Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-07-19
ROMANCE OF A RAPHAEL
'tolen in the Peninsular War and
Found in London.

Stolen In the Peninsular War and
Found in London.
From the London Chronicle.
An interesting new chapter has been
added to the romance of masterpieces by
the discovery in London Of what is thought
to be lons-lost original by Raphael. He
painted in the last year of his short life
Holy Family which was regarded by
succeeding generations as one Of the best
OF his works. Several versions Of 1t have
long been known under the title Of La
Madonna del Passeggfo." or "Our Lady
Of the Wayfaring," the best Of them being
at Brfdgewater House. but all these are
thought to be copies by Raphaers pupils.
Lately. however, Mr.. T. Crome of Crosby
Square has come into possession of a pic
ture which, after much research he consid-
ers to be the veritable Holy Family that
Raphael himself painted in 1519-2O for Isa-
bella GOnzaga, MaTchfoness Of Mantua.
The canvas measuring twenty-eight
inches by nineteen inches. represents the
Virgin. dressed in a rich red robe, with
the infant Christ and the infant st. John
the Baptist, who stands at her feet. Be-
yond them to the left Is st. Joseph. who is
descending a hill toward a broad valley.
and turns to look back at the group. Mr..
Crome. who was good enough to show the
picture to Daily Chronicle representative
in the city yesterday, relates the following
particulars of it's romantic history.
The late owner Of the picture acquired 1t,
as well as Flight Into Egypt" by Ru-
bens from the executors of Col Landmann,
r. E.. who fought in the peninsular war.
How he came into possession Of these works
appears from a paper left by him. which
runs thus:
.'In the year 1911 I was stationed by
Lord Liverpool, secretary for the war de-
partment, at COrunna, with special COM
mission from the king to keep his lord
ship informed on all military and diplomatic
matters which could assist him in forming
LODI of ba fat nf ha
in the pensinsula.
1.-THE position 1 then held necessarily
placed mejn direct correspondence with the
Duke Of Wellington and the leading COM
mander Of the guerrilla parties then scat
tered over the north of Spain. or these
the celebrated Gen. Nina was one of the
most daring and most successful
Toward the latter part of 1911 L re-
ceiyed from Nina a box containing pic
lures, which he had captured from an escort
carrying them off to Paris to be placed IN
the gallery of the Louvre. and requesting
me to dispose of the said pictures among
my English friends. and lay out the pro-
ceeds in shoes and other clothing, to be
sent to him for the use of his troops.
IT was unwilling to take the response
bility of the sale on myself, therefore caleo
in a merchant named Sains to fix the price
which 1 thought moderate, and took them
myself and desired Sains to complete
Mina's request
Going a stage further back. Mr.. Crome
has found that Holy Family, ny rd-
phael, answering precisely to the descrip-
ton of his picture was In the King or
Spain's collection In 1776 and in 1893, but is
not mentioned in any inventories later than
the peninsular war. He concludes. there
fore, that the French commander at Madrid
had taken 1t from the royal gallery. and
was sending 1t to the Louvre. when by
chance 1T fell into Mina's hands.
The next step backward in the history OF
the picture brings US to the famous collec-.
ton formed by Charles l. and sold by order
Of the commonwealth after that luckless
monarch's execution. Mr.. Crome IDENTIFIES
his picture with the small Raphael that
hung in the kings bed chamber at White
hall and was described by Vanderdoort
thus: Item, at the bedside Our Lady KIT
and St. John, little entire figures half so
large as the life"
1t was sold at the auction for $500. and
Mr.. Crome conjectures that the purchaser
was the Spanish ambassador, who made
large purchases on behalf of his king. and
paid $4,000 for the large Raphael known
as La Perla," and still preserved In the
Prado Both these Raphaels came to
Charles Is collection with other pictures
from the Duke Of Mantua's famous gallery.
Mr.. Crome concludes that the picture now
in his possession is the very one which
Raphael is known to have painted for Isa-
bella Gonzaga nearly four hundred years
ago.