St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1879-03-21
Some Account of Valuable Pictures
Owned by the New Hampshire His
torical Society.

torical Society.
To the Editor of the CaIedonidn
Many readers of tne Catedonidn who
have read the interesting series of pa
pers upon the "Old Masters" which
have been published within the last
two years in Harper's and Scribners
Magazines, may not know that valuable
pictures, undoubted originals by several
of the most famous of those artists can
be seen at Concord, n. H., in the rooms
of the New Hampshire Historical So
ciety. Besides their value as the pro-
ductiOns of world famous men, these
pictures have an interesting and ro-
mantle history.
During the Peninsular war, the city
of Cadiz in Spain, withstood two
years siege from the French troops,
and seemed about to fall into their
hands, and the authorities of the city
and the priests knowing that all their
art-treasures would be carried off to
Paris sold these pictures, and many
others, to Mr.. X. w. Meade of Phila
delphia who was United States consul
in Cadiz at the time preferring that, if
the pictures must be lost, they should
be carried to America, rather than to
Paris. AS the property of an American
official, they were safe from the hands
of Napoleon. After MI. Meade's death,
by bequest, | think, of his daughter,
these works became the property of the
Society. | have never seen any account
of them in any Vermont paper, so for
the benefit of readers of the CdLedORidn,
who may wish to see them when III
Concord, will speak of some of them.
The largest of the collection, and for
which Mr.. Meade was understood to
have paid an enormous sum, is an origi-
nal by Titan; ''The Martyrdom of
Saint Laurence" painted about the
year 1910. have been told that this
was an altar-piece in the Cathedral. 1t
has been exhibited in London, and
OInet large cities Ol Europe.
There is also one by Leonardo De
Vinci, "Saint Jerome" The face of
the saint resembles Senator Edmundss.
1t was painted in Florence as early as
A. ID. 1900.
There is also Il picture by David
Teniers, Senior, Or,-"Peasants at an Inn,
Merrymaking," and one by his son, who
is known as David Teniers the Younger.
'"The Alchemist." There was IL paper
upon these artists by Mr.. Mason in
Harper's for November last.
And to mention briefly,
with cattle and figures" by Zaccerelli,
painted at Florence "View on the
Rhine" painted at Flaversham by
Schultz in l725 "Savior with the reed
and crowned with thorns," by Cignola !;
a Madonna by Andrea Del Sarto, and
"Saint Peter weeping,"-a marvellous
picture-by SpagnelettO, whose real
name was Ribera. He was born in
Spain in 1888.
There is a delightful picture by a
Dutch artist, brooch Sloat, "The Vii
lage Fair" painted in Holland in 1913 !;
a lively representation of costumes and
people of that time, with the colors and
lines as bright and distinct as if fresh
from the artists hand. The figures of
the peasants are minute, yet so well
painted that they will bear examination
with magnifying glass.
There is here a Landscape and Troop
of Cavalry" by Salvador Rosa; two
portraits by Vandyke, sea view by
De Viliger, painted in 1858; a rustic
Spanish scene by Alonzo Del Bareo, and
painting upon copper, by Guirdano
in Naples, 1857, "Isaac blessing Jacob,
supposing him to be Esau."
There is a portrait of Martin Luther
in the collection, said to be an original
one. There are several more, including
some old portraits, which have not
space to mention. These pictures are
not hung in positions where they can be
seen at their best, as the light is all
from the side. Some of them hang in
alcOves of the library.
For the benefit of people not familiar
in Concord it may be well to say that
the Historical Library is in plain,
old-fashioned, three-story brick build
ing, on Main street, at the north end of
the street, nearly opposite the City
Hall. The library consists of 5000 VOL
umes, and there are many rare and
curious articles, and historical memen-
toes. The building is open to the pub
lie on certain days of each week, but as
they are changed from time to time, l
cannot give the exact days OF opening
for this winter. w.
Feb. 10, 1879.