Page:Scribner's Monthly, Volume 12 (May–October 1876).djvu/12

6 unfortunately encouraged by West's picture. So far as it claims to represent Penn's appearance, bearing, or habits, we must entirely repudiate it. The only portrait known as genuine of Penn until a few years since, represents him as a youth of twenty-two, and in a style of dress utterly at variance with his matured views. He wears a full suit of armor, though his head is uncovered. This picture was painted from life, it is believed, in Ireland, when he had "a modish person grown-quite the fine gentleman." It was presented to the Historical Society of Pennsylvania by Granville Penn, who calls it "a perfect portrait." The name of the artist I have not been able to learn. It has been admirably engraved by Schoff, and Mr. Bancroft very judiciously adopted it twenty-five years ago in his "History of the United States" in preference to the West likeness.

We are in 1876 enabled to present to the people of the United States William Penn as he really looked and really dressed while in the full maturity of his powers. The authority for so doing and the circumstances seem to call for some detail.

Mrs. Maria Webb, of Dublin, who had investigated "the Penns," communicated the existence of an original portrait of William Penn, which she had discovered, through a correspondent in County Durham, England, to be in possession of a landed proprietor by the name of Allan. A carte de visite from this picture she sent to Samuel L. Smedley, of Philadelphia. This seemed to demand investigation.

Surtees, in his "History of the County of Durham," disclosed the existence of an ancient seat, Blackwell Grange on the Tees in that county, and thus describes a valuable collection of paintings which had been made by George Allan, Esq., an indefatigable antiquary and virtuoso of the middle of the last century. They "filled every panel, and gradually insinuated themselves along the passage, and cloathed the walls of the great staircase. Of the portraits, some of the most remarkable are Anna Boleyn, by Holbein; Sir Henry Wootton, by Sir Peter Lely; Lady Castlemaine, by Lely; William, Earl of Pembroke, and his Lady, by Jansen; a gallant portrait of Lord Fairfax, by Lely; a lion hunt, by old Coyle; a landscape, by Teniers; the head of a corpse, horribly expressive, by Caracci. The collection includes several admirable crayon drawings by Francis Place, fine heads of Charles II., and of William Penn and his wife."*

Letters to the present owner of Blackwell Grange proving fruitless to secure a copy of this Penn portrait for the National Museum of Independence Hall, a gentleman about starting for Europe was requested to pay a visit to Mr. Allan, and if, upon inspection on the spot, the circumstances warranted it, to secure a copy. Mr. John Jay Smith, pleasuring in the summer of 1874 at a watering-place, Saltburn-by-the-Sea, wrote upon the 5th of August, 1874: "I have made a pretty long excursion from here to inspect the portraits of William Penn and his wife. They are undoubtedly authentic, as declared by Surtees, and Penn's is very lovely. The photograph conveys but a slight idea of his manly and sweet face. Mr. Allan received me very kindly indeed, and, though he declined letting the portraits go out of his house, he will allow the artist to see and copy them."

This was accordingly done, but proved only the beginning of the vicissitudes of the picture before a satisfactory result was attained. The copy, completed as to the head, but with the background unfinished, and the bust and garments but dimly shadowed, was brought to Philadelphia, and intrusted to another hand to complete. By an unfortunate misapprehension, the color of the coat, to suit modern notions of "Quaker colors," was changed. The background was made to correspond in tone, and then (O ye Gods!), finishing "made the head look very slight, so that the artist had to go over it all, changing it as


 * Horace Walpole, in his anecdotes, tells us that Mr. Francis Place of County Durham, England, was placed as clerk to an attorney in London, where he continued till 1665, when he quitted the profession that was contrary to his inclinations and commenced the pursuit of the arts for which he had talents. His genius is described as fanciful, but erratic. He painted, designed, and etched excellently, but merely for his own amusement. He was the first to introduce mezzotints in England. Ralph Thoresby says Mr. Place discovered an earth for, and a method of, making porcelain, which he put in practice at the Manor House of York, of which manufacture he gave him a fine mug for his Museum. We also learn that Mr. Place discovered porphyry at Mount Sorrel in Leicestershire, of which he had a piece to grind colors on. He seldom resided in London, and in his rambles, he painted, drew, and engraved occasionally. In the reign of Charles II, he was offered a pension of £500 a year to draw the Royal Navy, but declined accepting it, as he could not endure confinement or dependence. Mr. Place died in 1728, and his widow, quitting the Manor House in York, disposed of his paintings. There are two heads of Mr. Place extant, one by himself, the face only finished, and another by Murray.