richesse in a large Victorian house located in what is now downtown Fresno. The household staff included butler & cook (married), chauffeur ''Cooey' (lived above the garage), 2 gardeners, upstairs maid; fresh flowers were brought in every day. The 3 story house comprised the basement (washing & ironing room), first floor (foyer, living room, parlor, dining room, breakfast room, sewing room, large kitchen), second floor (bedrooms), and third floor (servants' quarters.) My mom remembers being mostly confined to eating in the breakfast room, and during formal dining, children were to be 'seen and not heard'. A veranda encircled the house, providing shade and breeze to the residents. In the foyer there were Asian artifacts, signalling international travels. One trip to China, according to family lore, was taken to separate Pop's sister Margaret from her infatuation with a baseball player when both were attending Stanford University. The Gilbert Stuart (by this time thought to be by Peale) portrait of Samuel Meeker most likely hung in the parlor. Many years later, when Pops moved in with my parents after the death of my grandmother Susie, he asked that mom should hang "the old gentleman". Thus we can deduce he did not know the name of the sitter, most likely not even his mother Carrie bothered to look at the family-tree book which accompanied the portrait, that Emma compiled (pictured below.) I know that Emma must have done the research in the book, for she mispelled the name 'Cory.' Without Emma's interest in ancestry, identification of the sitter would more than likely, surely, have been lost forever.
In any case, she however did mistakenly presume that the sitter was the father of Phebe, and not the brother. Without my interest in ancestry, the identity of the sitter would have been also lost! I have taken up from where Emma left off, I thank her gratefully for having compiled the family-tree book which filled in so many blanks, and have deepened the research into precisely who Samuel Meeker was.


Epilogue; after the deaths of Lewis and Carrie, Pop's sister Edith continued to live in the family Victorian, but later sold the house, which was torn down and replaced with commercial properties, and moved with all proceeds, belongings and furnishings to the neighboring farm town of Clovis. Upon her death, my mother inherited some silver and jewelry, and the Portrait. The rest went to, as Susie (my grandmother) derisively called the care-taker couple, THE OAKIES.

Dolly Madison's sister Anna & Gibby's nose

billowing drapery as background in Anna's portrait

In the last two posts we learned that First Lady Dolly Madison saved the Stuart portrait of George Washington; she escaped before the British captured her in the war of 1812, not only with the celebrated portrait but also with the founding documents of our country, including the Declaration of Independence, and the Constitution that her husband, James Madison, had been responsible for writing.

Pictured above is the drapery in the Gilbert Stuart portrait of Anna Payne; eleven years younger than her sister Dolley, Anna Payne (1779–1832) sat for Stuart about the time of her marriage to Richard Cutts, congressman from Massachusetts. She and Stuart reportedly enjoyed her sittings and discussed his belief that the nose was the telling feature of the face. He then mischievously formed the billowing curtain behind her — (as you have by now figured out, a fixture in portraits of the time)—into a caricature of his own profile.

Anna Payne Cutts by Gilbert Stuart 1804
The White House

from George Mason p.140; “’On the day when I was sitting to him the second time,’ said Mr. Binney, ‘I said to Stuart, ‘What do you consider the most characteristic feature of the face? You have already shown me that the eyes are not; and we know from sculpture, in which the eyes are not; and we know from sculputre, in which the eyes are wanting, the same thing.’ Stuart just pressed the end of his pencil against the tip of his nose, distorting it oddly. ‘Ah, I see, I see,’ cried Mr. Binney."

Will George Washington be ushered to the White House door as well?!!

Berkeley No. 52 by Richard Diebenkorn

National Gallery of Art

As mentioned in the previous post, pretty Dolly Madison will be taken off the walls of the White House, ushered out so-to-speak, however I suspect that George will stay put. Ok, its a new day, a new beginning. But, what is going ON? The art on the walls of the White House, is changing! Is Michelle is not delighted with the old fashioned flair of this magnificent Stuart portrait? and what about Stuart's GEORGE WASHINGTON?

