OLD "HENRY CLAY." 



63 



crescent, as if to brand his princely Oriental blood. This Mr. Van 

 Zant thought unnatural, so in his painting made it as he thought it 

 should be, which improvements are faults with most animal painters. 



With Kittredge, if there was a spavin, or curb, or capped hock, 

 cocked ankles, goitre, blind eye, or any physical imperfection, or mark 

 in the hoof, or in fact any identifying mark, it was certain to be in his 

 sketch. Then, too, the length of the ear, or kink or wave in the mane 

 and tail, appeared in the drawing as it was in the horse. 



This pencil sketch was submitted to each one of these five named 

 gentlemen, and warmly endorsed by them, as perfect. I then had 

 Kittredge shade it up in India ink, placing it with my collection of 

 Clay sketches, now appearing for the first time before the public, in 

 this souvenir. 



A feeling of injustice to poor " Kirby" Van Zant began to come 

 over me. But for " Kirby" Van Zant there would have been no paint- 

 ing of Henry Clay from which to make this sketch. Could I not in 

 some way befriend the old artist, even to giving him credit for this 

 sketch in my book ? 



The late Daniel S. Lathrop, of Albany, was a friend of Mr. T. K. 

 Van Zant ; he was also a friend of mine, and a warm admirer of young 

 Kittredge. I wrote Mr. Lathrop of what I had done, also of my feel- 

 ings towards Van Zant, asking if it were not possible for him to make 

 a new painting, correcting his errors so that it could appear in my 

 work to his credit as the artist. 



Mr. Lathrop replied " that Van Zant could not remember the horse, 

 but thought he could correct his errors in the painting, of which he was 

 certain there must be many, for it was a work of his youth ; although, 

 much as he would like to try, he had a dread of seeing the old painting." 



Mr. Lathrop advised to send it to him, which I did. In due time 

 he wrote requesting me to come down to Albany, as Mr. Van Zant had 

 corrected his malformations in the old painting, in a copy ; but had no 

 recollection of the horse. I went, and soon saw that Mr. Van Zant was 

 justly credited as a superior artist in the manipulation of colors in oil, 

 as a landscape-painter; but was not excellent in horse portraiture, nor 

 vivid in memory ; but that some justice might be awarded to him in the 

 matter of his old painting, I remained with him part of the day, leading 

 a horse up to his door that he might study the position of the limbs in 

 repose, after which I ordered him to paint me two copies, as well as he 

 could, from Wadsworth's old painting. Mr. Lathrop, knowing I had 

 secured the painting by copyright, asked that he might have two copies. 



