Viewing page 448 of 607

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

422

[[newspaper clipping]]
EDWARD LUDLOW MOONEY'S CAREER.

Edward Ludlow Mooney, who died recently, was born in this city on March 25, 1813. At the age of sixteen, be showed a taste for art and two years later he attended the night school at the Academy of Design for one season. From this time, until he was twenty-three years of age, circumstances compelled him to work as an ornamental-sign painter, but at the end of that time, a friend having shown some of his drawings to Henry Inmann, a distinguished teacher of that day, the latter received the young man as his pupil. Mr. Inmann painted a portrait of Martin Van Buren, and six copies were ordered. These were painted by Mr. Mooney, his master giving only the finishing touches. He spent his evening at the National Academy and received the first gold medal ever awarded by the society. A pupil of the academy brought him the news of his success, at 2 o'clock in the morning and during a furious snow storm. He was awakened from a sound sleep: and it was long before he could realize what had happened.

After leaving Mr. Inmann Mr. Mooney took a studio, and began painting portraits at $50 each. In the same year he exhibited a picture for the first time, a group of three children, which attracted marked attention. He was elected an associate member: member of the National Academy of Design in 1839, and was made an Academician in the following year. There are three Academicians now living who were elected before this time; they are Thomas Cummings, elected in 1826; Robert Wier, 1829; and James Whitehouse, 1833. Soon after this he painted a portrait of Commodore Perry, which he presented to the United States Naval Lyceum  He had now plenty of work and was determined, by persistent industry, to win fame in his art. For the sake of practice in painting from life, he offered to make portraits, in classes of six, for $25 each, and so untiringly did he work, that he painted six and afterward seven portraits a week.

About this time, Achmet Ben Aman, commander of the ship Sultana, visited the city, and Mr. Mooney, gaining an introduction, asked him to sit, for his portrait in the costume of his native country. The result was a powerful picture, which was placed in the exhibition of the National Academy of Design. The Common Council of the city asked to have it sent to the City Hall, and at a meeting of the Committee on Arts and Sciences, the Controller was authorized to present the artist with the sum of $500. The picture hung for many years in the Mayor's room, and is now in the governor's room. Mr. Mooney's powers as an artist were now acknowledged and appreciated and his studio was flooded with work. He had a strong desire to paint a portrait of Governor Seward, and obtained letters of introduction to him from Colonel William L. Stone, Editor of The Journal of Commerce, and J. Phillips Phoenix, of the Common Council. Governor Seward sat for his portrait, and was so much pleased with the result that he wrote a most complimentary letter to the artist, in which he said:

"I will now confess to you, my dear sir, why I especially rejoice in your success. I saw your generosity, and I felt that I was receiving a great honor and some advantage at your hands, although you were a stranger upon whom I had no claim. I trust that no accident will occur to check your progress, and hope to be able to enjoy the satisfaction of remembering hereafter, when it will be honorable to me, that I was among those who perceived your genius and cheered you on your way to the heights of professional eminence.
"I remain, my dear sir, most faithfully your friend and obedient servant   WILLIAM H. SEWARD."

Mr. Mooney now made his way steadily on and up. He passed the most of his time in this city, but spent two winters in Columbus, and one in Savannah, Ga., painting the portraits of many distinguished men. It has been said that he painted more portraits than any other American artist; it is certain that he averaged sixty-five for each of his three seasons spent at the South. Mr. Mooney made the portraits f many of the presidents, trustees, professors, and benefactors of Princeton College, and from this fact has been called "the Princeton artist." He formed a deep and strong friendship for Dr. McLean, who, he declared, was "the best beloved man in the land."

Mr. Mooney made preparations at one time for two years of study at Dusseldorf, but circumstances compelled him to give up the plan at the last moment. A criticism of one of his academy pictures says:

"Mr. Mooney is an artist of great industry and severe taste.  His pictures afford the strongest evidence of a disciplined mind, and we look in vain upon the works of this artist, for the capricious touch which gives the charm to the works of many others."

Some years ago he left his home in this city, and his fine studio, preferring the charms of nature and the pursuits of art and literature in his beautiful home on the Hudson, opposite the Catskills. He had lost all taste for public life, he exhibited no more, and his younger ambition, he said, was a meteor whose flash was quite spent. In his personal character, Mr. Mooney was marked by strong simplicity, humility, sincerity, earnestness and benevolence. There are many who remember the power and beauty of his example. In his nature he was deeply religious, a sincere and earnest Christian, and he was always a bright and cheerful Christian, possessed with "the spirit of love and of power and of a sound mind." It is these qualities, more than his great skill as an artist, that make his life an example of constant harmony between faithfulness in business and a pure and deep piety.
[[/newspaper clipping]]

Transcription Notes:
Only newspaper clipping, which is covering cursive, transcribed here. Cursive text transcribed in entirety on next page.