Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1883-04-05
Mr. Blaine Buys Rubens for a Song.
" .shinston Corr. Philadelphia Press.

Washington Corr. Philadelphia Press
Speaking Of Blame, was greatly struck
with a picture on the wall OF his new hous sc
the other day. 1t is picture Of very briI-
liant culoring, subdued and softened by ag-.
and bearing the points of genus ia every
line and color 1t was purchased by Mr.
Blame several years ago, and while It has
| hung on his walls ever since, no one sus-
| p-cted the value of the ancient canvas. Nj
Blame bought the picture at sale OF some
Of the effects OF Lord Baltimore, on the old
estate IN Mary land. The descendants had
number Of old pictures slowed away in
garret. and eut-ot-the- way places, and de-
cided to sell them of al auction with lot
OF old furniture, etc. 1t will be remembered
that George Calvert lord Baltimore) OBJ
tanned from Charles |. grant of all the ter
rltor, included in the present State Of Mary
land, but his posterlty, in the nearly 800
Years, did not take proper care Of their vast
possessions, and, | believe, those Of the fam
lly VINO are left are poor. Hence the sale
OF the old curlos and the purchase OF Mr..
Blaine.
Probably nothing would have occurred to
attract special attention to the old picture
had not Mrs. Blaine visited an old shop In
New York not long ago where engraylngs
are sold. Mr.. Blaine has great liking for
steel engra,lngs, and has large and valu-
able collection, particularly OF portraits.
As Mrs. Blaine was turning over d lot oil old
prints, what was her astonIshment at seeing
steel engraving, old and yellow, of the
picture her husband bought at the Lord
Baltimore sale In the left hand corner of
the plate was "Rubens pinxit." She bought
the engraving? Well, | should say so
And now the painting and engraving hang
side by side IN the southeast parlor Of the
Blaine mansion. To my mind, the authen-
ticlty of this lately discovered treasure is
conclusive. First, we must remember that
the first Lord Baltimore and Rubens were
contemporaries Rubens was born in 1917
and the other in 1880. Both were from old
Flemish families, and no doubt the two were
boys together and friends in after years
Rubens in 1929 was sent ambassador to
Charles |. of England. where he painted
many pictures for the king. AT that time
Lord Baltimore was attached to Charles's
court, and what is more natural than that he
should own Rubens picture At that
time Rubens was not famous, and his pic
lures were not jewels of great price. But,
even if they we're, Lord Baltimore was able
to buy them. In those days no copies of
Rubens were made, and, even if there were,
Baltimore was not the man to buy copies of
an artist not remarkably famous. Besides,
if this picture of Blaine's can possibly be
copy, where is the original Catalogues of
the famous galleries Of the world do not
contain record of it. The coloring and
treatment are of Rubens, and the subject is
one he would have chosen. Then why
should there be an engraving of the picture
if it were not Rubens?
1t is said that why SO many married
ladies keep pet dogs is because their bus
bands are absent from home. They don't
have the CANNES for protection. It's be-
cause home does not seem natural with no
growing about, and the dogs growl during
the time the husband ought to be attending
to that duty.-PAiladslpAia CAroaicls Her.
81