(Now, actually, I don't feel so bad that my family was not 'enthralled' with the Samuel Meeker portrait. I felt guilty about it, but NO LONGER!)

from the Wall St Journal May 22, 2009: "The Obamas are sending ripples through the art world as they put the call out to museums, galleries and private collectors that they’d like to borrow modern art by African-American, Asian, Hispanic and female artists for the White House. In a sharp departure from the 19th-century still lifes, pastorals and portraits that dominate the White House’s public rooms, they are choosing bold, abstract art works....The National Gallery of Art has loaned the family at least five works this year, including “Numerals, 0 through 9,” a lead relief sculpture by Jasper Johns, “Berkeley No. 52,” a splashy large-scale painting by Richard Diebenkorn..."

A White House spokeswoman says the Obamas enjoy all types of art but want to “round out the permanent collection” and “give new voices” to modern American artists of all races and backgrounds.
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We will miss her, she saved the George Washington portrait below from being burned by the British, risking her own life!

1797 -- Gilbert Stuart immortalized George Washington with this historic portrait, one of the first pieces of art hung in the White House. In 1800, the White House paid $800 for the painting -- a significant sum in those days.

(However, Stuart subsequently disavowed this copy of his orginal portrait of the President, called the Lansdowne portrait.)

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Dolly Madison is ushered to the White House door

“Stuart is all the rage…”

Dolly, widowed at age 25 with two children upon the sudden death of her first husband from the yellow fever epidemic which swept through the new capital of the United States, met 38 yr old James Madison in Philadelphia in 1794 after having moved there to be with her Quaker family. They were married soon afterwards.

Her parents were strict members of the “Society of Friends”. The young Dolly: “… was wondrously fair. Her mother, who would not permit her to wear jewels, taught her to take care of her complexion. She was sent to school with long gloves on her hands and arms, a close sunbonnet and a white linen mask on her face; in fact it is plain to see that in many ways great attention was bestowed upon the outward as well as the inward graces of the young Friend.” (Life and Letters of Dolly Madison by A. C. Clark, W F Roberts Co, Washington DC 1914; p 13, a quote by Harriet T. Upton.) Just before meeting with Madison; she wrote her friend Mrs. Lee, saying, “Dear friend, thou must come to me. Aaron Burr says that the ‘great little Madison’ has asked to be brought to see me this evening.” She was dressed in a mulberry-colored satin, with a silk tulle kerchief over her neck, and on her head an exquisitely dainty little cap, from which an occasional uncropped curl would escape. In this first interview, at her own house, she captured the heart of the recluse book-worm, Madison… always thought to be an irreclaimable old bachelor.” (Memoirs and Letters of Dolly Madison by Dolley Madison, Lucia Beverly Cutts, Houghton, Mifflin &Co. Boston and NY, 1887, p 15)

Dolly Payne Todd Madison (1768-1849) , 1804 by Gilbert Stuart;

White House Collection

At the time of this portrait of his wife in 1804, James Madison was secretary of state under President Thomas Jefferson, and was elected our 4th President in 1809. Dolly held the FIRST Inaugural Ball, and Washington had never seen such a grand affair! The attendees came from all over the Nation, riding their carriages over muddy and bumpy roads. At this time, James was 54, and Dolly a lovely 41. As First Lady from 1809 to 1817, Dolly was a sparkling asset, using her natural charm, wit, and formidable social skills while hosting numerous lavish entertainments and special occasions at the Executive Mansion. Surely with her trademark costly Parisian gowns (NOTE the empire-waist style as popularized by Josephine), elaborate feathered turbans, wit, charm and intelligence, she rivalled Napoleon’s Josephine in the realm of queenly graciousness on the world stage!

Dolly gained fame in 1812 by saving Gilbert Stuart's portrait of George Washington from being burned by the British in the War of 1812. “Our kind friend, Mr. Carroll, has come to hasten my departure, and in a very bad humor with me, because I insist on waiting until the large picture of General Washington is secured, and it requires to be unscrewed from the wall. This process was found too tedious for these perilous moments; I have ordered the frame to be broken, and the canvas taken out. It is done! and the precious portrait placed in the hands of two gentlemen of New York, for safe keeping.”

