64 ALEXANDER VON HUMBOLDT. 



Of the liberal patronage he accorded to artists, the following 

 communications in reference to Steuben, a German painter,, 

 give ample proof. 



As a means of bringing him into notice, Humboldt com- 

 missioned him to paint his portrait, and writes as follows to 

 his sister-in-law under date of August 24, 1813: . . . . 'I 

 am preparing you a present, my dear sister, with which I am 

 sure you will be gratified a full-length portrait of myself from 

 tip to toe, a speaking likeness, and painted in the noblest and 

 simplest style of art under the auspices of Gerard, by Karl von 

 Steuben, a Grerman artist. It is still a long way from comple- 

 tion. This is the same young artist for whose talent Caroline 

 von Wolzogen had so high an appreciation, and who made you 

 a copy of La Belle Ferronniere. You must not, however, judge 

 of his capabilities by that work, which was executed four years 

 ago, for since then he has made great progress. My picture 

 measures nine feet in height, and will be quite an heir-loom. 

 I am getting older and older, but if I am ever to be painted 

 with snowy locks I must wait still longer. I have been 

 drawing and painting daily with young Steuben ' for the last 

 fourteen months, and this has been my pleasantest occupation.' 



Upon another occasion he writes to his sister-in-law : ' The 

 young man supports his widowed mother in St. Petersburg by 

 the sale of his pictures ; she is in circumstances of great 

 poverty and needs assistance. I am therefore entrusting to 

 you the enclosed remittance from her son to be forwarded to 

 St. Petersburg.' 



Five years later he wrote to Baron von Stein, recommending 

 his protege in warm terms. The celebrity of this eminent 

 statesman has induced us to insert the letter l in full : 



6 Sir,-r-I have to-day received the letter with which your Ex- 

 cellency was pleased to honour me under date of February 23. I 

 cannot express to you how highly I value this kind remem- 

 brance. Nothing will ever efface from my mind the grateful 

 feelings with which your kind indulgence inspired me when I 

 was first entering the world. I shall be happy to render to the 

 Prince von Neuwied, and the editor of his important work, 



1 Pertz, 'Das Leben ties Ministers Freiherrn -vson Stein/ vol. vi. Suppl. 197. 



