1838-1846: Final Trip to Paris

With the award of a commission for a painting on one of the panels inside the great Rotunda of the nation's Capitol in Washington, D.C., Vanderlyn realized his great ambition to paint a commemorative scene. As his subject, he selected The Landing of Columbus , and, in 1838, he sailed to Havana to sketch the tropical scenery that would serve as a background to the painting. In 1839 , when he returned to Paris to execute the work, he revisited the familiar places of his student years. This brought him pleasure for but a short time, for the Paris he now encountered was not the Paris of his happy youth. Lonely and homesick, Vanderlyn made little progress on the painting, spending countless hours instead corresponding with friends back in America.

By 1842, he had spent all of the initial $2,000 advance on his commission. And since the small advances of $600 sent by the government were insufficient to cover his expenses, Vanderlyn turned to copying the work of the masters in order to support himself -- just as he had in his student days. It was during this time, when so little evidence of Vanderlyn's involvement with The Landing of Columbus was forthcoming, that rumors about the work began to spread. One allegation was that Vanderlyn's French assistant, and not Vanderlyn himself, was at work on the painting. To these criticisms, Vanderlyn wrote many letters in self-defense, maintaining that he alone had planned and executed the design of the painting.

As the work neared completion, Vanderlyn's thoughts turned to his homecoming. Already in debt, he borrowed additional money for his return trip. On his arrival, he made arrangements to exhibit his work in New York, hoping to realize some money. Unfortunately, the painting attracted but few visitors. Vanderlyn closed the exhibition and brought the piece to Washington for installation in the Capitol Rotunda. The lack of recognition for his efforts and the criticism Vanderlyn weathered during this period were extremely painful for the artist.

(Next: 1846-1852: The Final Years).