A SARCENT PORTRAIT

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume XLV, Issue XLV, 28 September 1917, Page 4

A SARCENT PORTRAIT

TEX THOUSAND POUND PICTURE OP PRESIDENT WILSON.

The hope of many Englishmen moving in art circles has been fulfilled (says the London correspondent of a Boston paper). The hope was that the £IO.OOO Sargent portrait should be a portrait of President Wilson. To quote the opinion of the National Gallery of Ireland Board : " The greatest American President will be painted l>y the greatest American artist."

Ten thousand pounds for a modern portrait! The sum seems almost incredible. How Reynolds, Gainsborough, and Romney would have stared! Even to-dav, the era of high prices. £I,OOO is a princely sum for a portrait, attained but bv two lr three artists. Only the appeal of the teii Cross could have invoked such a •aue. Its inception was at Christie's one

uiuiy May day ni 1915. just after Si Hugh Lane had sailed for America. A.l .he week the famous auction rooms hac aeen selling -gifts for the Red Cross fund. imong the benefactions was a 'series of Mank canvases upon which certain artists lad promised tri paint portraits, the sum obtained by the highest bid to "go to the Red Cross, the purchaser to nominate the sitter. When Sargent's blank canvas was placed upon the rostrum the auctioneer announced that he had received a cable from Sir Hugh Lane offering £IO,OOO. There were cheers, but no advance. Since that day there have been disputes and litigation about Lane's estate, chiefly pictures and objects of beautv and curiosity. On June 8. 1917. the morrow of the decision by the High Court that Sir Hu«-h Lane's potential portrait bv Mr Sargent belongs to the National Gall'erv of Ireland, that hody announced that the sitter thev had chosen was President Wilson. Ireland has done well. England and America are highly gratified. It is something that the great Lincoln should have been made familiar to Americans by Saint Gaudens, the greatest American sculptor, and that the great Wilson should be made familiar to Britishers by the greatest American artist. At the time of writing President Wilson has not yet said "Yes," but it is inconceivable that he should say "Xo." Modesty must not be allowed to intrude.