The Honolulu republican. [volume] (Honolulu, T.H.) 1900-1902, 1900-12-02
Collection at the Capt.
tai Worth Many
Thousands.
GIFTS FROM EUROPEAN M0nlncHs
VALUABLE HISTORIC PAINTINGS
KNOCKED ABOUT LIKE CON-
MON RussIsH.
VIII Be Reclaimed by A. c. Aixner,
Who Learned the Art While Hurt.
ing for Old World Chef d'oeuvres
in Central America.

in Central America
4. C. Miner. who is toiiing IN cor
aer of the Capitol building. trying 20
-emove the effects of neglect and
abuse from the paintings which adorn
The walls of the Capitol. first became
interested in such work in Central
America. His father was minister 10
those states and was accompanied by
his son. whose ambition in life was to
become an architect.
Central America is fun OF ruined
churches and monasteries- Refugees
from Spain. during the days OF the In
Iuisition. settled at Tehauntepec and
scattered themselves and their Unfit
auce over the entire isthmian country.
They brought with them from Madrid
inc works OF art. pictures from the
brushes of Murillo and velasquez. Miz.
ner would ransack @aese old Spanish
churches in search OF architectural
IDEAS. He became interested in the
paintings that were everywhere on the
Did church walls He found them blerI-
ished and stained in frames eaten by
borers and generally gone to ruin with
the edifices in which they were hung.
He learned the art OF patching them
up. and with his father discovered
-ome canvasses worth enormous fig
lres. Some of the best were bought
and are now in the Miner home in
California. Among the pictures saved
was one by MuriIlo which ranks we'll
with the famous work of VelasqueZ,
aud is worth thousands of dollars
Tina, is the reason why Mr.. Mizne~,
while strolling through the Capitol the
other day, was able ut a glance 10 see
the value of the paintings there. He
observed that the same agencies OF
lestruction-to-wit. climate flies. boz
ers and neglect-were running the col
lection He offered TO go over the on
ire lot and preserve the paintings Is
far as possible Governor Dole gladly
gave him carte blanche. and he is move
m the work up TO his eyes, and ove.-
lowing with enthusiasm
What He Found Here.
He made the rounds of the wood
she'd and lofts and closets and when
he had inventoried the lot found there
were SIS. 900 to sl00 900 worth of paint
Ings in the first stages of destruction.
| No catalogue or record OF the pic
| lures could be found. and the names Of
| he artists who did some OF the best
| are unknown Secretary Halves will
| write to the Louvre at Paris. the Royal
| Academy at London and-the first gal
| ieries of Berlin in the hope of finding
| that records have been made there. OF
the best of the anonymous canvasses.
| A strange fate has oyertaken the
work of some European masters. out
here in the capital of Hawaii. The
magnificent hero.c size portrait oi
Louis PHILIPPE OF France is perforated
by dozen bullet holes. received whert
IL hangs. during one OF the revolution
ary uprisings. The painting was dou'
in the last year OF this rulers reigr
and was sent as a gift 20 the monarch
Of Hawaii. in a ship dispatched solei,
for this errand. The day IL arrives
| IN Honolulu the donor abdicated tn
throne of France.
The following year. when tickle Foi
tune had again restored the Napoleon
TO power. another painting was sent I
Hawaii from Paris. This time tn
Bonapartist monogram was painte
side By side with the decoration of III
vail on the breast OF Napoleon III
and his portrait hangs at the left .
he landing on the second floor Of tn
| Capitol building.
Splendid portraits OF Nicholas ii
Russia. Butcher. the German gener'
Of Waterloo fame; the English A
miral Thomas. so revered on thes
shores. and a number Of other person
celebrated in history. form a part
his valuable collection
Found in the Wood Shed.
On. in the wood shed Mr. Miner n
: earthed portraits of Kamehameha
and his bride, painted by Eugene l
: Brun of France.
!. The authorship Of these two ca
: vases" says Mr.. Miner. lis suffieiel
to give them high value The IA
!. are worth at least $4,000. II
mother OF the artist. Eugene. VI
Bfgee LIE Brun. famous for her %
= traitures of the kings and queens
:, France. Her painting Of Marie Ant'
nette and Louis XVI have pla
among the famous pictures of q
world. and her daughter is hardly le
famous in the Salons and galleries
europe.
Her pictures of the royal Hawaii
pair have an enhanced local Walt
~ owing 10 the III fate that overlook :
10 mehameha and his bride on their W.
r. ding tour. Leaving Paris. they We
TO London. where they were fata
n stricken with measles. The bod
were brought home. and as they VIZ
viewed in state by large numbers
ly adoring subjects. the disease spre
| rN@usSr,oa ~r Dava fc1