The Portland Daily Press

A Portrait of Blaine.

A three-quarters length portrait in oil of the Hon. James G. Blaine is on exhibition at Chapman's book store, where it will remain a short time before it is shipped to Venezuela. The portrait, ordered by the Venezuelan government, is by Washington's artist, Mr. Henry Ulke. Mr. Blaine kindly giving him the necessary sittings at the request of Senor Camancho, the Venezuelan minister.

The painting represents the statesman standing, holding in his right hand a roll of manuscript, his left hand resting easily on a pedestal upon which stands a bust of President Garfield. The American flag hangs in graceful folds about the bust and pedestal.

To a majority of those who have seen the portrait, it is not, probably, an entirely satisfactory one. It lacks that expression of eye and mouth most familiar and pleasant to Mr. Blaine's immediate friends and acquaintances.

Mr. Ulke, however, has succeeded in what he undertook to do, to paint a historical portrait. He has depicted Mr. Blaine the public man, as all will acknowledge to whom the statesman's face is more familiar as it appears in the Houses of Congress, on the platform, or dealing with affairs of State. Mr. Blaine's friends may complain that there is missing from the portrait that good-natured expression and merry twinkle of the eye that the great man ever exhibits in his home life, but all must admit that Mr. Ulke has presented him as the statesman true to life, which fact renders the picture of greater historic value. As to the technical points of the work it's only necessary to say that in this portrait is a contribution to art of which even Mr. Ulke himself may be justly proud.