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Why is Dolly being ushered out of the White House? Answer will be in the following post! (or click here)

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PS on an artistic note, click on the portrait of Dolly for a closer look at the piece of material draped over her right arm & right-hand lower corner. There are characteristic swift swishes of Stuart's brush (creating a superb depiction of her shawl) and something to look for ...in addition to the skill of drawing the 'likeness of the head'... as "his signature." Wondrous. One can also clearly note the stark similarities in arrangement to the portrait of Samuel Meeker, both portraits done in approx the same time period.

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Lovely Lily Grace, Prom night, and Germany

Lily Grace, named after my grandmother ("pure as the lily by the grace of God"), is the direct descendant of Phebe Meeker, twin sister of Samuel Meeker. Phebe Meeker must have been a lovable creature, for her brother to commission a Gilbert Stuart portrait for her birthday!

Prom night last Saturday at Chaminade here in Santa Cruz! Aren't the ladies a picture of beauty and happiness? Most of the girls are seniors, Lily and her friend Ashley (to Lily's left) are juniors.

Lily is half German. Her father is Wilhelm Kley, professor of astrophysics at the Universität Tübingen. We got a divorce late 90s, in eastern Germany, which was not easy. One of the first things my lawyer said to me (paid for by the state, thankyou) was that I would need to get a job. I looked at her, and wondered if I should try to find someone else.... in Germany you need "training" to get a job in a bakery to learn how to wrap the baked goods properly.

In the end I taught English at the Euro-Business-College (EBC) in Jena. The college was located up a hill in a 'schloss' a few kilometers outside of the stadtcentrum; in this residential area the roads became narrower and narrower and there was no parking. On a certain rainy day I obstinately refused to park at the base of the hill like I usually did, and crept up in the car in the driving rain, finally finding a narrow spot next to the wall of a rectangular house. Cool! I thought. Then I heard a LOUD CRUNCH, as the lower side of my car hit a large but low stone strategically placed to stop cars from doing exactly what I was trying to do.

The Man took the car in the end, saying I owed him because of the damage. ...only one story from this hard time.....For the remaining years Lily and I had no car. I tried to live that way when I came back to Ca in Sept 2004, but it was not possible. Even Lily drives now!

Back to my LOVELY LILY. She is the second from the right in the black and white dress. My life would have been only a shade of what it is, if she were not part of my life. I am blessed.

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For a trifling sum of money

John Jacob Astor

by Gilbert Stuart c. 1794

you can own an ASTOR!
Soetheby's is having an auction on May 21, of American Paintings, Drawings and Sculpture.
All you need is approx. $75,000-$100,000 minimal to offer a bid on this portrait and become the owner!
Another stylistically similar portrait of Cornelius Vanderbilt II by John Singer Sargent is being offered as well. Here, you need the chump change of $150,000 – $250,000.
Whats up with that difference?!!!


CATALOGUE NOTE (courtesy of Sotheby's)
Born on July 17, 1763 in Walldorf, Germany, John Jacob Astor was the first multi-millionaire in American history. The son of a butcher, he emigrated from his home country to England, where he worked with his brother George in London making musical instruments, before traveling to the United States in 1784. Upon arrival in America Astor started trading furs with the native Indian population and by the late 1780s had set up a fur emporium in New York City. By the turn of the century, Astor was worth a quarter of a million dollars. He further compounded his fortune by exporting furs to China in exchange for tea and sandalwood.
Astor's activities were briefly disrupted in 1807, when Thomas Jefferson's Embargo Act put a stop to his overseas trade. However, by April of that year, Astor had secured the president's personal endorsement to found the American Fur Company, which he used to fund the overland Astor Exhibition to the Pacific. The expedition led to the discovery of the South Pass through the Rocky Mountains and the establishment of Fort Astoria, extending his monopoly into the American West. By the 1830s, Astor withdrew from the American Fur Company and sold all of his assets, using the money to invest in large tracts of Manhattan real estate, pre-empting the massive building expansion on the north end of the island. By the time of his death in 1848 Astor was the wealthiest man in America, with an estimated fortune of approximately $20 million, the equivalent to $115 billion today, making him one of the top five richest people in American history. Despite his success, Astor lamented on his deathbed: "Could I begin life again, knowing what I now know, and had money to invest, I would buy every foot of land on the Island of Manhattan."
John Jacob Astor IV , his great-grandson, went down on the Titanic in 1912 when he was only 48 years old (while on a honeymoon with his second wife, the 18 year old Madeleine Talmadge Force). HIS son, Vincent Astor, inherited property all over Manhattan that today would probably be worth a hundred billion.The first John Jacob Astor was as parsimonious as he was rich. Charity and philanthropy were concepts far outside his consciousness. The next three generations of his heirs however impeccably maintained the philanthropist tradition. Brooke Astor (wife of Vincent) summed up her prodigious generosity in nine words: "Money is like manure, it should be spread around."
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Gibby disses Jérôme Bonaparte in his inimitable way

