The times., 1901-06-16
WORK OF THE old MASTERS
Discoveries of Many Important
Paintings Near Trieste.
One II Picture by Titan Represent
ing the Martyr st. Sebnstian-An-
other the Portrait of Queen by
VcInsquez-Both Find Purchasers.


| Venice, is much excited, and with reason
over the double discovery Of two master
| pieces by two of the greatest of tht
worlds painters-the one a Titan, the
other a Velasquez. Several most import
ant art discoveries have been made OF
| late among the mountains to the north
east of Venice which stretch away to-
ward Trieste, but nothing that approach
es in Importance the one just made
public. These pictures were found by a
4 young and talented Venetian artist, Sig
nor Italico Brass, at Gorizia, on the Ison-
20. near Trieste, his native place, and
/ formed part of a private collection. He
had known of them for long. hut, enlight-
ened by his study of the great masters in
! Venice, he became more and more con-
vinced of their superative value and that
! he had made a unique discovery. The
/ owner wanted money. badly, but would
! only sell the whole collection, so Signor
/ Brass, with the courage of his opinion,
| sold his patrimOny and bought the lot On
! his return to Venice he confided his dis
/ covery to Prof. Cantalamessa, the distin-
! guished president of the Academia di
/ Belle Arti Naturally he was incredulous;
( he thought Signor Brass was dreaming,
I but on seeing photographs Of the pictures
/ off to Gorilla 10 judge for himself, when
he was simply enraptured, and after care
full study, determined not to be led away
by his feeling of enthusiasm, he pro-
nounced them to be not only genuine. but
to be most superb examples of both Titan
and Veasquez at their best
The Titan is a three-quarters life sized
st. Sebastian. He stands as usual. bound
to tree, the warm flesh tints set off by
the white drapery and the blackness of
his hair; the head droOps to one side. and
the face is full of expression of grief and
pain. The marvellous drawing of the
torso and the muscles show that it was
painted after Titan had studied the
works of Michael Anglo. ard bears all
the marks of having been done in his
most vigorous age. The hand of the re-
storer has never detracted from it's
original glorious richness of color. and
there is but one small scratch on it. and
that only in the background, Titan DID
not, as a rule. sign his pictures. but this
one has in the right hand corner a large
''F'' and a small II Moreover, as Prof.
Cantalamessa said, Every touch of the
brush is Titians signature"
The history of this picture seems to be
pretty well known up to it's disappear
anCe in the early part of last centur-.
RidoIf, in his book, lie Maraviglie dell
Arte," written in 1916 in giving an ac-
count Of all known pictures by Titan.
says: The Lords Barbarigo, in their
palace at San Pclo. on the Grand Canal
possess and one of the generous
martyr, St Sebastian" ard this is else
where described as being one of his finest
works. As is well known, during the
Austrian domination tho couduarore la
hands on most of the art treasurers Of
Venice. and Marshal Culoz. who was in
command here and at Mantua for a time,
seems to have taken his fun share of
loot, and his family home in Austria was
enriched with sDoils of all kinds and
many invaluable pictures, this st. Sebas-
tian probably among them. There was
also one at Mantua, which also disap-
peared a the same time. His sons, how
ever proved the truth of the old saying,
Lightly come lightly CO. for they soon
gambled away their fortune, and their
art treasures were scattered to the winds,
the pictures being bought at Trieste for
a small sum by the person from whom
Signor Brass has now acquired them.
The sale of the pictures does not seem,
however. to have retrieved the fortunes
of the Culoz family, for one of its mem
bers, a fine old man, is now living almost
a paupcr in the town his father so freely
sacked.
Prof. Cantalamessa, having convinced
himself that this st. Sebastian is mas
teTpece of Titan. is endeavoring to OBJ
tain it for Venice He is carrying on ne
gotiations between the Italian Govern
ment and Signor Brass, and the Govern
ment. poor as it is. offers. believe, about
it to be worth triple that Signor Brass
is meanwhile wisely holding his hand,
not wishing to part with such Il unique
possession until he is fully aware OF it's
real value. and until other and richer
countries have had the chance Of obtain
ing it. Prof. Cantalamessa, in his ager-
ness to possess this ''capo lavoro" at the
Academia, has already devoted in his
mind to it a small room, which he plans
to decorate in a special manner adapted
to show it off 10 full advantage Can
talamessa. If ne obtains his coveted treas
ure, intends TO make art festival of
its arrival, and to invite all the art world
to Venice. to meet it at the station. and
to escort it in triumph to its prepared
place.
The VeIasquez, though not of so much
interest 10 Venice as the Titan, is of
equal. if not even superior value. 1t Is
most striking and interesting pic-Ire,
and the painting of it is wonderful. 1t is
the portrait Of a Queen, or rather of
Queen Empress. and her name and titles
are painted on the background: Flea
nora Secunda r. T. followed by IN. a"
BY her side on a desk, are a Sceptre,
globe, and a royal crown. which is at
once recognized as the crown of Hungary.
She is clad in black velvet. relieved by
white and Jewels, and the black peaked
cap on her head and the flowing black
veil that falls behind her from it show
that she was widow. Her face, strong
and commanding i'm the upper part, be-
comes set and cruel i'm the lower, as well /
BELTS the race of rulers who at that time I
just before che Thirty Years War-were I
so constant in their persecution of the /
PrOtestauts. In buying this picture, Sig [
nor Brass also became possessed of n I
curious old Book of Hours. translated /
into Italian from the Latin by order of [
this very same Queen Eleanora, and an
engraving Of her. with her full title of
Queen Empress of Hungary, Bohemia, /
and Rome" faces the title page In this. {
as in second engraving further on in /
the book. you see the same unmistakable /
face, only grown older. with the same (
set square. cruel mouth, and the very /
same widows garb and jewels.-Nenice /
Correspondence of the London Globe"
GIANT OF TRTRTTT ARIES