The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-08-18
HIDDEN PICTURES IN HAMPTON COURT


An interesting discovery has reward
ed uhe researches of Lord Esher ana
other officials at Hampton Court PAL
ace.
Ihere had always lurked a suspicion
that the walls of the famous Queen
Annes drawing room, which is in the
centre OF the east wing OF Wrenn's fa-
NOUS building, which room forms the
apex on which the three great avenues
OF trees known TO the whole World con-
verge. contained more than the second
rate portraits of the Georges, says the
LONDON News. Never, however, was t
supposed that an important work by
snat once famous decorative artist Yer.
~ hau Deen concealed from the pubii;
Syes since 1885, owing To a stupendous
act or vandalism, which. NJ is presumed.
,-ass MAS carried out by Queen Caroline in
i.oo' probably TO prevent the apotheO-
sis oi queen Anne from needing her
yes In her drawing room when she be-
Saiie S queen. And again in 1883 the
o.autiiui ,,' paintings now discovered
known by the extraordinary
&c. or the paperhanger of that
.iihe, VINO, In covering up Verrio's work
sssIatched on his name and the date Of
'he Pdperhangng.
IN taxing down some of the portraits
o. 'ne georges, which were INTENDED
ior hensington Palace. AZ was nosice
oy an official that the top right hand
corner close to the ceiling seemed al
rup.iy cut on from the general scheme
oI the peautiful ceiling Which every
one mas seen and admired. and uhicn
represents Queen Anne. in the chariot
o, 81 Sus.ice dressed in purple. lined with
sx,-, "a
oy Neptune and Britannia, while sur
rounding and floating i'm the clouds are
various allegorical figures representing
Peace and Plenty, etc.
Ihe discovery now made shows that
the Whoie OF the walls were originally
painted py Verrio In the same manner,
the subject being Queen Anne's apothe-
osis as Queen of the Sea i'm thu four
great quarters of the globe
The Importance of the find" was not
really known until Hajnes a. Sons. the
queens picture restorers began 10 clean
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
haS really preserved their beautiful coll
ors and designs. and IL is only now,
when the walls have been nearly re
stored. that a true appreciation OF tho
discovery can be made.
On carefully stripping the red colorel
paper off the walls IL was found that
the vandals who first obscured the pie
lures had done immense damage py
cutting away much OF Verrio's mural
painting TO insert the battens on which
they stretched the tough canvass 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
lures which were torn away by the
workman's plaster hammer.
The green damask silk covering was
Queen Caroline's George lis wife) de-
sign for the covering of Queen Anne's
pictures, and over this she hung the
pictures of her own people, which she
brought from Kensington Palace. Many
shreds OF this silk covering were found
to the battens. In 1888 this silk
became tattered and faded. and was
taken down TO give place to ordinary
heavy wall paper stretched on rude
The workmen at the latter date
owing to the dirt, may not have no.
ticed the splendors of the work on the
walls: however, no notice was taken
Of II at the time.
In Queen Carolines time II evidently
was forgotten that rich paintings were
under the silk covering for whenever
IL was necessary TO hang new picture
or rehang another. or put up piece OF
tapestry nails to hold these were ruth
lessly driven into the paintings at the
back and the restorers have found
thousand of holes all over the works
Luckily. however. the holes have most
" escaped the faces and figures of the
paintings.
Everyone who has visited Hampton
Court Palace knows the Kings great
staircase and it's heroic paintings by
verrio representing the Triumph or
Bacchus. 1t may be safely said that
he new Verios in Queen Anne's draw
ng room are infinitely better in color
and design than those on the staircase
Dy the same artist.
The room Is now closed to the pubic, |
,ut will be open to all as soon as the |
is complete.
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