The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-06-09
TWO ANCIENT PAINTINGS.


"Portrsit OF the Sacred Face OF the
Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, sent 10
King Abgarus of Odessa"
Likeness of the Blessed Mother, the
Virgin Mary, which 3. Luke painted,
holden at the Church OF 8. Mary Major OF
Rome" -
These are the Inscriptions, translated
from the Latin, that are on the two paint
ings now at the rooms OF the Y. M. G. A.
The story of the pictures, briefly told, is
as follows: In the early part OF the CEN
by one Foulang her, a Frenchman, and
given by him to Miss Eliza Wentworth,
daughter of Mr.. Edward Wentworth,
q citizen of Boston, whose family had
nursed him during sickness. With the
pictures was . manuscript containing
fsss sy hs0Ty st. Yyu. rssy in1%d .1%
Of Odessa in Messopotamia, whose son
had been healed by two of the Disciples,
and who wished to look upon the face of
Christ. After the king vas dead they
were taken to Jerusalem, and later were
known TO be upon tbs altar of the Church
OF Rome, from whicli place they were pill
laged by Napoleon's soldiers and taken to
France. That was about hundred years
ago. They came into the Wentworth
family at the time Of Lafayette's second
visit M. Foulangher coming with him)
and were sold to the present owner by
The authority for this story Is not known,
but there Is q tradition that Saint Luke
was q painter and that he did paint two
portraits for the King Abgarus. Accord
ing to the inscriptions these are the very
ones. But the inscriptions were added
after they had come to Saint Mary's, and
what authority the church had for claim
ing st. Luke as the artist we do not know.
However, Ii Is not necessary that these
paintings be attributed to Saint Luke To
make them OF the utmost interest. They
speak for themselves. Pictures were
shown in the Egyptian collection at
Boston recently dating back three
found that these are OF the same materials; |;
that is, they are done in wax pigments on
papyrus or mummy cloth. They might
easily have been painted while Christ was
. upon earth, but that they were, may never
be satisfactorily proven.
One looking at these faces cannot but
think that they were painted from life, or
at least by someone having personal ac-
quaintance with our Lord and HOLY Mary
They are human faces, aud yet i'm that Of
Christ we find every attribute OF love and
power, without the weakness and
lack of reserve force OF the ideal
portraits. The eyes are the strongest fea-
ture and back of them is everything.
One is impressed, too, by the strong re-
sembance between the mothe and SON
very natural resemblance, as all of this
humanity came from her-and the tech
nique in the two make it almost certain
that they are the work of the same hand.
They are certainly wonderful works.
They are undoubtedly OF great antiquity,
and from an art standpoint they are mas
terpieces. OF the two, that of Christ is
the better, but neither could have been
painted by any man, however clever and
skilled in his art, without the help of
divine inspiration.
The pictures will prnhahly- he taken to
England, and may nslly be placed in the
Kensington Museum. Before going out
of the country they will be exhibited in
several cities, and may return here.
it is misfortune to those
who have not seen them that
the present exhibition closes today and il
another opportunity is offered the privi-
lege should be availed of by everyone OF
looking upon these faces of Christ and
hSiy Mary.