Jérôme (1784-1860), youngest brother of Napoleon Bonaparte, dared to marry an American woman, but was forced by Napoleon to divorce and marry a princess in order to strengthen the reputation of the young French king. To emphasize his rank as ruler (Germany), Jérôme commissioned grandiose state portraits of himself and his royal spouse [see post May 5 09]. But before this, c.1804, when married to Betsy, Gilbert Stuart was commissioned to do portraits of both himself and his American wife [for the Betsy portrait see post of April 28 09].

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Jerome Bonaparte by Gilbert Stuart 1804; private collection

Both Betsy’s and Jérôme’s portraits not only remained unfinished, they were also never delivered to the Bonapartes. An explanation for this situation is offered by Jane Stuart in Mason p 144 [see ‘sources often used’]; “Jerome Bonaparte, the husband of Madame Bonaparte, was anxious to have her portrait completed, it having been in an unfinished state for some time, but as sitters were crowding in upon my father, this request could not be immediately complied with. Bonaparte deemed it an insult to be so neglected, and when the two came together—Bonaparte and Stuart—the painter thought that the remarks addressed to him were impertinent; the result was Bonaparte could not get possession of his own or his wifes’s portrait on any terms. He sent his friends to offer any price, but these offers made no impression on Stuart.”
and Mason quotes Dunlap; “Stuart’s manner was such as to make his sitters feel that he was not to be trifled with. Many a fne head was taken from his easel, and obliterated, or sent to the garret, for no other reason than that the sitter had broken his engagement, or had in some other way annoyed him.” p. 41


Later American painter Thomas Sully accidentally stepped on the painting of Bonaparte, and recalled that Stuart said, “You needn’t mind. It’s only a ...*#$%^*.. French barber.”

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shock awe and a computer crash

Yesterday morning all was fine, by the afternoon everything was in shambles. In the last couple of weeks, a couple of times my desktop had taken its time loading, I thought nothing of it. But yesterday in the afternoon it didnät load again, and I did all the pushing of buttons I could, leading to a black monitor with a white message; informing me most "unfortunately" that windows was unable to open.
Oh Oh. Oh oh.
I followed the directions to open windows, but it refused to show its pretty screen with all my documents. I used brute force ie unplugging the computer, which had worked before. The message about tasks came up, I clicked and clicked, and then .... All that happened was the ominous message and then I knew something was dreadfully wrong.
The computer is now at the shop and I am on mz little german laptop where the y and z are transposed so I will now disregard that and tzpe on as usual.
I canät even plus in a kezboard because the connections are different.
The nice man told me the hard drive was fried. It was not a virus, it was bad hardware. A 3 year old Vaio?... that doesn't seem right! Talk about feeling ripped. He tried to get mz data up but was unable to. The tears tricked down. All mz photos!! He said this was the worst part of his job. He said that zou should wake up each morning expecting that all data will be gone. Everybody, get a back up!
Then Lo and behold he tried a different way, and mz files came up!
But now I will have a blank computer to work with (he will put in new hard drive, install new windows, and install mz files.)
I hope to get back to my blogosphere soon. I hope that all my little ideas are saved which were piling up, like more on Jerome and I havenät even answered whether GS did miniatures! Most of all I haven#t said half of what I want to about Samuel, but ahhhh how I wish I could know more. I wish I had access to the newspapers then. Philadelphia at the turn of the century! But hey zou know what, mz blog is SAFE and that is a cool thing.
Pardon the mistakes. A German keyboard is essentiallz the same as an American kezboard, but there are differences.

