New-York tribune., 1905-02-20
PRAISED BY SIR PURD0N.
SEES APHRODITE STATUE.
Ozcner Values the Marble at $500 900
Its HISTORY.

Many visitors were attracted to the National
Arts Club, in West 34th-st. yesterday to see the
statue of Aphrodte, carved in Parian marble.
and believed to be executed by Praxiteles. A
photograph of the statue was reproduced in yes
terday's Tribune
Sir Caspar Purdon Clarke. the new director Of
the Metropolitan Museum of Art. inter-
ested visitor. He examined the statue with
great care and declared it was a beautiful work
of art Frederick Linton. the owner of the
statue, explained to Sir Purdon that the director
of the Naples Museum. DR.. Pals. believed the
statue to be ancient Greek marble of the time
of Praxtees and a model of Phryne as Venus
the goddess of love
Sir Purdon remarked that it was beyond sus-
picion that the statue a beautiful work of
art and worthy of the great PraxiteIes.
What more can you have?' asked Sir Purdon.
you cannot obtain documents from Praxiteles"
Daniel C. French. the sculptor, also declared
the statue was beautiful but added that it
would require great consideration on his part
before he could say that he believed it to be the
work of Praxiteles
Regarding the statue and how it came into
his possession, Mr. Linton said last evening to
Tribune eporter:
Il value the statue commercially, at 100000
at least. Signor Fourcadi, an eminent Roman
sculptor, in 1892 advised me that the statue
should be exhibited in the Greek department of
the Worlds Fair and afterward in the prin-
cipal cities of the United States He offered
to deliver lectures on the statue and assert it to
be the Venus of Praxiteles. after the model of
Phryne. He expressed the opinion that the
statue was such beautiful work of art that
no commercial value could be placed on it, but If
it was his property. he declared he would not
sell it for less than $1,000000.
The statue has been in nv possession since
1889. 1t was taken away from the country
where it discovered and shipped from
France to America in the early part of 1892 1t
has since been stored in a warehouse till it was
exhibited for the first time on Wednesday last
at the National Arts Club
Il have been art collector in England for
thirty years and have for years of course. been
aware of the great value of the statue But as
an extensive land owner my interests have en-
crossed too much of my time to give attention
to the exhibition of the statue till the present
time In the West and South have large coal
and timber land interests. In Harrison County
W. Va. 1 own about twenty-nine thousand
acres OF land
The trustees of the Corcoran Art Gallery in
1896 promised me the use of room in their new
gallery l was in Washington then treating with
the trustees of the gallery obtain the use of a
room for the exhibition of the statue Several
men offered to get a bill through Congress for
the government to purchase the statue for the
Capitol.
"Dr. Beattey, the curator of the Art Institute
In Pittsburg. has taken great interest in the
statue, and has been hopeful that Mr. Carnegie
would buy it and present it to the institute
The doctor will be in this city in few days
to examine the statue again.
AS announced in The Tribune yesterday the
statue is said to have been discovered bricked
up in a niche, according to some in Asia Minor
and to others in Greece or Sicily.
card bearing these words is attached to the
base Of the figure "Aphrodite girdle in hand
Greek work in Paros marble, attributed To
PraXiteles. This Venus explains the Venus de
Medlct, and may be the original of that famous
copy"
1t said last evening that the statue will
be on exhibition at least week longer