Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-04-04

Amid all the RIGHTEOUSNESS of the court of
Louis XIV. there is no more romantic story than
that of Louise de la VALERIE. The struggles be-
tween her passion for the king and the inward
appeals of virtue-her reign as the monarch's
favorite-her genteness and devotion, throwing
their veil over the errors of her lie-until at
last conscience triumphed, and, breaking away
from the splendor of the court she took refuge
in the gloom of the convent; the narration of
all these has made her name famous throughout
the world.
1t is strange that the only authentic portrait
of her is in America and on the distant Pacific
1t belongs to the Right Rev. DR.. Kip, Bishop of
California, and is in his collection at San Fran
cisco. In the September number we gave an
account of another famous picture belonging to
him-Vanderlyn's "Marius on the Ruins of Car
thage" land, perhaps, our readers may like an
account of this portrait of Ia VALERIE, as it is
one of the most remarkable pictures in our
country.
The only other portrait, said to be hers, is in
a private collection in Antwerp. 1t is double
portrait protesting to represent Louis XIV. and
la VALERIE, sitting side by side, 1t is, however
an indifferent painting, portraying her not at
all in accordance with the personal description
of that day, and is generally acknowledged to
be spurious portrait The picture belonging
to Bishop Kip, on the contrary, exactly agrees
with the accounts of her personal appearance,
given in cotemporary works of biography
The tradition with regard to this portrait is,
that it was painted by the court painter LIE
Brun, for the private collection of Louis XIV
1t is certainly in his style, and would bear COM
parison with any of his pictures on the Louvre.
1t is, TOO, the only picture by LIE Brun, OF whose
existence we know in this country.
The duchess is represented nearly full length,
in a rich court dress. Her lips and cheeks are
evidently rouged. 1t is perfectly French face
great sweetness, but no particular intellect.
In this respect it differs widely from the pic
lures of the English beauties Of Charles Ii.
reign, which we see at Hampton court. AT her
left stands a little blackamoor page, in gay
dress, with a m atal collar about his neck Miss
Pardoe says in her history: at was fashiona-
BILE among the ladies of Louis XIV court to
have blackamoor pages.") His left hand holds
a wreath of flowers to his side, while his right
hand is held up, and his whole attitude shows
astonishment. The duchess has her left hand
on his head, while her right hand is dipping a
little cloth in the marble basin of a fountain.
1t is said that before she entered the convent
she had herself taken thus, attempting to wash
a blackamoor white, to show her own sense of
the difficulty of her repentance. 1t was per-
fectly French idea. No English penitent would
have dreamed of such demonstration.
Her right hand is drawing the end of Grim
son robe over the lions eyes. May not this be
intended to be allegorical, 10 show her triumph
Love binding the monarch-Cupid binding
the lion.
The whole treatment of the subject, and the
full. The slender, flexible hands of the duchess
are eXquisitely painted.
1t may be a matter of surprise that such a
.picture could be found in this country, and it is
only by accident that it could be carried away
from Europe. Its history is this It was brought
to New York from Paris, at the close of the last
century, by French woman who got possession
OF il during the confusion Of the first French
revolution, when so many galleries were broken
up and scattered. She lived in obscurity in
Duane street, New York, and Just before her
death, about forty years ago, she sent for dis
tinguished lawyer in the city, on some legal
business. There was but little taste for art in
this country at that time, but he fortunately had
some. Seeing the picture and suspecting its
value, he inquired Of her its history. She died
shortly after and having no relatives, her effects
were sold by the public administrator. He went
to the sale, where he found too poor artists,
each one of the trio having come, surprising
himself the sole pOssessor of the secret They
bid against him for short time, when he went
over to them and said: "There is no use in your
making me pay high for this picture, for / am
going TO buy it, c)st what it will, and you have
no interest in this woman's effects" So they
ceased, and it was struck off to him for very
small sum.
He was a connection of Bishop Kip, and from
his family it came to the bishops collection. and
is now on the Pacific coast. Is it not strange
that this picture, painted for Louis XIV, and
Vanderlyn's "Marus," which was for time on
the walls OF the Louvre, and which Napoleon |.
attempted in vain TO purchase-these two pic
lures, admired by the two greatest conquerors
of France-should now be hanging in the same
collection in that distant land, of whose exist
ence they scarcely knew?
The late Governor Luther Bradish, of New
York, who was an arbiter in all matters of ar
and excellence, once said to the bishop: "Witl
these two pictures alone, La VALERIE to repre-
sent the old school, and Marius' the moderr
| school, you would have one of the best collec
tons in the country."-Art Reuie,o.