Judith: descended from the Anthony family!

The name Anthony will not mean much to most.
But the sister of Joseph Anthony (who ran a merchant shipping business in Philadelphia), Elizabeth Anthony, married the millwright Gilbert Stuart Sr. who came from Perth, Scotland.
Joseph Anthony had a son Joseph Anthony Jr.; Joseph Jr. married Henrietta Hillegas, pictured to the left in a portrait by GS.

Sister Elizabeth Anthony Stuart's child was Gilbert Stuart; thereby, Joseph Jr and Gilbert were first cousins.

Yesterday I received an email from Judy D., her first sentence to me:
I just stumbled onto your blog. My name is Judy D. I am a direct descendant of Mr. & Mrs. Joseph Anthony (my gggg grandparents) and Captain Joseph Anthony (my ggggg grandfather). All of whom sat for Gilbert Stuart. Also…Gilbert Stuart was the nephew of Capt. Anthony…and first cousin to Joseph Anthony.

With understated excitement I wrote her:
The Anthonys are celebrated in the GS lore because his mother was an Anthony, Elizabeth Anthony. And her brother Joseph A had the means to help support Gilbert in those early days, arranging some of his first contacts for work, and possibly helping to support him on his trips to Europe, possibly enabling him to introduce himself to Benjamin West in London ....so most likely you are at least indirectly related to GS?
Any artists in the family? :-)

Her reply:
GS and I are actually 1st cousins, 6 times removed. He and my gggg grandfather were 1st cousins, and I am 6 generations further down the line. ...All of our family has some degree of musical talent, which we come by naturally on both sides. Along with music, my brother has dabbled in painting. My nephew is a surreal artist. My oldest daughter designs & manufacturers her own line of children’s clothing. None of our family has carried on with portraiture.

So this indeed is very exciting. I have asked Judith to look at older photos of her ancestors, to check for resemblances to Mrs. Joseph Anthony Jr. & her husband Joseph Anthony Jr. It can be noted here that Stuart's talent and interest in music equalled his artistic ability; when he first arrived in London age 19, he earned a salary of 150 pounds a year as an organist at the Saint Catherine's Church in Foster Lane. (Hearing auditions, he applied for the position!)

Description of Mrs Joseph Anthony, courtesy of the Met Museum of Art
Mrs. Joseph Anthony, Jr. (1766–1812) was born Henrietta Hillegas in Philadelphia, the daughter of Michael Hillegas, the first treasurer of the United States. She married Joseph Anthony, Jr. a silversmith, on December 29, 1785. This picture, painted probably between 1795 and 1798, compares with many other portraits of society women that Stuart painted in Philadelphia around this time. Although Stuart abandoned his London manner in his more forthright portrayals of men, he continued to infuse the portraits of female sitters like Mrs. Anthony with an almost sensuous vitality.
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Jerome and his Queen

Kurzbeschreibung

Katharina von Württemberg - sie war diejenige, die Napoleon für seinen Bruder Jerome als Ehefrau ausgesucht hatte. Ihn machte er in seinem neu geschaffenen Königreich Westphalen, das nur von 1807-1813 bestand, zum König, sie zu seiner Königin. Katharina wurde 1783 in St. Petersburg geboren und wuchs unter anderem am russischen Zarenhof und in Stuttgart auf. Obwohl sich die jungen Leute vor der Trauung in Paris nie gesehen hatten, wurde Jerome für Katharina die Liebe ihres Lebens. Sie ging als Königin von Westphalen mit ihm nach Kassel, sah über seine zahlreichen Eskapaden großzügig hinweg, hielt durch alle Höhen und Tiefen zu ihm und folgte ihm nach dem Verlust des Throns ins Exil. Erst nach ihrer Zeit als Königin von Westphalen gebar sie Jerome drei Kinder. Sie starb 1834 im Alter von nur 52 Jahren in Lausanne. Begleiten Sie uns zu den wichtigsten Stationen des Lebensweges einer bemerkenswerten Frau in turbulenter Zeit und lesen Sie, hier erstmals veröffentlicht, Auszüge aus ihren Briefen aus ihrer Zeit als Königin in Kassel.

