Having thus severally given sketches of the persons whose portraits have been added to the Picture Gallery during the past year, we must close this Report with an appropriate reference to the artists who have executed the pictures.

It will be seen that SAMUEL M. BROOKES and THOMAS H. STEVENSON, of Milwaukee, have painted the most of them— nine of the twelve portraits, and the two historic landscapes. We last year sketched Mr. BROOKES' career as an artist. His great forte is in securing a faithful expression, while Mr. STEVENSON excels in sketching landscapes and finishing up pictures. We regret that we do not possess the necessary data for a proper notice of Mr. STEVENSON, which we hope to give another year.

Of F. B. CARPENTER, who painted the excellent portrait of the late Hon. BEN C. EASTMAN, we present the following sketch: He was born in Homer, Courtland county, N. Y., August 6th, 1830. His father was a farmer; and he was first incited to draw by a rude sketch upon the inner door of the district school house where he attended, which had been made by an older boy of the name of Oris, who spent a year or two in the neighborhood, and attended the same school. This gentleman is now surgeon of the California Steamship Company's steamer "Illinois." Young CARPENTER's father violently opposed the tendency of his son's taste to art, which became a strong passion with him. His first portrait was painted unknown to his father, with white lead, common lamp-black, and a piece of venetian red which he found, and which, having become hardened by age, was the exact consistency of brick dust. He was then only thirteen years of age.

So rapid was his progress, that his father's prejudices were in a manner overcome, and he was at length permitted to spend a short time with Mr. THAYER, an artist of Syracuse. He remained with him about five months, and is much indebted, for his after succees, to Mr. THAYER'S excellent system

of discipline in drawing. He now opened a studio in his native town, and commenced painting professionally, before he was yet sixteen. He naturally enough had but little business for some time, but succeeded in "making his bread and butter." In 1848, he sent one of his pictures to the American Art Union, which was submitted, with four hundred others, to the committee one evening. There were only twelve selected, and young CARPENTER's was so fortunate as to be one of the number. With this recognition of merit abroad, his fortunes rose at home, and he did not lack for business for two or three years, though at small prices.

In 1851, he made a bold push, and opened a studio in New York, with scarcely an acquaintance in the city. For the first nine or ten months, he had but one or two orders. About this time a proposition was made him by a friend to paint a full length of DAVID LEAVITT, Esq., a well known gentleman of the city, at that time President of the American Exchange Bank. This was a much larger canvas than he had ever before attempted, but nothing daunted, he undertook the task; and it was pronounced very successful. It was exhibited in the Academy of Design, and at once brought the artist into notice. The year following, he was commissioned to paint a full length of President FIILLMORE, which gave satisfaction to all concerned, and drew from that distinguished statesman a very complimentary letter. A copy of this portrait was ordered by the corporation for the Governor's Room, in the City Hall.

Upon the election of Gen. PIERCE to the Presidency, Mr. CARPENTER was commissioned to paint him, which he and his friends pronounced the best of the numerous portraits of him. He has since painted from life portraits of many celebrities, among them Ex-President TYLER, Gov. MARCY, Gen. CASS, WM. H. SEWARD, SALMON P. CHASE, Gen. HOUSTON, CALEB CUSHING, and Col. FREMONT all regarded as worthy of the men, and highly creditable to the artist.

It was while painting several of these, in Washington, that he became acquainted with Hon. BEN C. EASTMAN, whose features he had the mournful pleasure of transferring to canvas, after his decease, from a daguerreotype, for Mrs. EASTMAN, as a present to our Society. It will thus be seen, that Mr. CARPENTER is yet a very young man to have achieved so high a position as an artist. With his ardent love for his profession, and his earnest application, a bright career is before him.

The portrait of Hon. A. A. TowNSEND, was painted by ABRAM R. STANLEY, of Shullsburg. Mr. STANLEY's parents migrated from New Hampshire in 1810, to Salisbury, Herkimer county, N. Y., where they still reside, and where their son, the subject of this sketch, was born in 1816. He was educated at Fairfield; and, in 1830, commenced painting under the instruction of an Italian artist, and practised two years. He then followed the business for ten years, painting a great number of portraits. In 1824, he laid aside portrait painting, and engaged in other pursuits, and did not resume it till Mr. TOWNSEND sat to him for his portrait for our Society. Mr STANLEY held the responsible office of Post Master at Shullsburg for a long period.

The portrait of Mr. TOWNSEND is very generally regarded by his friends and acquaintances as a very correct representation of the man. The only fault that will be found is, its high coloring; but this is true to nature-the only safe guide for an artist to follow. It should be remembered, that Mr. TOWNSEND is one of the pioneers, and has spent most of his life in the open air, naturally retaining all the florid marks of an iron constitution. It is to be hoped that the Society, may yet be so fortunate as to obtain other specimens of Mr. STANLEY'S skill as an artist.

Mr. E. H. ANDREWS, quite a youth, painted the portrait of Hon. EDWARD PIER. Of young ANDREWS' history, we have no knowledge. Whether this is a fair specimen of the

artist's skill, we have no means of knowing; but truth extorts the confession, that it does not do justice to the worthy Fond du Lac Senator.

With these remarks, and these pen sketches, we close our present Report on the Picture Gallery. Let us fondly hope, that another year will exhibit a marked and gratifying increase; and to this end, we earnestly entreat those old pioneers and early public men who have been requested to furnish their portraits, not unneccessarily to delay the performance of this duty-for delays are dangerous.

Respectfully submitted,

S. H. CARPENTER,

9m

Chairman.

APPENDIX No. 7.

EULOGIES ON PROF. JAMES G. PERCIVAL.

In Executive Committee, May 6th, 1856, Hon. D. J. PowERS presiding, E. A. CALKINS, Esq., rose and said:

MR. PRESIDENT:-I have been requested to announce in such terms as I may deem appropriate, the painful intelligence of the death of JAMES GATES PERCIVAL-a name which should be preserved in the memorials of this Society, and an event to which is due the most solemn forms of private and public grief. In his mature age, in the ripeness of his fame, with his honors thick upon him, a noble man-one of an imperial race, has gone to his long home, and his last account. Terms more eloquent than I can command, should celebrate the sad departure which no returning follows, of one so gifted and so good as he. No common words or stinted measures of sorrow should mark the dissolution of that gentle soul from the form it animated.

Dr. PERCIVAL died last Thursday, May 2d, at 2 o'clock in the morning. He was born in Kensington, Conn., Sep. 15th, 1795. He was the second of three sons-his father was Dr. JAMES PERCIVAL, a physician of the place. He entered Yale

*

* In conversations with Dr. PERCIVAL, I learned that his family were related to the renowned English Statesman, SPENCER PERCIVAL; and that the American branch first settled in Marblehead, Mass. Dr. PERCIVAL told me, that on one occasion when he was traveling in Western New York, he stopped at a country inn, and without knowing the name of the landlord, instantly recognized in his features a Percival, and upon inquiring found that he was a descendant from the Marblehead family of that name.

L. C. D.