The San Francisco call., 1905-01-15
ART TREASURES
COME TO LIGHT
Raphael's "Holy Family"
Is Supposed Finally to
Be Located in England
MANY COPIES EXIST
Picture Was Once Owned by
King Charles the First
and Sold by Cromwell
MANY COPIES

An interesting new chapter mas
been added to the romance Of mas
terpieces by the discovery in London
of what Is thought to be a long lost
original by Raphael. He painted In
the last year of his short life Holy
Family" which was regarded by sue
ceeding generations as one of the best
of his works. Several versions OF 1t
have long been known under the title
of La Madonna del Passeggio, or
t"Our Lady of the Wayfaring," the
best of them being at Bridgewater
House, but all these are thought to be
copies by Raphaers pupils.
Lately, however, 7. Crome OF Cros-
by Square has come into possession OF
q picture which. after much research,
he considers to be the veritable Holy
Family that Raphael himself painted
In 1519-20 for Isabella Gonsaga,
Marchioness of Mantua.
The canvas, measuring % by 19
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
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 ac-
quired 1t, as well as a Flight Into
Egypt" by Rubens. from the execu-
tors Of Colonel Landmann, r. E., who
fought in the peninsular war. How
he came into possession of these
works appears from q paper left by
him, which runs thus:
I'm the year 1911 I was stationed
by Lord Liverpool. Secretary for the
War Department, at Corunna. with
special commission from the King to
keep his lordship informed on all
military and diplomatic matters which
could assist him in forming a correct
knowledge of the state of the war In
the peninsula.
"The position then held necessarily
placed me in direct correspondence
with the Duke of Wellington and the
leading commander of the guerrilla
parties then scattered over the north
Of Spain. OF these the celebrated Gen
eral Nina was one of the most daring
and most successful.
Toward the latter part Of 1911 I re-
ceived from Nina a box containing pic
lures, which he had captured from an
escort carrying them 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 proceeds in shoes and other
clothing, to be sent to him for the use
of his troops.
II was unwilling to take the respon-
sibility of the sale on myself, therefore
called in a merchant named Sains to
fix the price. which 1 thought was
moderate. and took them myself, and
desired Sains to complete Mina's re-
quest"
Going stage further back, Mr..
Crome has found that Holy Fam
ily,' by Raphael, answering precisely
to the description of his picture, was
in the King Of Spains collection in
1776 and in 1893, but is not mentioned
in any inventories later than the pen
insular war. He concludes, therefore,
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 his
tory of the picture brings us to the
famous collection formed by Charles
I, and sold by order Of the common
wealth after that luckless monarch's
execution. Mr.. Crome Identifies his
picture with the small Raphael that
hung in the Kings bed chamber at
Whitehall and was described by VAN
derdoort thus: Item, at the bedside
Our Lady xt. and st. John, little en-
tire 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 Embassa-