Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-04-25
APRIL rs, 1909.
STRANGE ADVENTURES
OF STOLEN PICTURES


ings-Arnold Bocklin's "Fishing Sa-
tyrs" and a cattle picture by Troyon-
which were stolen from Baron Leopold
Won Lieben in 1905 and have just been
restored to their rightful owner, has
greatly increased after their strange
adventure, says an English paper. Inc
baron paid something like El2OO Tor
them, and 1t is very doubtful whether
he would sell them for twice that
amount.
Probably few masterpieces that have
fetched huge sums would have attained
anything like their present value but
for the fact of the romantic adventures
connected with most OF them. rake,
for instance, Murillo's painting of the
appearance of the Christ Child,
which hangs in the baptistery chapel
of Seville cathedral The famous can
vas, although carefully guarded, was
missed one morning. 1t had beent cut
out of it's frame. So priced was the
work that the government sent copies
all over Europe in the hope of tracing
it, Some years elapsed before it was
found at Cadiz. In the meantime the
value of the painting increased so rap
idly that the authorities refused an of
fer of e43,000 for 1t.
1t is a we'll known fact that but for
their vicissitudes the paintings of
Gainsborough would never have been
so valuable. The bidding for the stolen
Duchess of Devonshire" was so ex-
cited that 1t was finally knocked down
to dealer for e13,100. But Gainsbor-
ough's painting of Mrs. Robinson was
valued at e15000 when 1t was restored
to it's owner after a romantic adven-
ture.
Another great picture with a curious
history is Holbein's "Field of the Cloth
of Gold" which now hangs in Hamp-
ton Court palace. 1t was offered for
l. hut xuhan tho xuOIIld-
be purchaser came to view the work he
discovered to his amaZement that the
head of Henry VIII had been cut COM
pletely out of the canvas. OF course the
sale was stopped. Some years later the
earl of Essex confessed to the theft
The picture still hangs in the historic
palace, clearly showing the mark of the
knife.
A similar mutilation is to be found
among the art treasures of Lord Crewe
Many years ago one of his ancestors
had picture painted of his son and
daughter. In later years the son quar-
relied with his father. and, by way of
revenge, cut his sisters portrait out of
the canvas. IT was not till century
later that the missing portion was re-
stored by dealer.
Some extraordinary stories are told of
the ridiculous sums offered and taken
for some of these famous old masters
People who had, by accident. come
across paintings worth thousands of
pounds have parted with their treas
ures for few shillings. RaphaePs ia
nous Massacre of the Innocents."
which was found in the cottage of a
poor widow. changed hands for SOW
ereignl
A dealer secured one of Correggio's
finest works-which had been stolen
for about 5 shillings. and resold 1t to
Lord Bristol for e1500
It was only two years ago that val
liable Romney was discovered on the
walls of a Jersey cottage, which had
been given to the owner to settle the
artists twelve months beer account
It Is now valued at 10000. A few
pence were given to a beggar to clear
some rubbish out of a barn near Court
raj, including a dirty piece of painted
wood" The painting was cleaned and
recognized as a Durer which was stolen
some years previously from the ma
tional museum of Munich.
A Titan worth e15.000 was on view
every dav in an humble picture dealers
shop in Paris for twenty years. Tt was
so cracked that e400 was required to
restore IT, Two masterpieces of Van
Dyck and Hobbemas were accidentally
discovered hanging in the humble bed
room of Buckingham farmer.
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