Frau Katharina von Württemberg

As mentioned in the post of April 28, Jerome Bonaparte (1784-1860), while in the French Navy was ordered by his brother Napoleon to take refuge in Virginia whereupon he fell in love with a young American lady, married her, and was promptly obliged to divorce her by order of Napoleon, who surely dangled even more spectacular riches to persuade his younger brother to take such actions. Four years later in 1807 an appropriate marriage was arranged and a pretty princess was plucked from a German kingdom; the Princess Katharina von Württemberg (1783–1835), daughter of King Friedrich I, and soon afterwards Jerome was crowned “King of Westphalia.”

King Jerome had time to implement the Code of Napoleon before the fall of the Napoleonic regime in Germany. The couple fled back to Paris. Katharina stayed true to her vows to the wayward Jerome, and stayed married to him until her death in 1835.
Jerome took part in the failed Russian campaign of 1812, and went into exile upon the fall of Napoleon a year later. In 1815 he fought alongside Napoleon in the battle of Waterloo, and upon this loss once again went into exile as “Duke von Montfort.” He lived in Austria, Italy and Switzerland before his nephew Louis Napoleon appointed him Marshall in 1850. Jerome became a Senator in 1852.

He remarried a third time, to Giustine Pecori–Suárez.

Jerome and Katharina admiring a portrait of Emperor Napoleon.

Next- the Stuart portrait of Jerome, why did it remain unfinished? Was Jerome pleased with the portrait? Was Stuart pleased with Jerome?

Descendants, direct from Phebe Meeker (twin sister of Samuel)

Samuel Meeker, although married twice, had no children.

He gifted his portrait to his twin sister Phebe on their 40ieth birthday, is my *best* speculation (more on why, later). Of course it would have been a grand celebration! Gifting an image of one's self, whether a simple silhouette, small miniature, or full-sized portrait, to a loved one, was common, and popularized even more by our Gilbert Stuart. Before I was aware of this, I had thought that perhaps Samuel and his cousin William Meeker had had their portraits done to hang in their business office! That the twin siblings Samuel and Phebe were close can be easily surmised, as they migrated over to Philadelphia from the home state of New Jersey, and Phebe was first married to Samuel's business partner Alexander Cochran.

Thus we are direct descendants of Phebe Meeker Brookfield (see post from April 2 2009 which depicts family tree.)

Pictured are my daughter Lily at far left, & my niece (Katie) and nephews (Christopher, Patrick, John, and Peter [Ahrens]) children of my two brothers. The photo is taken at Shaver Lake the summer of 06. Our family has gone to Shaver Lake, in the Sierra mountains of Ca, every summer since the kids were little.

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Moments of glory and fame for Betsy Bonaparte, & her portrait by Stuart with a ‘scumbled’ background

As mentioned in the last post, Josephine was the light and love of Napoleon Bonaparte early on in his career. Many are familiar with the spectacular rise (and fall) of the skinny and unprepossessing young Corsican, who by taking advantage of sheer opportunity and good luck, in addition to using his swaggering bravura and boundless wit, became an Emperor and Josephine, his Empress.

Less well known is that the youngest brother of Napoleon, Jerome, a young officer of 25 in the French navy, was sent to Virginia to escape capture by the British in mid summer 1803. (Naploeon was at the height of his power, conquering nation after nation, but the British had rule of the seas). Visiting the city of Baltimore, Jerome fell head over heels in love with Miss Elizabeth (Betsy) Patterson, daughter of a vastly wealthy shipping merchant. The couple raised a stir of controversy when they were married less than six months later. What also arched eyebrows was Betsy’s penchant for dressing in the latest er/exotic Parisian fashions, as set by the artful Madame Bonaparte. Sheer, see-through materials, fabulously and revealingly low-cut in the “empire style”, caused a colossal scandal.

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Elizabeth Patterson Bonaparte, by Gilbert Stuart, 1804, Private collection

As could be expected, Napleon had every intention that all siblings of his would make proper royal marriages, and the marriage of Jerome with an American girl was completely rejected. Unrelenting, Bonaparte did not even allow Jerome’s pregnant wife to disembark when the couple sailed to France in March of 1805.

