International studio (59.1916)

The Declaration of Independence

The declaration of indepen-
dence AND THE UNITED
STATES CONSTITUTION
BY HELEN WRIGHT
The Declaration of Independence and the Con-
stitution of the United States, illuminated, gold-
leafed, coloured, decorated, pictured beyond all
recognition of these sober, serious documents, are
to be seen on exhibition in the Main Gallery,
second floor, of the Library of Congress.
The Declaration of Independence does not look
as if it set forth the “grievances of the American
colonies against Great Britain, and declared their
political independence,” but rather as if it were
the gentle canto of an Italian poet, illuminated
by some grey-cowled monk of the middle ages.
The work is done on vellum on thirteen large
sheets that measure thirty-one inches in length
by twenty-one inches in width, and the lettering
is Gothic in black, red and gold, enclosed in very
elaborate borders of the most beautiful and in-
tricate design, hand-drawn and painted without
a flaw in line or curve.
Within the borders are set miniature portraits
of the presidents of the United States, famous
generals, distinguished Americans, soldiers, in-
ventors and writers, as well as tiny historical
scenes, battles of the wars and important events
in the country’s history.
The Declaration begins with a charming min-
iature of Thomas Jefferson, inclosed in a large,
highly ornamented capital W of the “When in
the course of human events,” etc. He is dressed
in colonial costume and stands by a small table
looking over, by candle light, the sheets of the
Declaration which he holds in his hand.
In this border is a tiny picture of the landing
of the Pilgrims on Plymouth Rock, and one rep-
resenting the pilgrims in their long cloaks on
the way to church, carrying their guns on their
shoulders. Columbus is graphically pictured.
His ship is anchored and, as he steps ashore, a
crowd of astonished Indians emerge from the
forest. The Battle of Quebec measures about three
inches by four and contains a whole regiment,
cannon, the rugged cliffs of Canada, a landscape
and blue sea in the background. The portraits
in this panel are of Columbus, John Smith, Wil-
liam Penn and Lord Baltimore.
On the second sheet we see the Planting of the
Liberty Tree, the Boston Tea Party, Washington

taking command of the American Army and a
remarkable picture of Independence Hall, with
the signers grouped about the room on that great
occasion when we declared ourselves free and in-
dependent of Great Britain in 1776. Franklin,
Robert Livingston, Alexander Hamilton and
Roger Sherman in miniature decorate the border.
The Constitution fills eleven of the thirteen
panels and the first sheet is gorgeous in raised
gold (which is the despair of the modern illumi-
nators), beautiful colouring and elaborate bor-
dering. An excellent portrait of George Wash-
ington, evidently after the Stuart portrait, is
enclosed in a lovely initial and throughout the
border are found tiny pictures of Valley Forge,
battles of Bennington, Princeton, Stony Point,
Surrender of Burgoyne, Washington’s Night
March on Trenton, and Lafayette offering his
services to Washington. As we examine further
we see the country’s whole history told in these
finished, artistic little pictures.
Washington’s inauguration, the great proces-
sion at Philadelphia, the invention of the light-
ning rod and the cotton gin, the capture of
Sumter, the battles of Pittsburg Landing, Antie-
tam, the Monitor and Merrimac, Lincoln and the
slaves—all dramatically and artistically por-
trayed. The last page brings us down to the
Battle of Santiago and portraits of William Mc-
Kinley and Theodore Roosevelt.
It is impossible to describe the wonderful skill
and unusual dexterity of the production. The
borders in scrolls, delicate golden traceries, coiled
vine stems ornamented with flowers, the colours,
those lovely dull blues and pinks seen in the old
missals and chorals—the variety of design—rivals
the workmanship of the illuminators of the Italian
Renaissance.
It is the work of an Italian, but a modern
artist, Nestore Leoni by name, who lives in
Florence, though he was born in Aquila in 1862.
His first conspicuous work was a cover for an
album commemorating the arrival of the Emperor
William II, of Germany, to Rome. This received
high praise for its exquisite technique and finish.
A number of important commissions followed,
one for an edition de luxe of Dante’s Vita Nuova,
which was painted on parchment in the style of
the sixteenth century. Another was for eight
miniatures to illustrate the love songs of Dante.
This was presented to Her Majesty, the Queen
of Italy. He made a copy of Petrarch, for which

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