The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-08-09

/ date is known by the extraordinary act
of the paperhanger of that time, who,
in covering up Verrio's work, scratched
on his name and the date of the paper
hanging.
In taking down some Of the Portraits
of the Georges, which were intended for
Kensington Palace, it was noticed by
an official that the top right hand cor
ner close to the ceiling seemed abruptly
cut off from the general scheme Of the
beautiful ceiling, which every one has
seen and admired and which represents
Queen Anne, in the chariot of Justice,
dressed in purple lined with ermine.
Over her head is a crown, held by Nep-
tune and Britannia, while surrounding
and floating in the clouds are various
allegorcal figures representing Peace
and Plenty, etc.
The discovery now made shows that
the whole of the walls were originally
painted by Verrio in the same manner,
the subject being Queen Anne's apoth-
eosls as Queen of the Sea in the four
great quarters of the globe.
The Importance of the find" was not
really known until Haines & Sons the
queen > picture IASlolSir, btStI w ClctiI
away the century and half's dirt and
dust which had accumulated under the
wall paper, when it was seen that the
very dirt that obscured the pictures had
really preserved their beautiful colors
and designs, and it Is only now, when
the walls have been nearly restored,
that true appreciation of the discove-
ry can be made.
On carefully stripping the red colored
paper off the walls it was found that
the vandals who first obscured the pic
lures had done immense damage by
cutting away mitch of Verrios mural
painting to insert the battenS on which
they stretched the trough canvas to
hold a green silk damask covering. By
carefully nursing every bit of the de-
sign, the restorers have been able to
reproduce those fragments of the pic
ture which were torn away by the
workman's plaster hammer.
The green danask silk covering was
Queen Carolne's George IT'S wife) de-
sign for the covering of Queen Anne's
pictures. and over this she hung the pic
lures of her own people, which she
brought from Kensington Palace.
Many shreds of this silk covering were
found attached to the battens. In 1893
this silk became tattered and faded,
and was taken down to give place to or
binary heavy wall paper stretched on
rude canvas. The Workmen at the lat
ter date, owing to the dirt, may not
have noticed the splendors of the work
on the walls; however, no notice was
taken of it at the time.
In Queen Caroline's time it evidently
was forgotten that rich paintings were
under the silk covering, for whenever it |
was necessary to hang a new picture or
rehang another, or put up a piece of ta- |
Iessly driven into the paintings at the |
back and the restorers have found |
thousands of holes all over the works.
luckily, however the holes have mostly |
escaped the faces and figures of the
Every one who has visited Hampton
Court Palace knows the kings great
staircase and its heroic paintings by
verrio representing the Triumph of
3acchus. 1t may be safely said that
he new Verrios in Queen Anne's draw
ne room are infinitely better in color
md design than those on the staircase
~ the same artist.
The room is now closed to the public,
,ut will be open to all as soon as the
is complete.-London News.