St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-09-09
A GENUINE TITAN,
Owned by Col. ". S. King, to Be
Exhibited,

The antique department or the art gal
lery is tOreceivC an interesting addition.
On Monday, Titian's Magdalen, owned
by Col. W. S. King, will be placed on
exhibition. 1t is entirely safe to say
that this is the only example of Titan
esQue painting now owned in the United
States. The size and snlendor of the
picture give it a singular attractiveness.
One of its characteristic features is the
peculiar scheme of color, the vivid
spread Of harmony being unattainabe
by any artist but himself. A cOnnois-
seur OF wide repute says: Looking
closely at the grain of the canvas. one
sees the art with which the color is
strained over it, the skill with which
uniform gloss is broken with touch or
modified with glaze" And again:
"What the painter achieves, and
no other master of the age
achieves with equal success,
is the representation OF a beaute-
Gus living being, whose fair and pol
ished skin is depicted with enameled
gloss, and yet with every shade of mod
ulation which delicate flesh COMFORTS;
flesh not marbled and cold. but sWeetly
toned. and mantling with life's blood;
flesh that seems to heave and rise and
fail with every breath. Full and ring
ing harmony of tlntS. atmosphere both
warm and mellow; all are combined in
marvellous and attractive effect"
All works on Titan refer to the lost
Magdalen picture, and there is not an
imperial gallery in Europe where this
example would not only be gladly re-
ceiyed. but accorded a place Of honor as
well, while commanding price equal
to a handsome fortune.
Philip H., in 1861, ordered Titan to
paint him several pictures, amongst
them 1.-The Magdalen." When finished
Titan forwarded them 10 his majesty
with a letter complaining of poverty
and saying: LAS an intercesSor III the
case, l have prepared picture in which
the Magdalen appears before you with
tears and as supplicant in favor Of
your most devoted servant, TitianO."
Gracia Hernandez was secretary to
Philip and wrote to his sovereign con-
corning the picture as follows: Good
judges of art say that this (Magdalen) is
the best thing that Titan has done"
In course OF time the picture disap-
peared, and not even a trace of it could
be found. 1t iSnOt in the Madrid or any
other Spanish or European collection.
Grove and CavalcaSelle, whose work Oh
Titan is referred to above, say: Yet
it may be that the 'Nagdalen' still eX-
lists in SPAIN" and Hume refers to it as
formerly in the SacriSty of the EScOrial.
The characteristic features Of the
piece are masculine power and luxurious
maturity Of charms. Technically the
treatment reveals a bold readiness of
hand and an absolute command of
means. The Titan hair is unmistaka-
BILE. The eyes are turned upward to
heaven; the saint shows her grief
and repentance, not only by eX-
preston but by gesture, pressing with
the right hand the locks on her neck.
On a skull to her right an open book re-
poses. TO the left the vase of ointment
stands, and the light edge of the form
on that side is relieved on dark. bank.
OvergrOwn with cOppice wood, whilst
the shaded edge is seen against the
landscape, lovely in the variety of its
hueS, and balmy with atmosphere"
The above is Grove aud CavalcaSelles'
description of the "Magdalen" painted
for Phillip H., and lost The size, too,
is precisely that OF the lost picture. 1t is
a work of Titian'S advanced age,
and its price is worth a kings
ransom. This picture has been i'll
jured by washing and TetOuching. The
canvas, although frayed and time-wOrn,
is unmistakable by a cOnnOiSSeur, while
the colOring and design are so thor
Oughly Titianesque as to satisfy the
most eXacting expert. The signature,
'Titianus p is somewhat obiiterated,
but still recognizable. The canvas is
tgree feet six inches by three
feet and half inch. and the
tones and modelling are perfect. There
are several "MagdalenS" by the great
master, but only One-and that made
for Philip lI.-haymg the skull, book,
and vase of ointment in this position.
That one is inconteStablY the picture
before US.
1t was brought to Canada from Rome
some years ago by Catholic priest
who lived eight years in the Eternal
City, and who disposed of it to credi-
tor. The latter in turn left it for sale
with George Arnold, of Rochester, from
whom it was recently purchased by
Col. William ). King, after the colonel
had procured the closest scrutiny and
verdict of geuuineneSs from competent
critics. Among others, ID. w. Powers,
of Rochester, owner of the best gallery
of fine arts in this country, inspected
the picture and pronounced it not a
COPY but an original, and undeuiably
TitianesqUe.
That the work was carried back to
italy from Spain is a reasonable as
sumption. Many of the masterpieces
of Titan were ruined 10y lack of ordinary
care in the latter country. About
twenty years ago fragment of his
great picture, "NOli Me TangeTe," was
found at the Escorial by Don p. Madra-
20, serving as a cover to an oil jar.
Little wonder, then, that the "MagdalenY
should be carried away, being saved
after 800 years of buffeting by the
strength of its materials as well as the
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