Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1896-10-24
HE FOUND THE VENUS.
Death ot "a Sian once Famous, but Lon
Since Almost Forgotten.

Death ot "a Man Once Famous, but Long
Since Almost Forgotten.
The recent death on the island Of Milo
Of VI. Henri lIrcst, Gays the London Stand
ard, recalls the fact that his name, many
years ago, was celebrated one on account
81 its connection with the statue of Venus,
now one Of the great treasures in the
Louvre museum, and brings TO mind some
interesting souvenirs connected with that
statue II was, indeed, NJ Henri Brest
who discovered the wonderful statue just
after II had been uncarthed by n peasant
in the island II Milo and who bought IL
Of him for a mere song in 1920. He soon
sold it 10 NJ. de Marcellus, through whom
II reached the Louvre.
The wonderful statue remained undis.
turlpd In the gallery Of tho Louvre, OF
which 1t was the principal ornament, till
tha Franco Prussian war in 1870, when
the means 81 preserving 1t against the pos
siblc pillagc Of the Germans caused great
anxiety to the curators. Few probably arc
aware that the Venus Of Milo was on that
occasion placed In AN immense sort Of pad
dcd oak coffin and buried mysteriously in
great trench made to receive it in tho
courtyard III the prefecture Of police. This
was done In the middle of the night In tho
presence Of very few witnesses, with the
object OF keeping the hiding place Of the
statue perfectly secret.
II was thought by the officials Of the
Louvre that the statue WAS in perfect safe
" but their anxiety for the fate OF the
treasure was revived after the signature 81
peace by the out break 81 the commune and
the setting fire To the prefecture # police
and To the Palais dc Justice opposite. For
tuuately, however, when that instruction
had been put down the curators Of the
Louvre, On once more uncarthiEg the
statue, found II had suffered no deicriorn-
ton. The inscription ON the pedestal 81
the statue in the Louvre does not even
mention the name % NJ Henri Brcst. II
relates simply TINT IL was bought by VI.
de Marccllus for the Marquis dc Riyicrc,
the French ambassador, who presented IL
to King Louis NNIlI in ls2l
I he Pail Mall Gazette says that the
peasant who found the statue had no idea
that lie had dug up what has since proved
to b. the mott rcmuncrntiye eiligy Of "a
goddess that The world has ever known.
VI. Brest. having pretty shrcwd notion
oi her value, asked the peasant proprietor
81 tine soil how much. The peasant pro-
rictur could not understand what VI.
Brc~t could possibly want with marble
woman without arms. but this instead Of
inducing him. - il would nowadays. 10
ask an cNorhitant price merely decided
him To- sell his Venus for a song, and NJ
Brst took her glocfully tn Paris.
There all sorts Of attempts, 10y all sorts
uf eminent hands. were made To restore To
her her missing members but as She per
sisted ia looking ever 80 much better with
out arms than with them, The saVants vi
timntciy decided that she must have been
built that way and TINT way She must lie
left
As IS well known, this unarmod Venus
has proved an immense commercial sue
cess Millions of copies 81 her have bccn
made and sold. She has adorned the vlr.
tuusos gallery, the middle class drawing
room ana the lodging house back parlor.
She has descended in bronze To the prusaic
uses Of a paper weight. She has acquired
pile for many perpatctic Italian image
seller.
But all NJ. Ircst got out Of her was tho
academic palm. \oduuht, II he had lived "a
biz ianger-hc was only lU2-his button
hole would have lowered with the red rib
bon. only the other day, ON the very
I spot where be- had found his Venus, the
end found him.