New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-07-08
THE STOLEN DUCHESS
A New Chapter in the History Oh
Gainsborough's Painting.
n The London Daily Mail

The last chapter has apparently not
vet been written about the adventures
of the famous stolen Duchess py
Gainsborough, which after an eXtraor-
dinariIy romantic career mas founu
permanent home I'm Mr.. Pierpont Nor
gan's London mansion. Her very identl
ty is now I'm danger of being challenged
by the rival claims OF a twin sister Wn,
after many wanderings has returned
from Australia and is at the present
time ENJOYING the hospitality OF MI
Sphinx, i'm King street, ST James $,
Which is the real Duchess-which the
pretender? The question cannot De ue-
cided until the new claimant exposes hel
charms to the full light or day. IN t,io
semi obscurity Of her present apode sIIe
eludes the supreme test and relies en-
tirely upon documentary credentials
Meanwhile it may not be without inter-
est briefly TO state the case oil the tWo
rivals.
Mr.. Pierpont Morgan's picture Is ira
ditionally supposed to represen. Eio.
giana. daughter OF the first Earl Spen
Ger and hrst wife Of the fifth DUKE VI
Devonshirc, Of whom there Is an autnel
tic earlier portrait by GalnsDorousi a.
AIthop. The stolen Duchess hrst
turned up i'm the possession OF an olo
schoolmistress. from whom 1t was bougnt
i'm 1871 by a Mr.. John Bentley for trl,
fling sum Already at that time IL nau
been cut down to fit place over cnliiI
ney-piece From Mr.. Bentley the picture
PASSED into the hands of Mr. wynn Eiils'
at whose death ii was sold AT Christie
in 1875 for the then sensational price vi
10.100 guineas. The purchassrs Werc
Messrs. Agnew. During the nlgh' OF Mas
26. 1876. unknown hands cut the picture
out of its frame and removed IT from the
Bond street galleries. All efforts to trace
the thieves remained fruitless untll as
result of surprising COMMUNICATIONS
Mr.. Morland Agnew proceeded 10 'hl-
caso in 1901, and was handed the long
lost treasure at the Auditorium hotel'
I'm that city. The picture was supse
ouently exhibited. met with sensationaI
success. and was acquired, 1t is sald'
for $4,000 by its present owner MI
Perpont Morgan.
The picture at Messrs. Spink's gallery
is practically identical with the stolen
Duchess. but includes the portions wnlch
Mr.. Morgan's portrait lost In the course
of it's romantic vlcissitudes. It's claims
are set forth i'm a lengthy document
dated London. July 16, 1873. signed John
Foster and witnessed by R. {: Saun-
ders. % Princes Square, London W.
This Mr.. John Foster, ih the very open
ing phrase Of his declarations, asserts
IDHt the DOTlIdh Ifpi'cNiitH NV
gjana. but Elizabeth. second wife or
William. fifth Duke of DevOnshire. Upon
the beginning Of this statement depends
the credibility Of the whole document.
Its wording is as follows
a. John Foster. OF the city OF sgd
ney, New South Wales. Eastern Austria
liza, farmer and general merchant. being
DESTROYS of giving the fullest history ana
all the most interesting details within
n rnrtrait Of
Lady Elizabeth Hervey (afterward Lady
Elizabeth Foster, often called Lady
Betty Foster, and afterward Duchess OF
Devonshire). painted by Thomas Gains
borough. and now measuring about b
feet inches high by feet 10 inches
broad, hereby state with unWaVerlng
confidence in my memory as 10 all the
facts and circumstances related TO me-
that I first saw the said picture in Lon
don about the year 1899, when my father
showed it to me as a portrait of the late
Duchess of Devonshire. who died about
sixteen years previously. and who was
a very kind friend and patron OF his, and
who had given him this picture as a
Keepsake, which he was never to part
with during his life."
The gift was accompanied by an en-
graved copper plate of the picture and
one hundred impressions OF 1t, all or
which were mysteriously stolen soon ar
terward and never recovered. According
TO John Fosters recollection. his father
told him that the picture was painted
by Gainsborough about 177S for the
duchess. who had seen and admired a
picture by Gansborough of q Duchess
of Devonshire during that year'-per-
haps the Althorp portrait of Giorgiana.
THE sittings were frequent and when
the picture was finished Gainsborough
was disappointed that he was not to
have the picture for the required time
for a public exhibition but he was so
pleased with the work and the compost
ton that he determined to keep a copy
of II, and he sketched in "A full-siZed
CODY on a large. whole-length canvas.
which ne begged permission to be al
lowed to exhibit. but this copy he never
finished. and only painted the figure.
leaving the background in a sketchy
condition He never exhibited the repli-
ca as he said he could not part with 1t
for so many months, and would always
have It to look at
And now comes the most significant
part OF this astounding story:
When my father was quite young he
was applied TO by Mr.. Thomas Lawrence
for permission To sec the picture which
belonged to him. Lawrence having been
told by Elizabeth the wife of william
fifth Duke OF Devonshire. that she had
sat for the original (by GainsborOugh)
before she was married. and that she
had given II to my father. who would
doubtless, let him see 1t to paint from
and renovatc a replica for a gentleman
who had bought one either from Gains
borough or al a sale after Gainsboroughs
death. . Lawrence remarked that
the face (of the replica was evidently
pale and faded. and he must restore the
color to 1t. which he certainly did for
he gave the cheeks and lips a bright hue
like the effect OF artificial paint on the
natural face. . Since that tine
the replica picture has been frequently
cleaned and restored and further slight
reductions made in its dimensions. This
replica picture was seen by my father
in the house of Mr.. Bentley, picture re-
storer. about the year 1888, when X had
undergone many changes since it was
shown to him i'm the untouched condi-
ton In which it was left by Gainsbor-
ough.'
Since Mr.. Bentley actually bought the
Stolen" Duchess in 1S41-Mr. Foster says
about 1S3S"-there can be little doubt.
If Mr.. Fosters declaration is reliable.
that the replica mentioned by him Is
the very picture now owned by Mr. Pier
pont Morgan. The supposed original was
left TO Mr.. Foster i'm 1859 by his father
who on his deathbed communicated to
| him a secret concerning his birth and
parentage which threw a considerable
light on the reason for this picture hav-
ing been given To him"
Mr.. Fosters deposition Is a clear. logl-
cal, straightforward statement which
cannot be easily dismissed as romantic
fiction. But the real test must be a close
examination of the alleged original nor
trait of Lady Elizabeth Hervey. II II re-
veals evidence of Gains boroughs handi-
work, the only conclusion can be- that
the picture in King street is the one for
M-Linh thai lalN actnallN sat u.LiI.- A.