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[[Picture]]
Samuel F. B. Morse.
From a painting by himself in 1814.
Property of his daughter, Mrs. Franz Rummel.

chosen for the painting, I at first completed it in that view. 

"At this point Mr. Allston expressed himself so pleased with it that he advised me to finish it in every view; in other words, to make a complete statue, alleging among other reasons that I should thus become familiar with the human figure more readily than in any other way. Hence I completed the whole figure, and, on showing it to Mr. West, was much flattered by his praise of it. 

"I was advised by friends that a premium of a gold medal was offered for just such an original model, and was recommended to send it to the Adelphi Society of Arts to compete for this prize. I accordingly sent it to the rooms of the society, and, to my surprise, a few days after received the summons to appear on a certain day at the rooms of society in full meeting to receive the gold medal from the president, the Duke of Norfolk.

"This was during the War of 1812, and I have often spoken of it as a pleasing incident that, while a fierce strife was going on without between the two nations as nations, yet, in the Department of Fine Arts at least, there was a neutral peaceful ground on which artists and their encouragers could stand and be in perfect harmony with each other."

Despite the success, the artistic success, which the painting gained, it was never sold, but remains in the possession of the family to the present day, and was loaned to the Yale School of the Fine Arts, many years ago. 

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