The Washington herald., 1909-02-28
LOST RAPHAELFOUND
alteration of the Shepherds "
in North Carolina.
OWNED BY BRITISH OFFICER
Masterpiece Exhibited at MetropoII-
tan Museum of Art, New York,
Some Years AgO-sIay Be the Work
OF n Pupil OF Famous Master
and signed by Raphael.

Speaking OF art treasures IN the Wal
ters Gallery, what would you think II 1
told you 7 had seen a real Raphael IN an
old Southern home, away back in the
North Carolina mountains?" remarked a
Baltimore nan recently to a Baltimore
sun reporter. Sounds pifish. doesn't
it-like one OF your ghost stories.
Nevertheless, there IS such a painting;
1t Is apparently signed by Raphael, and
famous art critics have pronounced il
genuine. Moreover, It was exhibited for
some years in the Metropolitan Museum
OF New York, where Il was catalogued
as Raphael. or as supposed Raphael
or believed to be BY Raphael I am not
sure which Gen. di Cesnols, at that
time head Of the Metropolitan and world
famous as an art critic, believed the pic
ture q genuine Raphael.
Whether the beautiful cid genl-for it
Is al that-was in fact the work Of the
great Italian, OF whether. as some believe.
Il was done BY one OF Raphaers stu
dents and signed with the masters mark.
VIII doubtless never be definitely known.
But n the same collection there are
other real gems the authenticity OF
which has never, I believe, been ques-
toned.
There IS a Dutch scene by Isaac Os-
tade, painted on wood: The Judgment
OF Midas" the joint work Of Paul Brill
and Annibale CaFacci: q beautiful and
rare canvas by DIETRICH: another by Won
Behr; etchings by Michael Angelo, Rem
brandt. and Salvador Ross. and others.
These treasures OF art once belonged
TO the collection Of Gen. Collett Leven-
thorpe, erstwhile a captain IN a crack
British regiment. and later a brigadier-
general Of the Confederate army. soldier.
surgeon. civil engineer, chess expert. lit
terateur. are ccnnoisseur. and courtiy
man OF the world
Belonged 10 British Officer.
Some time in the earlier half OF the
last century, some traveller In London
told the then Capt. Leventhorpe Of vast
silver mines in Western Carolina The
young officer, with the Britisher's char
acteristicaliy childiike creduiity. believed
the story, and, needing money. he sold
his commission aid sailed for the Caro-
Ina mountains 10 seek his fortune among
the silver mines.
Needless to say. he never found them.
but 70 the day OF hts death, which Oc-
CURED some fifteen years ago, at an ad-
vanced age. he stil believed IN the exist
enee Of the silver deposits, although be
had not the means 10 develop them
But Capt LeventhOTpe. although he
missed the mines. found in Carolina what
he prized vastly more than silver or gold
"a lovely, gentle, high-bred girl. who be-
came his wife, and with whom he lived a
long and ideally happy life, and who died
about a year ago she was Miss Louisa
Bryan. cf Rutherfordton. y. G
Gen Leventhorpe inherited several
small fortunes. bis family being promi-
nent and wealthy IN England. and after
his marriage ne travelled al over the
world, living for considerable periods IN
Paris, Loadoa, New York, New Or
leans, and other cities.
1T was in New Orleans that he found
the Raphael. and heard the story from
his own lips. He saw II by chance one