Whether his love for Betsy actually dwindled or whether temptations of unimaginable glory dangled before his eyes by his older brother held sway, Betsy was obliged to sail on to London without setting foot in Paris. Their son Jerome Napoleon Bonaparte was born there. The marriage was annulled by a French court in 1806.

From Lawrence Park:
Elizabeth Patterson, born in Baltimore, was the daughter of William Patterson and his wife Dorothy Spear. At a ball given at the home of Samuel Chase in the autumn of 1803 Jerome Bonaparte met and fell in love with her, but her father, foreseeing that the marriage would meet with the disapproval of Napoleon Bonaparte, at that time First Consul, sent his daughter to Virginia. Correspondence was carried on between the pair, however, and finally, on December 24, 1803, all the legal formalities carefully complied with, Jerome and Elizabeth were married in state by Archbishop Carroll at Baltimore; but Napoleon remained obdurate and Jerome Bonaparte was sent for. The youthful pair sailed in March 1805, only to find that Elizabeth was not allowed to land. She finally sought refuge in England, where her son, Jerome Napoleon Bonaparte, was born July 7, 1805. Jerome Bonaparte, the husband, was finally prevailed upon to divorce his wife. Elizabeth Patterson Bonaparte tried every means to maintain the legality of her marriage, and when Napoleon III came to the throne a formal trial was granted her, and the councils decreed that her son was entitled to the name of Bonaparte, but could not be considered a member of the Imperial family. Elizabeth Patterson Bonaparte was a woman of great beauty and force of character, retaining to the last her brilliant conversational powers.

Washington 1804. Canvas, 28 x 24 inches. In this very beautiful picture, Stuart painted the head and shoulders of Madame Jerome Bonaparte in three different positions. In the center she is shown full-face, with her soft hazel eyes directed to the spectator. Her auburn hair is dressed in a simple manner with curls on her forehead and in front of her ears. Over her right shoulder a seond head is seen peeping, bent slightly towards the left, with eyes turned to the spectator. At the right of the canvas a third head is seen in profile, the left side of the face with its charming contour turned to the spectator. The flesh tints of this painting are exquisite and the colors of the scumbled background range from a rich dark brown at the outer edge to a lighter shade towards the center where tints of lavender may be seen as it turns into a soft gray.

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a few miniatures of interest from Europe

August von Goethe by Karl Josef Raabe

August did not come close to the exhalted heights of cultural fame achieved by his father Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. He is sadly more known as the untalented child of a genius. Although having a relatively good marriage and three children, August turned to alcohol, which may have played a role in his early death on a trip to Rome, age 40, in 1830. Karl Josef Raabe (1780-1849) was a German painter, engineer, and architect. In 1811 he went to the court of Weimar where he painted miniatures, including Goethe and his son August.

Napoleon's son the Duke de Reichstadt, From the Miniaturenkabinett in the Hofburg, Austria

Napoleon's wife Empress Josephine miniature by Daniel Saint

The style of female dress “empire waist” was popularized by Josephine, spreading across the Atlantic to become the preferred fashion in the new Republic as well (as seen on Ann Penington by Gibby, who is holding a miniature silhouette, and on the "lady holding her most favorite jewel" in the entry before this one). The widow Rose de Beauharnais snared Napoleon Bonaparte’s immediate interest the moment she stood before him to plead that her young son might keep his father’s sword. She was unable to have children, and after much emotional turmoil, Napoleon felt obliged to divorce his beloved Empress Josephine. He quickly married a Habsburg princess who had their son, the Duc de Reichstadt. The young man was sent to live in Austria after Napoleon was forced abdicate and was exiled. Suffering from TB, the only child of N died in 1832 at the age of 21.

As mentioned before, in the time of no phone or twitter, small messages were sent back and forth, sometimes several times a day. A message from Napoleon to Josephine:
“You will be leaving the city at noon. But I shall see you in three hours. Until then, mio dolce amor, I send you a thousand kisses—but send me none in return, for they set my blood on fire.”

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